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Around is a bit spotty but when it works, it really works well.
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For every piece that sounds like aimless noodling, there are keepers like the strutting "Wheel Broke," the guitar-only "Mountain," the Tortoise-style "Balcony" and the absolutely gorgeous "Eighty Eights."
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Whilst Around is hardly groundbreaking stuff – Verlaine’s retro equipment preferences automatically predicate a retro feel – it is a genuinely unforced unfurling of a reclusive talent and a worthy companion piece to Warm and Cool.
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MojoIt's in essence a wordless, monochrome Television. [May 2006, p.104]
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Around is low-key, yes, but revealed to be full of those cries and swoops, flutters and chimes that are unmistakebly Verlaine, and weirdly engaging.
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New Musical Express (NME)Mostly Americana and mostly unremarkable. [29 Apr 2006, p.37]
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Too many of the songs are flimsy and fragmentary, never shaping into anything substantial and coming across like incidental music.
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If the record is somewhat frustrating as an intensive listen, it works stunningly as music to have on when you are doing something.
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Q MagazineSounds like the work of a man touting for soundtracks. [May 2006, p.131]
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Wholly forgettable.
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The WireA beautifully realised collection, Around is remarkably ego-free -- perhaps too much so. [#266, p.67]
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Most will find this album unnecessary, even if it's not entirely inconsequential.
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UncutSpiky, lyrical, quiveringly pretty. [May 2006, p.100]
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Under The RadarAt its worst, Around is as random as its title, featuring indulgent noodling, song sketches and intros more than actual songs. [#13, p.89]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 3 out of 3
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Mixed: 0 out of 3
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Negative: 0 out of 3
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jacksoncJan 30, 2007