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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
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Anniemal
by Annie
This debut full-length by the Norwegian singer is preceded by quite a bit of critical buzz on both sides of the Atlantic.
| LABEL: |
Big Beat / 679 |
| RELEASE DATE: |
07 June 2005 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Electronic, Pop |
NOTES: UK release 7 Mar 2005.
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
100
Uncut
It excels at that classic pop trick of combining the euphoric with the melancholy. [Apr 2005, p.108]
91
Stylus Magazine
If you come expecting a great album full of hit singles, you won’t get it. If you come with an open mind, what will greet you is the opening chapter of a tale about a girl living through music, remembering through music, exploring her art and herself, starting out to create something special and different.
90
All Music Guide
As cunning as it is, Anniemal is also deeply affecting.
90
Amazon.com
Not since the days of The Tom Tom Club, Bananarama, and "Lucky Star"-era Madonna, has dance-pop been this fun, this bouncy, this unabashedly optimistic.
90
Tiny Mix Tapes
Perfect pop bliss.
90
Filter
Annie is to Kylie Minogue as Kasabian is to Primal Scream: same song, different packaging. [#16, p.97]
88
Pitchfork
This all-star team of Northern European electro-house producers infuses the record with often low, rumbling bass, twitchy synths, and an oddly high-altitude light-headedness-- like floating, high on oxygen, just above a dancefloor.
80
ShakingThrough.net
One of the stronger debuts released this year.
80
Drowned In Sound
If you have even the teensiest taste for the guilty charms of Kylie, the ‘Babes or Girls Aloud, this album is a must.
80
Slant Magazine
Annie the songwriter is breathless and unsure of herself, her voice barely registering above a church-wafer-thin whisper for most of the record.
80
Blender
[Annie] masterfully fus[es] synth-pop rhythms with her own feline coos. [Jun 2005, p.108]
80
The New York Times
Annie has a breathy wisp of a voice, and her vocal range is limited; but there is charm in her deadpan delivery, and her songwriting is full of the flair for melody for which Scandinavian pop is famous. [2 May 2005]
80
Urb
Annie explodes with a white-hot teen spirit that shames 99% of what passes for pop in America today. [Jun 2005, p.76]
80
Prefix Magazine
As much as the album may be a breath of fresh air, it still resembles what the Britney’s on our side of the Atlantic are putting out, closer than many would like to admit.
75
Entertainment Weekly
This sugar rush of an album proves Mom right yet again: Candy is best consumed in moderation. [10 Jun 2005, p.107]
74
cokemachineglow
What makes Anniemal such a strong pop effort is its refusal to drop its high standards for production, melody, and hooks.
70
Village Voice
If much of Anniemal isn't vibrant enough to move physically or resonant enough to move emotionally, its peaks suggest a worthy midway state.
70
Planet
Kylie Minogue for hipsters. [#10, p.70]
70
Rolling Stone
Sounding mainstream but thinking indie, Anniemal comes packed with both instant surface fizz and quirky finesse that sustains repeated listenings.
70
Splendid
Annie has delivered a solid pop record that does a lot of things well, but -- and this is the important thing -- that's what we should expect from all of our pop records.... Anniemal isn't a high-water mark; it's a benchmark.
63
Los Angeles Times
And though a few of the tracks are downright painful... the end product is certainly something to chew on. [24 Jul 2005]
60
Dot Music
“Anniemal” is a textbook pop album – with all the passion that entails (i.e. none).
50
PopMatters
Anniemal is pleasant enough to listen to; when I played it in my car while I was stuck in traffic, it helped take the edge off. It reminded me of music heard in malls, peppy and buoying, but not so compelling as to distract you from the clothes.
The average user rating for this album is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 57 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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