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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
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Broken Ear Record
by Black Dice
This is the fourth album for the Brooklyn noise-rockers.
| LABEL: |
Astralwerks / DFA |
| RELEASE DATE: |
06 September 2005 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Indie, Rock, Experimental, Electronic |

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
Alternative Press
It's the best post-retro, pre-futurist, avant-antiquarian psychedelia of 2005. [Nov 2005, p.226]
90
Tiny Mix Tapes
The goal here is a noise-dance album, and they succeed admirably.

81
Pitchfork
It's flighty, frustrating, and at times a little frigid, but intelligent and never lacking in momentum.

80
All Music Guide
It's less glossy than either of its full-length predecessors... and in addition to a bit of grit there is a stronger rhythmic center to what is happening here as well.

80
Prefix Magazine
Broken Ear Record... seems to embrace a certain sense of pop influence, albeit far beneath the manic din of sonic exploration for which the band is known.

80
New Musical Express
Tinnitus never sounded so good. [3 Sep 2005, p.74]
80
PopMatters
Broken Ear Record is a jittering jumble of giddy good times, slow rolling drone tones, fuzzy orange phasers, and disjointed jalopy junk beats. It is sound for the sake of sound, relieved of any expectation and allowed to roll around about and in the ears as freely as the pulse it projects.

70
Urb
This glorious racket... has a beating, hideous heart to it. [Oct 2005, p.76]
70
Blender
There are magical, creepy moments here. [Nov 2005, p.131]
70
Under The Radar
For noisenicks, this is your makeout music. [#11, p.109]
70
Delusions of Adequacy
Although music lovers who normally don’t appreciate experimental noise will find some things of interest here, this is really an album for people who dig material a bit more avant-garde.

70
Junkmedia
Black Dice doesn‚t shy away from risks, and this record is just as daring as Beaches and Canyons or Creature Comforts.

60
Playlouder
This is a record that brattily demands total attention, and as such, will either be lauded as a bold journey, or derided as pretentious indulgence.

60
Uncut
The success rate is variable. [Oct 2005, p.94]
50
Stylus Magazine
Broken Ear is limited and bogged down with its exacting and overriding sense of rhythm and lack of true sonic experimentation.

50
Splendid
Although the group's previous outings routinely got bogged down in forced experimentalism, Broken Ear Record at least keeps the pace sufficiently frantic, which allows us to excuse some (if not all) of its more self-indulgent moments.

50
Drowned In Sound
Still as irksome and tuneless as ever.

40
Dusted Magazine
Where Beaches blended human touch and electricity to create heart-stopping climaxes and an air of constant expectancy, Broken Ear attempts a streamlined repetition of the formula with much more emphasis on the electricity, and the whole does not equal the sum of the parts.

40
Q Magazine
Too much... is just art for art's sake. [Oct 2005, p.121]

The average user rating for this album is 9.5 (out of 10) based on 6 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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