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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Haha Sound
Universal acclaim
Based on 23 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 10 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Warp
Release Date: 12 August 2003
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Electronic, Rock, Trip-Hop
Summary
This is just the second full-length recording for the Birmingham, England experimental pop outfit founded in 1995. Included here is the track "Pendulum" from the recent EP of the same name.
Also By This Artist: Future Crayon Tender Buttons The Noise Made By People
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site Warp Records
What The Critics Said
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...
Outburn
Ha Ha Sound is the sort of album that will sweetly move you towards slumber. [#23, p.82]
The Wire
Juggles multiple ideas of modernism with unusual grace and success. [#234, p.53]
Splendid
HaHa Sound is a good example what a talented band can do in an era of infinite possibilities.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
Haha Sound may not be Broadcast's most superficially perfect album, but it's a more challenging and exciting one because of its deliberate imperfections.
Read Full Review >Uncut
In a world supersaturated with electronica, Broadcast are nonetheless bold, rare and crucial. [Sep 2003, p.97]
Junkmedia
While all of the sounds that made their debut so compelling are in place here, Broadcast has also branched out, employing a looser approach to strong structure.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
Trish Keenan's woozy vocals conjure cloudy dreamscapes, and the music will leave you feeling vaguely fashionable, the same way that Stereolab's sophisticated synth work does. [15 Aug 2003, p.76]
Pitchfork
An enveloping, mysterious record that marries the idealism of "the future of tomorrow today" to the stark reality of the post-millennial present and finds beauty and fascination in the tussle between melody and rhythm.
Read Full Review >Mojo
Ha Ha Sound reveals that the band still have a penchant for 3/4 time, still transcend their cinematic influences effortlessly, and Trish Keenan still conjures wondrous lyrical evocations of unspecific tenderness and yearning. [Aug 2003, p.98]
Under The Radar
Broadcast might be the most fully realized electronic band out there. [#5, p.105]
Neumu.net
This whole is a sum of 14 songs that adds up to an estimable artistic much, the kind of album worthy of nestling in for months.
Read Full Review >Almost Cool
Although the music of the group has taken quite a few strides forward, it is also once again the voice of Trish Keenan that holds everything together.
Read Full Review >Blender
Never anything less than enthralling. [Sep 2003, p.121]
Dusted Magazine
It seems that with HaHa Sound, Broadcast is subtly developing a personal aesthetic, assimilating all that comes across their path but rarely allowing the elements to overwhelm their on ideas.
Read Full Review >Alternative Press
A bewitching fusion of orchestral prettiness and exploratory electronics. [Aug 2003, p.108]
Q Magazine
Overall this is brain music of remarkable potency. [Aug 2003, p.102]
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Broadcast invokes the spacier reaches of Brian Wilson and Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, but Haha Sound is a retrofit well-tailored enough to wear a cloak of its own.
Read Full Review >Stylus Magazine
Haha Sound’s music is always competent, and often worthy of Broadcast’s debut album, but it’s disconcerting to see a band repeat a simple formula with such devotion.
Read Full Review >Dot Music
It's certainly very cleverly composed and constructed but ultimately sounds aloof and impenetrable and, as a result, somewhat devoid of emotion.
Read Full Review >No Ripcord
Ha Ha Sound is occasionally brilliant, often adequate and, on some tracks, so bizarrely irritating that the mind boggles at who Broadcast imagine would actually be interested in hearing them. So, in summation, an almost essential album of largely inessential tracks.
Read Full Review >Playlouder
Not, perhaps, the hugest of leaps from 'The Noise Made By People', granted, but that album, fine though it was, was very much parking on specific continental territory; 'Ha Ha Sound', by contrast, feels like it wants to explore somewhere more bearingless.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.9 (out of 10) based on 10 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Jim B gave it a9:
Slightly stronger than their superb debut. "Ha-Ha Sound" is my favourite album of 2003. "Before We Begin" is beautiful;the album's best track,among other excellent ones.
Scott C gave it a 9:
The best LP of the year bar none! Their best material to date..get it!
Andrew R gave it an 8:
A fantastic record. Delivering on the promise of the Pendulum extended player, Broadcast open an entirely new world on this record. Seemingly unlike anything else being made at the moment, the Birmingham band expands on their unique 60's Girl Group Pop sound, inflecting it with touches of jazz and electronics. Lyrically and musically heartbreaking, this is one of the best albums you're likely to hear all year.
bryce e gave it a 10:
An instant classic. Like Petula Clark's lost psych album.
Katarina V gave it a 9:
Carew's review, published on your site, is a bit thin. He talks about the irrelevant things, devoting ONLY (!!) two sentences to the actual Broadcast album... sooo sad.
