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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
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Haha Sound
by Broadcast
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.
| LABEL: |
Warp |
| RELEASE DATE: |
12 August 2003 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Electronic, Rock, Trip-Hop |
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
Outburn
Ha Ha Sound is the sort of album that will sweetly move you towards slumber. [#23, p.82]
100
The Guardian
Every note, every lyric, is perfect.
90
The Wire
Juggles multiple ideas of modernism with unusual grace and success. [#234, p.53]
90
Splendid
HaHa Sound is a good example what a talented band can do in an era of infinite possibilities.
90
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.
90
Uncut
In a world supersaturated with electronica, Broadcast are nonetheless bold, rare and crucial. [Sep 2003, p.97]
88
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.
83
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]
82
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.
80
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]
80
Under The Radar
Broadcast might be the most fully realized electronic band out there. [#5, p.105]
80
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.
80
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.
80
Blender
Never anything less than enthralling. [Sep 2003, p.121]
80
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.
80
Alternative Press
A bewitching fusion of orchestral prettiness and exploratory electronics. [Aug 2003, p.108]
80
Q Magazine
Overall this is brain music of remarkable potency. [Aug 2003, p.102]
80
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.
66
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.
60
Dot Music
It's certainly very cleverly composed and constructed but ultimately sounds aloof and impenetrable and, as a result, somewhat devoid of emotion.
60
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.
60
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.
30
PopMatters
HaHa Sound's biggest flaw is its total lack of immediacy.
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.
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