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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
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Louden Up Now
by !!! [Chik Chik Chik]
This is the second full-length for the dance-oriented Sacramento/New York seven-piece (down from eight), who share several members with the band Out Hud.
| LABEL: |
Touch & Go / Warp |
| RELEASE DATE: |
08 June 2004 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Indie, Rock |
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
Drowned In Sound
One of the most assured, unashamedly danceable albums that we’ve heard for quite a while.
90
All Music Guide
Louden Up Now is easily the best record to come out of the [new wave dance punk revival] movement; its ten tracks are filled with fervor, hooks, passion and power.
90
The Onion (A.V. Club)
An album that nails both the balance and the imbalance promised by any true fusion of rock and dance music.
90
Splendid
This is the smartest fun music (and the most fun smart music) I've heard this year.
80
Magnet
Make no mistake: You will dance. [#64, p.80]
80
Junkmedia
!!! has put together an end-to-end burner here, full of songs that will move your ass and stick in your ear for weeks.
80
Dot Music
Old loves Liquid Liquid, ESG and A Certain Ratio haven’t been abandoned and their percussionist still works overtime, but the spirits of Prince, Kraftwerk (both on the wryly self-referential "Dear Can"), Chic and even ABC (on the politicised "Shit Scheisse Merde Pt 1") make cameo appearances.
80
Urb
Sound[s] like the most genuine "no wave" tribute album yet. [Jun 2004, p.83]
80
Neumu.net
A funkdafied smart-bomb that's one part Brooklyn, one part Madchester, guitar-meets-echo-chamber, a little Kompakt but still a little sprawling.
80
Alternative Press
If bastard of ceremonies Nic Offer would shut his piehole, Louden Up Now! would improve 50 percent. [Aug 2004, p.106]
80
Under The Radar
What's so exhilarating about this record, despite all its precise playing, is the casual way in which it shifts rhythmically, never seeming to follow a specific course, yet never losing its way. [#7]
80
Q Magazine
Music that makes you 10 percent sleazier than you were--now where's that dancefloor? [Jul 2004, p.110]
80
Tiny Mix Tapes
The caveat is that this is primarily dance music, and doesn't make for a super-compelling listen on a full attention basis.
80
Blender
Eighties punk-funk meets '60s idealism and reefer-toking? Make way for the hipster hippies. [#27, p.134]
76
Filter
Sounds like the house mix for a Marxist disco. [#11, p.92]
75
E! Online
Sounds like a funky offshoot of the Stone Roses, mining blissed-out acid grooves, hypnotic rhythms and the kind of distant, detached vocals that don't sound like vocals at all.
75
Entertainment Weekly
Some of the cuts get lost in a stagnant loop. [25 Jun 2004, p.166]
70
Dusted Magazine
The only real downside to Louden Up Now is the surprising amount of filler surrounding the meaner cuts.
70
Village Voice
Nimble as they are, !!! are definitely a little too certain of their own funkiness.
70
Pitchfork
So the production is great, the songbook is varied, and the band is tighter and more ambitious than ever-- the only problem with Louden Up Now is the unfortunate paucity of ideas within the songs themselves.
70
New Musical Express
For their righteous dance moves alone, these guys are for keeps. [5 Jun 2004, p.56]
70
The Wire
There probably isn't a track here you won't be hearing in some club, park or block party throughout the summer, so you might as well start now. [#245, p.51]
70
Planet
Resolutely bottom-heavy and abstract. [#7, p.73]
60
Playlouder
A decent album, then. But one containing an EP that would've had us going "!!!!!".
60
Uncut
It's exuberant dorkiness, as well as fluidity of playing, that makes !!! stand out. [Jul 2004, p.106]
60
Stylus Magazine
The music is still missing one crucial element—hooks. There really aren’t any of which to speak, and no amount of production skill and instrumental finesse is able to mask that.
60
Rolling Stone
Their dark disco punk is as close to a New York sound as anything these days.
60
No Ripcord
They write some good tunes, and they have some appropriately strident abuse for lyrics. But there’s not enough for an album.
58
Almost Cool
If you take away the 9 minutes of their already-released big single, you could probably squeeze a tight EP out of Louden Up Now, but as a full-length [it] starts with a bang and ends with sort of a whimper. Fun to filler in 53 minutes.
58
Spin
Unfortunately, the elements that clicked so well on "Giuliani" prove an awkward fit on !!!'s sophomore full-length. [Jul 2004, p.111]
56
ShakingThrough.net
Now, this wouldn't seem so bad, or filler-friendly, if !!! offered an advancement on "Giuliani." Alas, no.
50
PopMatters
While the album certainly has cuts worth hearing, it's just not a satisfying listen.
The average user rating for this album is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 19 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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