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No Cities Left
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 18 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Spin Art
Release Date: 12 October 2004
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Indie, Rock
Summary
They might sound Britpop (and at the very least, a bit like The Smiths), but this collective led by Murray Lightburn hails from Montreal, Canada. This is their second album and first U.S. release.
Also By This Artist: Gang Of Losers Missiles
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
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...
Spin
There isn't a tune on No Cities Left, the Dears' gorgeous second album, that's not pitched at a minor state of emergency. [Jan 2005, p.99]
Playlouder
This is an album on which EVERYTHING ace you can think of in indie happens.
Read Full Review >Mojo
A drizzly doomsday masterpiece. [Nov 2004, p.108]
Filter
An astoundingly complex, deeply evocative pop record. [#13, p.98]
Uncut
This is seriously literate stuff, and all the better for it. [Nov 2004, p.120]
New Musical Express
Sound[s] like Marvin Gaye fronting The Smiths while the London Philharmonic Orchestra has a stab at the Burt Bacharach songbook. [9 Oct 2004, p.55]
All Music Guide
At its best sounds like a suicidal combination of Blur and the Divine Comedy.
Read Full Review >The Guardian
An album that shimmers in unexpected places, is never predictable, and should set the Dears up to be major contenders in 2005.
Read Full Review >Stylus Magazine
There’s a bit too much flab on No Cities Left for it to be the truly great album it aspires to be.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
No Cities Left is a very good album, just not quite the timeless classic some would lead you to believe.
Read Full Review >Billboard
A curious amalgamation of styles that is ultimately quirky and compelling.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
Can be summed up succinctly: Damon Albarn sings The Smiths. [Nov 2004, p.130]
Pitchfork
The Dears, by and large, make tracks that would slide without much distinction onto any number of mid-90s albums, neither gumming up the works nor sounding particularly special.
Read Full Review >cokemachineglow
It is true, this album does have songs and nearly all of them suffer the same fate: a few great ideas ruined by the need for everything to be so overblown and melodramatic.
Read Full Review >Blender
Neither for the faint of heart, nor for those allergic to pretentiousness. [Jan/Feb 2005, p.103]
The Onion (A.V. Club)
There's a strange, almost perfectly equatorial divide between five largely stunning songs, and six that might shine brighter in lesser company. As arranged, it's jarringly half-brilliant and half-blah.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.9 (out of 10) based on 18 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Denny C gave it an8:
Lost in the plot & we can have it God damn brilliants songs
Tom J gave it a10:
amazing
Hein gave it a10:
Briljant album full of passion.
Nick M gave it a10:
The Dears are amazing, i feel priveliged to have know about them so long ago, and im so happy that others feel the way i do about this album, it is a masterpiece, and no one could tell me different!
hugol r gave it a10:
dears rules!!
David B gave it a10:
A breath of fresh air, a must listen. Been waiting years for something like this.
marco c gave it a10:
brill
