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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

The Seldom Seen Kid
by Elbow


8.9

based on 19 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 21 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

Official Artist Site

The fourth album for the indie rock band features Pulp's Richard Hawley on one track.

LABEL:	Fiction/Geffen
RELEASE DATE:	22 April 2008
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Rock, Indie

NOTES: Original UK release 17 Mar 2008.

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...

Drowned In Sound

The achievement of The Seldom Seen Kid is that Elbow manage to be both incredibly consistent and perpetually improving.

musicOMH.com

The Seldom Seen Kid keeps the band on this upward trajectory.

New Musical Express

The Seldom Seen Kid is a stunning record, a career-best from a band whose consistency has seldom been matched by any British indie band this decade.

Filter

It is rare to come across a record that possesses such refinement and stylization, but The Seldom Seen Kid excels at both and was more than worth the wait. [Spring 2008, p.94]

The Onion (A.V. Club)

As ever with Elbow, the album is too long, ever ready to make room for more lush melancholy. But beneath the superficial drabness and gloom is a band as diverse as any of its flashier contemporaries.

Village Voice

The singer's Mancunian bleariness is such that the bittersweet barfly sing-along 'Grounds for Divorce' rings effortlessly real, while the quasi-spiritual questing of 'Weather to Fly' gets reined in by the sobering image of "pounding the streets where my father's feet/Still ring from the walls."

Slant Magazine

Though the album's most overt trait is tenderness, the hetero-waltz 'The Fix' (featuring Richard Hawley on vocals) and the Zeppelin-esque 'Grounds for Divorce' provide a certain masculine muscle, making Kid feel like a male sibling of the Cardigans' equally exquisite 'Long Gone Before Daylight.'

Dot Music

'One Day Like This' rolls out an exultant, almost fulsome, bright blue-sky assurance that really, no matter how gloomy you might feel, a lovely day can put an altogether better complexion on things. If anyone else voiced such sentiments, you'd rightly want to reach into the stereo and slap them hard, but that Elbow make the affirmation ring touchingly true is a testament to their sweet sincerity and principled candour.

The Guardian

Elbow sound beautifully understated rather than underwhelming, less underachieving than desperately undervalued.

Uncut

The album works as whole--beginning with an eruptive blast of noise and ending with the gentle farewell that is 'Friend Of Ours.'

Hot Press

Established fans will be glad to hear Elbow’s sound further maturing; newcomers will hopefully realise that this particular seldom-seen-kid should definitely be heard.

Observer Music Monthly

Their fourth album picks up where 2005's "Leaders of the Free World" left off.

Q Magazine

Elbow have hardly stepped out of their comfort zone here, but then their comfort zone has always been oddly unsettling. They're still burning: slowly, maybe, but stronger than ever. [Apr 2008, p.114]

All Music Guide

The Seldom Seen Kid is Elbow's most self-assured and enjoyable album so far.

Pitchfork

The ebb and flow of the disc feels like it's advancing some unknowable plot, always the sign of a well sequenced disc but also the bridge between songs like the lovely 'Mirrorball' and the bluesy (in the get-the-Led-out sense) 'Grounds for Divorce.'

PopMatters

It’s one that we can all get in on and enjoy, as Elbow has once again proved that it’s a band that’s looking forward and doing things in its own inimitable way.

Lost At Sea

The good news, evident from the very first listen, is a welcome diversity of songwriting and arrangements, on an otherwise basic pop rock record.... The bad news is that diversity alone cannot salvage the album from being their least spontaneous effort yet.

Mojo

The bass-fuzz stomp and chain-gang holler of 'Grounds for Divorce' couldn't be more immediate, Guy Garvey refusing to let emotional intelligence blackball a decnt tune. [Apr 2008, p.106]

cokemachineglow

If only you didn’t spoil these tender moments that seem to make my heart want to burst out my chest by goofing around all the time.

The average user rating for this album is 8.9 (out of 10) based on 21 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Travis B. gave it a9:
This is Elbow, completely back on their game. Absolutely gorgeous disc, for any one of you who loved Asleep in the Black or Cast of Thousands, I strongly urge you to buy this!

Weirdfish7 gave it a9:
Sonic texturing at it's best. And solid song-writing. Real musicians playing real music. Elbow are at their best, playing this new style they've discovered. Though it does not match Asleep In The Back to this listener, it has no weak tracks, and thoughtful arrangements and lyrics are plentyful. Listen.

Hugh M. gave it a9:
Elbow must be one of the most underrated bands of this decade. Thank God for intelligent music which rewards repeat visits. This feels a little like a cabaret soundtrack at first, but turns into a thing of beauty upon further spins. Guy Garvey's voice is a thing of beauty, and the bands arrangements leave most for dead. Great stuff....buy it

Burning gave it a9:
Definitely a brilliant album, and I have to agree that 'Grounds for Divorce' is without question an instant hit. Sadly, this is supposed to be their last album per se, because they don't find publishing albums in the Internet era profitable.

Erik Z. gave it a10:
Elbow's crafted an(other) album of emotionally intelligent lyrics, the most fluid of songcraft, the most understated of basslines, all of it so evocative, so effective. Briliant, just brilliant.

Jack gave it a7:
A good, solid album. I'm not sure if I understand all the hype though. Standout tracks are Mirrorball, Grounds ofr Divorce and Friend of Ours.

Joe R gave it a10:
A brilliant album, the perfect antidote to anyone feeling alienated by what seems to be the depressing music scene of today-- the music's there, you just have to look for it!

The Seldom Seen Kid by Elbow

The Seldom Seen Kid
by Elbow