Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2009
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
70
AFI
65
Air
71
Alice In Chains
77
Amerie
85
The Antlers![]()
75
Arctic Monkeys
68
As Tall As Lions
82
Atlas Sound![]()
75
The Avett Brothers
67
Backstreet Boys
56
Bad Lieutenant
68
Devendra Banhart
72
Lou Barlow
88
Baroness![]()
69
Basement Jaxx
81
David Bazan![]()
72
Brendan Benson
72
The Big Pink
96
Big Star![]()
46
Billy Talent
75
The Black Crowes
51
Black Mold
68
Blitzen Trapper
75
BLK JKS
77
A.A. Bondy
73
The Bottle Rockets
63
Box Elders
65
Boys Like Girls
76
Brand New
73
Tyondai Braxton
87
Brother Ali![]()
70
Ian Brown
75
Michael Buble
78
Built To Spill
61
Colbie Caillat
79
Califone
68
Mariah Carey
84
Brandi Carlile![]()
73
Julian Casablancas
83
Rosanne Cash![]()
69
Castanets
65
The Cave Singers
84
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis![]()
79
Vic Chesnutt
75
Choir Of Young Believers
81
Circulatory System![]()
68
The Clean
84
The Clientele![]()
71
Cobra Starship
85
Converge![]()
71
Eric Copeland
80
Cymbals Eat Guitars
71
Datarock
59
Dead By Sunrise
76
Dead Man's Bones
88
Destroyer![]()
63
The Dodos
77
Drive-By Truckers
66
Bob Dylan
44
The Entrance Band
67
Esser
69
Fanfarlo
63
Felix Da Housecat
68
Fink
78
The Flaming Lips
66
Flight Of The Conchords
79
Florence And The Machine
67
John Fogerty
83
Fuck Buttons![]()
71
Nelly Furtado
47
Gary Go
68
Ghostface Killah
79
Girls
69
Gossip
62
David Gray
66
David Guetta
79
Richard Hawley
74
Mayer Hawthorne
66
Headlights
79
HEALTH
77
Joe Henry
66
Hockey
69
Whitney Houston
68
Imogen Heap
59
Jack Ingram
79
Islands
73
Jessie James
74
Jamie T
65
Jay-Z
51
Jet
69
Daniel Johnston
76
Karen O And The Kids
72
Toby Keith
69
Kid Cudi
65
Kings Of Convenience
62
Sean Kingston
64
KISS
76
Kris Kristofferson
68
KRS-One & Buckshot
76
La Roux
84
Miranda Lambert![]()
72
Ledisi
75
Sondre Lerche
56
Juliette Lewis
82
Lightning Bolt![]()
73
Little Dragon
44
Pixie Lott
73
Lyle Lovett
66
Lovvers
75
Baaba Maal
77
Madness
84
Madonna![]()
85
Manic Street Preachers![]()
62
Maps
55
Massive Attack
57
Matisyahu
67
Reba McEntire
66
Tim McGraw
65
Brian McKnight
79
Mew
77
Malcolm Middleton
77
Mika
68
Amy Millan
76
Mission Of Burma
76
Molina And Johnson
80
Monsters Of Folk
62
Morrissey
85
Mount Eerie![]()
78
The Mountain Goats
62
Múm
72
Muse
66
Willie Nelson
78
Nirvana
97
Nirvana![]()
72
Nisennenmondai
80
No Age
71
Noah And The Whale
75
Noisettes
79
Nudge
47
Dolores O'Riordan
74
Os Mutantes
73
Osso
81
Owen![]()
76
Paramore
76
Pastels And Tenniscoats
51
Sean Paul
80
Pearl Jam
66
Jemina Pearl
72
Jack Penate
65
Phish
82
Pissed Jeans![]()
61
Pitbull
79
A Place To Bury Strangers
66
Robert Pollard
79
Polvo
72
Porcupine Tree
80
Q-Tip
80
R.E.M.
89
Raekwon![]()
69
Rain Machine
70
Ramona Falls
75
Dizzee Rascal
75
The Raveonettes
76
Jay Reatard
82
Reigning Sound![]()
81
Rodrigo Y Gabriela![]()
79
Russian Circles
69
Buffy Sainte-Marie
73
Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
61
Sally Shapiro
78
Shudder To Think
70
Simian Mobile Disco
58
Simple Minds
72
Six Organs Of Admittance
69
Slaughterhouse
80
Slayer
61
The Slits
62
Mindy Smith
78
Soulsavers
77
Speech Debelle
58
Spiral Stairs
58
Squarepusher
55
Steel Panther
73
Sufjan Stevens
52
Rod Stewart
65
Joss Stone
75
George Strait
83
Barbra Streisand![]()
76
A Sunny Day In Glasgow
74
Susanna And The Magical Orchestra
78
The Swell Season
76
David Sylvian
83
Taken By Trees![]()
78
Tegan And Sara
68
The Temper Trap
72
Themselves
82
They Might Be Giants![]()
67
Third Eye Blind
66
J Tillman
69
Times New Viking
57
Tokio Hotel
67
Trey Songz
71
The Twilight Sad
58
Carrie Underwood
56
The Used
68
Various Artists
70
Various Artists
74
Various Artists
77
The Very Best
71
Kurt Vile
67
Vivian Girls
71
Volcano Choir
76
Rufus Wainwright
59
Weezer
80
White Denim
76
Why?
83
Wild Beasts![]()
80
Wildbirds & Peacedrums
59
Andrew W.K.
71
Patrick Wolf
67
Wolfmother
84
The xx![]()
79
Yo La Tengo
83
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band![]()
51
Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
59
Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Wet From Birth

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 21 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 8 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Saddle Creek
Release Date: 14 September 2004
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Indie, Rock, Electronic
Summary
Mike Mogis produced this fourth album for the dance-inducing Nebraska indie rockers. Azure Ray's Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor add vocals on several tracks.
Also By This Artist: Fasciinatiion
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site Saddle Creek
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...
Junkmedia
A near perfect record that will have The Rapture,!!!, and every other dance punk band looking over their collective shoulders.
Read Full Review >Filter
Where it seemed the individual songs on Danse Macabre filled out and stretched the seams of its pop confines, Wet From Birth proposes a more intricate and ambitious space. [#12, p.93]
Entertainment Weekly
The Faint have grown beyond being the mere genre revivalists they were on 2001's Danse Macabre. [17 Sep 2004, p.76]
Alternative Press
Another strong outing. [Oct 2004, p.148]
Urb
Grabs you from the opening seconds with a best-of-all-worlds combination of gritty, menacing music and witty, hilarious lyrics. [Nov 2004, p.99]
Under The Radar
One of the most commanding and exciting albums you'll hear all year. [#7]
Rolling Stone
Not just a dance-rock band anymore, The Faint unveil a strong song sense with tunes as richly imagined, well-written and arresting as their titles. [14 Oct 2004, p.96]
Mojo
This is well-muscled, heavily mascara'd dance music. [Sep 2004, p.99]
New Musical Express
The Faint continue to ensure that across the pond there's an infinitely sexier state of dance-rock affairs. [11 Sep 2004, p.55]
Q Magazine
They still sound best when playing fast and loud and are only hampered by the album's terrible title and some bizarre lyrics. [Oct 2004, p.123]
Village Voice
Their tracks are consistently both catchy and punky enough to make your lip sneer.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
Wet From Birth is generally strongest when the beats-per-minute run high... but a few of the slower tracks showcase The Faint's growing way with melody.
Read Full Review >Stylus Magazine
Might not be enough to convince disbelievers, but to fans, its a gratifying addition to an already impressive repertoire.
Read Full Review >Billboard
Where the Faint falls short, though, is its lack of daring; even with the welcome addition of strings (apropos of its cinematic live show) and varying styles, "Wet From Birth" sounds contained and merely likeable.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
Even though Wet from Birth occasionally gets tripped up on its own ambitions, it still has its share of enjoyable tracks.
Read Full Review >Blender
Perspiration trumps inspiration, as madly sawing strings and short-circuiting robot bleeps compensate for the lack of hooks. [Oct 2004, p.120]
Playlouder
It's a clever, chic and defiantly underground record, alright, but it's guilty of trying too hard when clearly it doesn't need to.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 8 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Chris D gave it an8:
I hope Pete B is aware that even if 'the bourgeoisie of all albums' was spelt right AND actually meant something, it would probably be a bad thing, e.g. middle of the road or something. Which this album is not, luckily. I'd say not totally consistent, but mostly a great listen. Paranoiattack is particularly incredible. Kudos!
Pete B gave it a10:
This is a master piece. Cult classic. The Burgiosie of all albums. A MUST record to listen to. If you only ever listen to one ablum ever, this is the one!
Justdarin JD gave it a10:
Amazing! You’ve changed my prospective on music!
Ben D gave it an8:
While I do like the album, I can't help being nervous about the direction that The Faint is heading. Instead of keyborards being the main attraction, the band relies mostly on guitar, strings, and bass to drive most of the songs with the only memorable keyboard part occuring on "Parinoiattack". I can only hope the the band will go back and listen to Blank-Wave Arcade and Danse Macabre and realize how awsome these albums were.
ethan d gave it a 7:
The Faint is succumbing to the popularity of the saddle creek label in compromising their original sound on this disc... it is a good disc, but i fear that their next release will be a disaster if they continue to change their sound.
mike m gave it a 10:
A Masterpiece. Socio-politcal commentary matched with orginal punk-tronica dance core licks...it just cant be beat
