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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Kicking The National Habit
by Grand National


9.3

based on 14 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 11 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

A Drink & A Quick Decision

GN @ Sunday Best

The London duo of Rupert Lyddon and Lawrence 'La' Rudd make their debut with this '80s-influenced album (reminiscent of everyone from New Order to the Police).

LABEL:	Sunday Best / Recall
RELEASE DATE:	14 March 2006
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Indie, Rock

NOTES: Original UK release 24 May 2004. The 2006 US release has seven additional tracks.

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...

Entertainment Weekly

This is reggae-inflected rock filtered through Gorillaz-style genre restlessness. [31 Mar 2006, p.65]

Billboard

Believe the hype: The 10-track set is a real treat, rewarding repeated listens with fun, groove-driven tunes.

Uncut

Touches of ska... and ethereal dream-rock... betray a penchant for late-'70s guitar experimentation, alchemised here by a brilliant pop sheen. [Jul 2004, p.101]

Amazon.com

Grand National's main skill lies in their ability to twin their fine songs to tight electronic productions, striking the perfect midpoint between live organics and cool digital sequencing.

Q Magazine

One of the year's most inventive debuts. [Jul 2004, p.114]

Mojo

A stripped-back stroll through the summer of the '80s. [Jun 2004, p.106]

The Guardian

The first seven tracks are nearly flawless, and the occasional wobble thereafter doesn't mar one of the year's most scintillating debuts.

Urb

This is AM pop perfection that doesn't need a stamp of retro-cool to be timeless. [Mar 2005, p.111]

Blender

There's a lot of passion and red corpuscles surging just outside the music's clean, primary-colored lines. [Apr 2006, p.112]

All Music Guide

Although the uniformly sweet pop songs on Kicking the National Habit sound influenced by the likes of the Police, Men at Work, Duran Duran, and the rest of the more commercial side of the early MTV era, the arrangements are more electronic in nature.

PopMatters

There’s one problem, and it’s not insignificant: with the best three songs at positions 1-2-3, there’s only one place to go.

Playlouder

Almost everything about 'Kicking The National Habit' is righteously unfashionable.

Dot Music

It makes for a cool sound that might be too inoffensive at times but which grabs all the right places most of the time.

Prefix Magazine

Tracks such as "Boner" and "Peanut Dreams," stripped of any excitement, are nothing more than highly polished and easily forgettable songs to ignore at a swanky upstairs club.

The average user rating for this album is 9.3 (out of 10) based on 11 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Tom D gave it a9:
One of those albums you can just keep on listening too.

DC C gave it a10:
Very solid. Pop without the pop guilt. Recommended.

La La gave it a10:
Simply Astouding. If you like samrt pop, look no further.

matt a gave it a9:
This is really solid stuff. Sounds like a poppier LCD Soundsystem. Very enjoyable and definitely one of the first essential albums of the year.

louelo44 gave it a10:
I love it

tom w gave it a9:
It is simply amazing that the guys did not conquer the world on the back of this release. maybe the songs are a little too accessible and enjoyable for people to appreciate the considerable invovation and craft evidenced here. For whatever reason, let the world's loss be your gain. One of the debuts of the decade so far.

Ben H gave it a9:
The sound is a perfect blend of synths and guitar that is pleasing to the ear and addictive. America never caught on, but this album is enjoyable to everyone i know who hears it.

Kicking The National Habit by Grand National

Kicking The National Habit
by Grand National