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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
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Bow Down To The Exit Sign
by David Holmes
Former British club DJ David Holmes has been building a name for himself as a composer of soundtracks both real (Steven Soderbergh's "Out of Sight") and imaginary (the previous Holmes albums 'Let's Get Killed' and 'This Film's Crap, Let's Slash The Seats). 'Bow Down' continues that tradition by forming the soundtrack to an as-yet-unproduced screenplay, although it is clearly more song-oriented than its predecessors. Jon Spencer, Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream), and Martina Topley-Bird (best known for her work on Tricky's albums) are among the guest vocalists.
| LABEL: |
1500/Polygram |
| RELEASE DATE: |
21 July 2000 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Electronic, Alternative, Electronic |
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
Select
Will quite necessarily go Top Five in any sensible end-of-year poll. [July 2000, p.102]
100
Entertainment Weekly
Holmes races through genres like a mad cab driver running red lights, revving up a jittery, urban fever dream from a junk heap of beats and ragged exotica. [10/27/2000, p.120]
100
Sonicnet
Featuring vocal contributions from Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie, punk-blues aficionado Jon Spencer and ex-Tricky collaborator Martina Toppley-Bird, Bow Down to the Exit Sign is a dark, soul-wrenching trip through an even darker world.
90
Magnet
One of 2000's most consistently compelling listens. [#48, p.95]
90
All Music Guide
A vast improvement over the intriguing but rarely focused Let's Get Killed, David Holmes' third solo album benefits from his growing status as a producer to watch -- and specifically, from his ability to snag the talents of big-name vocalists.
80
L.A. Weekly
Equally comfortable in the realms of rock and dance, Holmes is hard to pin down stylistically; his latest album, Bow Down to the Exit Sign, like Moby's 1999 Play, draws from classic blues to add new life to electronic music.
80
Revolution
David Holmes' boldest effort to date, exploring the threads that bind avant garde rock, squelchy electronics, and film together.... A milestone for David Holmes, and an amazing collage of music-meats-cinema that endears itself with each listen. [Oct 2000, p.111]
80
Alternative Press
Bow Down... was developed alongside a movie script and works as vivid NYC filmic music and an electic-by-default modern concept album. [12/2000, p.96]
80
Q Magazine
Similar in spirit to [Primal Scream's] Exterminator or Death In Vegas's The Contino Sessions, his third album tools up a live rock band with dance music's sonic armoury... it's a claustrophobic listening experience, challengingly thick with ideas.
80
Spin
Holmes' Bow Down breaks from the elegant flow-noir of his previous platters by spinning luridly out of control. [12/2000, p.220]
80
Dot Music
With this ramshackle spread of spiked beats and filthy-fingered funk he's produced easily his best work.... An intoxicating, headstorming brew of desire and despair 'Bow Down To The Exit Sign' is the first great album of the millennium.
70
Urb
An album that blends genres and forms to spawn a rare breed of funky breakbeat-inspired rock.... Unfortunately, the vocal collaborations with the likes of Jon Spencer, Bobby Gillespie, and Martina Topley-Bird are a bit ill-fitting and disappointing. [#79, p.124]
70
Almost Cool
Although it's a huge departure for those expecting more of the same from Holmes, it's easily the most sonically interesting release by him thus far.
60
Village Voice
And while Holmes can't be faulted for applying cut-and-paste to mood and drama as well as sounds and beats, his tracks' lack of freshness still adds up to an ambitious letdown.
50
Rolling Stone
Like Death in Vegas, Holmes is a techno boffin whose work builds upon that of the Velvet Underground rather than Kraftwerk; too bad his grooves, like the bass-line chug of "Living Room," often go nowhere fast.
The average user rating for this album is 8.5 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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