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Lost At Sea

While they are not afraid to bang the drums and rock out, Menomena keep the majority of this album behind a beautiful mask of complimentary melodies.

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Hartford Courant

"Friend and Foe" might be the first truly great record of 2007.

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Filter

Ranging from the epic to the understated, Menomena manages to be innovative and accessible.

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cokemachineglow

The line between cheese and accessibility can be thin, and whistling or handclaps or a hidden track or an overt songwriting method can all reek, but Friend and Foe has, just as ostensibly, no wasted space. The hinge is in the balance the band manages with every inkling of sound or production seeming both spontaneous and stultifying, both labored-over and cast off.

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Pitchfork

Friend and Foe follows through on the potential of their unique sound, proving their wildly great debut was no fluke.

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Stylus Magazine

There are subtle shifts at work with the band, and most allow their shady songcraft to emerge from overt experimentalism--perhaps too aware of its own inventiveness--into the realms of "art-pop."

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The Onion (A.V. Club)

Now that Menomena's technique feels less jarring and daring, though, the group has done a decent job of pouring its euphoric weirdness into bruised, beautiful songcraft.

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Prefix Magazine

Menomena now has to be regarded as one of today's more intriguing rock outfits.

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No Ripcord

It’s grandly impressive and points to potentially greater things in the future.

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Delusions of Adequacy

Hard to describe but easy to recommend.

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Dusted Magazine

There's a sort of magic in the way this Portland threesome balances structure and chaos, pop and noise.

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All Music Guide

Friend and Foe may be part unbridled energy, part thoughtful arrangement, part innovative experimentation, but it's the synthesis of these that makes it so fantastic.

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Under The Radar

There is nary a weak track here. [#16, p.93]

Austin Chronicle

No filler, not one outtake, Friend and Foe succeeds in living up to the hype of Menomena's first LP by growing wiser with every loop of sax and blast.

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Paste Magazine

Friend and Foe compensates for its occasional melodic malaise with its vigorous, exploratory prosody.

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Boston Globe

It sounds like a campfire sing-along at the most evil band camp in the underworld.

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Urb

This could be the second half of Menomena's debut. [Jan/Feb 2006, p.81]

Alternative Press

The combination of thundering drums with whimsical vocals and melodies can be charming, insanely catchy and headache-inducing, sometimes all at once. [Feb 2007, p.114]

PopMatters

Whereas I am the Fun Blame Monster was unmitigated fun, Friend and Foe attempts something more soberly contemplative. This regrettable attempt at maturity comes off as forced and feigned rendering the band as boring as any other affectedly serious artist.

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Tiny Mix Tapes

While Menomena’s sound has matured and their musical prowess has grown considerably, similarities between songs of old and new are unmistakable.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.6 (out of 10) based on 45 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Andrew C. gave it a10:
Buy for the stunning album artwork alone! This album (and Menomena) are criminally underrated. Yes it has received mad buzz and accolades but admittedly it's a complex “post rock” album which one needs to get to know before reviewing. Had Radiohead put this out it would have received the glowing reviews of "In Rainbows." Alas Menomena is nothing like Radiohead but every bit as brilliant. Menomena have crafted an inspired album about the uncertainly of life, relationships, and the world around them. The compositions are sonically breathtaking and the lyrics are ripe for the unique interpretation of the listener. One of the most interesting qualities of Menomena is that the trio of musicians construct their albums in a nearly completely democratic manor. This writing process facilitated by their own software allows the best to rise to the top while less inspired ideas are scraped. Not everyone will understand this album but if you are a fan of indie you owe it to yourself to spin this several times. The great thing is that it only gets better. There have been many great albums lately but few have such great replay value. Oh… and this isn’t “TV on the radio”. Give it a chance and you will be impressed!

Nicolas B. gave it a9:
So good just utterly magnificent, songs go from brilliantly delicate to belligerent and emotional; best songs are muscle 'n flo, wet and rusting and air raid.

Jay K gave it a9:
Thee best album I have ever heard. The Debut I am the fun blame monster is good at times but this album is consistently brilliant.I have listened to this album for about 6 months and still hear new sounds everytime I listen it.I have been waiting for this album since spiritualized peaked with ladies&gentlemen..a long wait

David R gave it a9:
Nice album to put in and take a drive.

amelia gave it a9:
excellent. especially wet and rusting. fantiastic work.

britta c gave it a9:
a VERY solid album.. i do love their previous work.. but friend and foe, while definitely not over-produced, is a bit easier on the ears and probably capable of reaching a much wider audience than the older stuff.. ranging from grungy tracks like the pelican [sounding very similar to tv on the radio] to the playful wet and rusting to the mysterious evil bee-menomena's music is truly diverse and not at all contrived.. their lyrics are definitely interesting, though i don't always quite get what they're getting at.. the art on the cover conveys the tone of the album to a T-the music and lyrics transport you to a different sort of place.. just look at the cover art and you'll know what i mean.. it's genius.. and i canNOT get enough of that sax.. freaking awesome.. don't miss out on this one.

Tristram C gave it an8:
This is a strong record all the way through but 'The Pelican' is probably my favorite song in this young year. (4/12)

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Friend And Foe

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