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
70
Anjulie
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
59
Amanda Blank
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
64
Desolation Wilderness
88
Destroyer
63
The Dodos
77
Drive-By Truckers
74
The Duke & The King
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
77
Fruit Bats
83
Fuck Buttons
71
Nelly Furtado
47
Gary Go
68
Ghostface Killah
79
Girls
59
Gloriana
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
83
Japandroids
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
76
Lightning Dust
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
73
Modest Mouse
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
68
Nurses
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
63
Julian Plenti
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
75
Sian Alice Group
70
Simian Mobile Disco
58
Simple Minds
72
Six Organs Of Admittance
69
Slaughterhouse
80
Slayer
61
The Slits
62
Mindy Smith
83
Solillaquists Of Sound
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
68
Throw Me The Statue
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
70
YACHT
75
Yim Yames
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.
The Block
EMAILPRINTby New Kids On The Block
Mixed or average reviews
Based on 12 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 41 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Interscope
Release Date: 02 September 2008
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Rock, Pop
Summary
Fourteen years since their last studio record, the Kids are back with their newest album on the Interscope label.
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
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...
NOW Magazine
Surprisingly, it’s a light and catchy bunch of convincing hip-hop- and R&B-influenced Timberlake-esque club pop.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
While the New Kids are definitely capable of making a great album (seriously...if you’re an R&B or pop fan, go to a used record store or half.com and pick up a copy of 1994’s "Face the Music"--you’ll be very pleasantly surprised), this album is only great in spots.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
There's a lot to like on The Block, even if it doesn't stand a chance of being heard as anything so simple.
Read Full Review >Billboard
Most of The Block is a reasonable enough approximation of faceless club pop, complete with standard-issue guest stars (the Pussycat Dolls, Timbaland) and out-of-left-field rap bridges.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
The Block bears no distinguishing marks aside from a compulsion for sex, sex, sex with a lover whose name, apparently, is Girl.
Read Full Review >Dot Music
Good or bad, everything here sounds like a lesser version of someone else.
Read Full Review >Hot Press
The catchiest tune on The Block is ‘Summertime’, and in dignity terms it’s Cohen-meets-Waits compared to their hyperactive teen-pop of old.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
The problem facing New Kids on the Block on their 2008 reunion The Block is the same one they had on their last album, 1994's "Face the Music": the quintet are no longer kids and don't quite know how to be adults.
Read Full Review >Sputnikmusic
Like "Red Carpet Massacre," The Block is proof that it requires more than the best producers and songwriters to make good pop music
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.6 (out of 10) based on 41 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
brad b gave it a10:
Incredible. Give these KIDS a chance.
G A. gave it an8:
It's been over the decade for me to wait for listening NKOTB's brand new album. I mean seriously, Jordan and Joe's solo album is good album but it's not NKOTB's. The Block actually it's a good one, compare to all previous album. Nice tune and enjoy to listen. But there are some flaws to have a 10 from me. Too much electric and vocal sync, additional artists that most of them don't give the value added (like PCD) and last, it seems that NKOTB have only a little bit self esteem about their musical talent so they have to invite so many "new musicians" so their music will sound to the up to date music. For a guy who has a guilty pleasure to sing or hum song like "My Favourite Girl", "Since You've Walked Into My Life" and "Games (The Remix)", "The Block" album just merely a nice comeback attempt for NKOTB. But for the next album (if there are any), I hope New Kids On The Block will gain their confidence about their musical talent and bring me a very own NKOTB's music. For now.., my humming will add the song "Stare at You". The last word for me at this moment, "Somebody said somebody would last too long, somebody will be going strong"
Rebecca L. gave it a10:
Love Them!!! The Block is Awesome just like NKOTB!!!
Kendra p. gave it a9:
I absolutely love The New Kids! All of their music is great and i went to their concert and they are amazing live... i dont think they could have a bad cd.
Jeffrey B. gave it a7:
Its just "OK". Seriously, Face the Music is still one of the best R&B/Pop albums around. Whether you like the New Kids or not, measure their careers on that album, because their other material doesn't even come close.
Kristen gave it a10:
The Block is completely amazing! I can not help but listen to it.... Every time i hear the songs I like them better than I did before. I saw the guys in Philly and in Atlantic City and what entertainers they are. The music and the "men" are so much hotter!
Avery B. gave it an8:
When I was young, I hated this group. But at the time they were on MTV (I know how weird MTV playing actual music) so I had little choice at the time but to listen. I wanted to be as objective as I could and listen to the entire album. I have to say, even for someone who does not like this music; they did a good job. Their fans will be very happy. I can remember all the screaming my sister did when we were kids. I bet they bring that kind of happiness to their fans again. Summertime is the high light of this album.
