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Sonicnet

Whenever the delicious sensuality of the music threatens to take over, the anxiety and restless intelligence that drive it return to the surface, creating a quietly riveting tension. Fan Dance could be Sam Phillips' best album yet -- and that's really saying something.

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All Music Guide

With Fan Dance, Sam Phillips has made an album that proves modesty is one the rarest and most welcome virtues in pop music today.

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Blender

The music is by turns atmospheric, quirky and joyous. [Aug/Sep 2001, p.126]

PopMatters

Fans will not be disappointed.... This collection of marvelously restless yet intelligent searching clocks in at a mere 33 minutes, yet it's got more quality within it than many CDs twice its length.

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CDNow

Framed in delicate, candlelit arrangements that beckon like distant ghosts, Phillips addresses matters of faith, love, and spiritual connection in such a way that questions are as important as answers.

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The Onion (A.V. Club)

Fan Dance confirms that Phillips has quietly developed into one of the most assured writers and performers in the underpopulated field of adult pop.

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E! Online

A less produced, totally honest and much more sparse collection than what fans were dancing to with Omnipop.

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Billboard

Some may find the subtle Fan Dance too unadorned, but its quiet beauty holds real strength.

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Austin Chronicle

Fan Dance is one of those albums that needs to be absorbed to be fully enjoyed, and those who take the time are sure to find its many rewards.

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Uncut

On first hearing, it's a record to admire rather than love, but its insidious appeal soon gets under your skin. [Sep 2002, p.112]

Q Magazine

An album that's as entrancing as it is modestly proportioned. [June 2002, p.121]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 7.5 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes

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

Sneedy M gave it a9:
Having already forged a career in pop but failing to establish herself as a household name (despite her critically-acclaimed "Martinis & Bikinis" record which appeared on Virgin in 1994), this is Sam's attempt at paring down her sound after her bloated, heavier fourth album ("Omnipop" 1996). It's mesmerizing and vulnerable, with the entire album under a sort of acoustic restraint that makes it the first truly cohesive SP album since "Cruel Inventions" appeared a decade prior. While it's bound to turn off some fans, the independent label and mature focus make this transitional album as worthy as Bettie Serveert's "Private Suit" or any of Elvis Costello's albums from the mid 1980s.

Bob G. gave it a 4:
Boring album. I love Sam Phillips' "Cruel Inventions" and "Martinis & Bikinis," but this one's a dud. Why critics are creaming in their pants about it, I dunno. But not one song sticks in your head.

Christopher C. gave it a 9:
A quiet masterpiece by an exceptional and very underrated singer/songwriter that draws you further in and grabs ahold of your soul with each listen.

Robert Z. gave it a 8:
More subdued than previous work, but it grows on you.

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Fan Dance

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