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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Attack Decay Sustain Release
EMAILPRINTby Simian Mobile Disco
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 20 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 11 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Interscope
Release Date: 11 September 2007
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Electronic
Summary
Two members from the electro-rock group Simian reform and release their own debut album.
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...
All Music Guide
Simian Mobile Disco's debut is a dance record that shows a surprising amount of subtlety and flair.
Read Full Review >Pitchfork
SMD's excellent debut album as a stand-alone group, Attack Decay Sustain Release, is for dancing, not moshing.
Read Full Review >Drowned In Sound
Attack Decay Sustain Release defies such trite categorization and, ultimately, what it is or isn’t doesn't really matter. All you need to know is this is quality.
Read Full Review >musicOMH.com
It's difficult to detect any flaws in Attack Decay Sustain Release. Simian Mobile Disco have created a seamless electronica album that can carry the torch for the New Rave movement, and prove there's a great deal of substance beneath the fad to be found.
Read Full Review >Village Voice
It's love song 'I Believe,' really sets the group apart from 2007's other big-beat revivalists, draping ex-Simian bandmate Simon Lord's FutureSex'd croon in Italo-disco shimmer. By keeping its heart, the result edges out Justice's more brutal † for most exciting, um, "blog house" debut of the year.
Read Full Review >Alternative Press
While Release has all the hallmarks of a great DJ mix album, it's a record meant for pop consumption. [Nov 2007, p.176]
Sputnikmusic
When contrasted with the tide of other like-minded electronic albums released recently, Simian Mobile Disco’s effort feels fresh and vibrant and with an execution that consistently delivers on simple but fascinating ideas.
Read Full Review >The Phoenix
You won’t care that it’s gleefully empty, shamelessly primitive, pre-rational, lo-fi. You’ll be too busy dancing.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
Attack supplies nothing too complicated or heady, just primal party fun. [14 Sep 2007, p.148]
Spin
The duo's effortless ability to plunder electronic genres without losing their identity makes Attack consistently fresh. [Oct 2007, p.111]
Under The Radar
The album does have enough variety to prevent it from becoming redundant dance exercise. [Fall 2007, p.84]
PopMatters
No, this is not the full-fledged underground dance-revolution many were expecting. However, it remains one of the most guaranteed party starters this side of Girl Talk.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
Some of the songs on Attack Decay Sustain Release feature vocals in various call-and-response styles, but more are tracks like 'Tits & Acid,' which employs hard, tight sirens and bangs in service of ideas that register without a need for explication.
Read Full Review >Slant Magazine
The new tracks seem either rushed or cobbled together, Frankenstein monster-style, with elements culled from the successful pre-release singles, which comprise half the album. Many are just plain boring ('Sleep Deprivation,' 'Wooden'), often meandering too long, as if somehow being nuzzled within a sequence of far more satisfying productions would elevate them as well.
Read Full Review >Prefix Magazine
Attack Decay Sustain Release sets a dance-friendly party mood and sustains it over the course of forty minutes, but it does not explore new territory.
Read Full Review >No Ripcord
On a Saturday night, in an adrenaline soaked club with a nasty bass--Simian Mobile Disco is amongst the greatest fun you’ll ever have. But on a perfectly round, 16 gram piece of plastic--it ain’t really worth a damn.
Read Full Review >Stylus Magazine
There are hooks aplenty, but they’re mushed into a production job that’s so caustically lacking in detail and depth, so over-inflated and etch-a-sketched in timbre, that it’s almost unlistenable on anything but the most rudimentary of laptop speakers.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 7.7 (out of 10) based on 11 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Stephan M. gave it a9:
Excellent ! This LP is a seminal release for all the guys who like me used to listen to electro-techno stuff for a very long time (the earlie 90's). Ok it's easy for people to dislike those "silly" rave anthems sound, i just like them cause they remind me a lot of things !!! And there's a huge positive feeling listening to that LP !!
mike s. gave it an8:
By far one of the freshes if not the freshest electronic album of 2007. It ranks right up there with digitalism debut. I would go as far as to say there are more standout tracks on this album over digitalism. The only flaw of this record is that the last half is a mess. In particular its not worth listening to anything past track 7. Still a great debut that like daft punk and digitalism, they choose to use vintage gear over laptops, which in this day and age is more unique and creative than any ambient or idm out this year.
[Anonymous] gave it a1:
utterly contemptible. The most bloated, cynical attempt to climb onto the "wow look @ us were kool" nu-rave bandwagon yet. It doesn't even attempt to disguise how unbelievably derivative and poor it is, it just recycles simple melodies and cynical "i liek, go out an punch ppl for fun coz i am hard" lyrics with a production style that can only be described as ugly. I urge anyone who is a fan of real electronic music, god electronic music, to ignore this utter pile of shit. Still better than Kate Nash though.
Andrew H. gave it an8:
One of the professional reviews had it right: The best party-starter this side of Girl Talk. Not incredibly deep music, but it's very energizing.
