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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
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Shake The Sheets
by Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
The latest stripped-down, somewhat political rock effort from Ted Leo was produced by Chris Shaw (Dashboard Confessional, Bob Dylan).
| LABEL: |
Lookout |
| RELEASE DATE: |
19 October 2004 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Indie, Rock |
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
Splendid
A strong contender for album of the year, Shaking the Sheets is a masterpiece of fucked-up mod pop: political but not preachy, insistent yet never twitchy, respectful but never blatant.
100
Entertainment Weekly
Practically every song is a near-perfect amalgam of straight-up melodies and pogoing beats. [5 Nov 2004, p.80]
100
Tiny Mix Tapes
Crackles with sparkling guitar work and [is] simply a great, fun, rock n' roll album.
90
PopMatters
If Shake the Sheets lacks the subtle, nuanced excursions of its predecessor, it's redeemed by an urgent, unrelenting focus.
86
ShakingThrough.net
Easily Leo's best album since The Tyranny of Distance.
86
Filter
Has everything we've come to expect from Leo: it's clever, earnest, wry and literate, all delivered with his trademark falsetto flourishes. [#13, p.100]
80
Trouser Press
Leo's singing (showing a few traces of a soul side) has never been more confident or convincing.
80
Billboard
Leo manages to weave his messages into some of the tightest, most energetic rock you're likely to hear this year.
80
All Music Guide
Using only guitars and drums, the Pharmacists whip up a powerful mix of wild abandon and subtlety that is a perfect backing for Leo's vocal dexterity and clanging guitar heroics.
80
Blender
Much of [Sheets] sounds like a pop-punk update on Springsteen. [Nov 2004, p.137]
80
Alternative Press
Arguably the best record of Leo's career. [Feb 2005, p.84]
80
Under The Radar
Leo has proven himself a songwriter of intricacy and experiment, but what he's created with Shake the Sheets are not just songs. They are mantras. [#8, p.110]
80
Launch.com
An album that sounds vital and immediate.
80
Paste Magazine
Leo’s vision has crystallized. The songs are shorter and tighter than anything he’s seared onto tape, and his complex melodic phrasing arrives pitch perfect.
70
Stylus Magazine
Leo proves himself emotionally enervating throughout, so it’s really a shame that Shake the Sheets isn’t half so sonically invigorating.
70
Pitchfork
The most Chisel-sounding record he's released as a solo artist, returning to stripped-down arrangements and, on "The Angel's Share" and "Little Dawn", his fascination with repetition.
70
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Leo exploits rock dynamics with the timing of a veteran stand-up comic. He bounces vocals across half-riffs, drops the drums in and out, and invariably holds back a little for the big finish.
70
New Musical Express
Firecracker mod-punk and allegorical political cut-and-thrust. [5 Mar 2005, p.51]
70
Neumu.net
The songs on his latest, often about political ambivalence and soul-searching alienation, are still catchy as V.D. But they lack the fiery complexity of past efforts.
68
cokemachineglow
It's the first truly inessential album he's made.
60
Delusions of Adequacy
The songs themselves aren’t as outstanding as they could be, and it sure doesn’t help that the production choices give them less of the overwhelming energy that the Pharmacists are known for.
60
Rolling Stone
Far crisper and way less jagged than his last two albums. [30 Dec 2004, p.160]
60
Q Magazine
Without enough killer hooks Leo seems unlikely to claw his way much beyond cult attraction. [Mar 2005, p.100]
60
Uncut
Power pop without the escapism. [Apr 2005, p.105]
The average user rating for this album is 9.6 (out of 10) based on 17 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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