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Around
by Tom Verlaine

Tom Verlaine reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 64 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
9.0 out of 10
based on 14 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 2 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

One of two April 2006 releases for the former Television guitarist, 'Around' is a 16-track instrumental release.

LABEL: Thrill Jockey
RELEASE DATE: 25 April 2006
DISCS: 1 disc
GENRE(S): Indie, Rock

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...

80
Uncut
Spiky, lyrical, quiveringly pretty. [May 2006, p.100]
80
Mojo
It's in essence a wordless, monochrome Television. [May 2006, p.104]
70
PopMatters
If the record is somewhat frustrating as an intensive listen, it works stunningly as music to have on when you are doing something.
Read Full Review
70
All Music Guide
Around is a bit spotty but when it works, it really works well.
Read Full Review
70
Delusions of Adequacy
Whilst Around is hardly groundbreaking stuff – Verlaine’s retro equipment preferences automatically predicate a retro feel – it is a genuinely unforced unfurling of a reclusive talent and a worthy companion piece to Warm and Cool.
Read Full Review
70
musicOMH.com
Around is low-key, yes, but revealed to be full of those cries and swoops, flutters and chimes that are unmistakebly Verlaine, and weirdly engaging.
Read Full Review
70
The Wire
A beautifully realised collection, Around is remarkably ego-free -- perhaps too much so. [#266, p.67]
62
Pitchfork
Too many of the songs are flimsy and fragmentary, never shaping into anything substantial and coming across like incidental music.
Read Full Review
60
Billboard
For every piece that sounds like aimless noodling, there are keepers like the strutting "Wheel Broke," the guitar-only "Mountain," the Tortoise-style "Balcony" and the absolutely gorgeous "Eighty Eights."
Read Full Review
60
Q Magazine
Sounds like the work of a man touting for soundtracks. [May 2006, p.131]
50
Under The Radar
At its worst, Around is as random as its title, featuring indulgent noodling, song sketches and intros more than actual songs. [#13, p.89]
50
Tiny Mix Tapes
Most will find this album unnecessary, even if it's not entirely inconsequential.
Read Full Review
40
New Musical Express
Mostly Americana and mostly unremarkable. [29 Apr 2006, p.37]
25
Stylus Magazine
Wholly forgettable.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this album is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 2 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

jackson c gave it a9:
I initially thought this guy went out of bread. But after few listening I realised that's awsome stuff. This man throwed away the jacket he used to wear so well, let the guitar speak, let the dove fly on the north (East Anglia).

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