• Band Name: Elbow
  • Record Label: V2
  • Release Date: Jan 22, 2002
Asleep In The Back Image
Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 19 Critics What's this?

User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 25 Ratings

  • Summary: Often compared to Doves and Radiohead, Manchester-based Elbow is yet another new alternative band to emerge from the British music press hype machine. This debut album was shortlisted for 2001's Mercury Music Prize.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 19
  2. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. Elbow have made the most passionate, beautiful and downright special record you'll hear this year.
  2. The tempos might not ever exceed mid-level, and half of the songs might exceed five minutes, but the record is anything but a difficult listen or tough to wade through.
  3. Asleep is just enigmatic enough to avoid plagiarism. [Mar 2002, p.77]
  4. 60
    Not many of the expansive, leisurely songs on Asleep In The Back stick in the memory once they've ended, but they swoon nicely. [Mar 2002, p.127]

See all 19 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 15
  3. Negative: 2 out of 15
  1. Absolutely beautiful album. Its filled with eerie and melancholy sounds mixed with some sweet riffs and effects. Definately worth a listen. Slow, moody, at times melancholy, but by no means boring. Collapse
  2. Craig
    10
    one of the best debut albums i've heard in the past few years.
  3. 8
    Low key debut that lays out the blueprint that Elbow went onto develop and expand on. It's got a very strong first half but I feel it tapers off a bit in the 2nd half. That said, the closer "Scattered Black and Whites" is one of the albums highlights. Overall, it's a soft and gentle record with some really beautiful songs. Garveys vocals are perfect for the delicate instrumentation and like the records the produced afterwards, it's a record that just makes you feel warm inside. Expand
  4. Tee
    3
    boring. no two ways about it.

See all 15 User Reviews