Before We Forgot How to Dream
by SOAK
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. NOW Magazine
    Jun 11, 2015
    80
    Monds-Watson is startlingly accomplished for her age, showing a deft hand at songcraft.
  2. Mojo
    Jun 10, 2015
    80
    There's enhanced pop acumen and elemental shivers too, so maybe make that the new Lykke Li. [Jul 2015, p.89]
    All this publication's reviews
  3. The New York Times
    Jun 1, 2015
    80
    There’s no diffidence in the songs themselves. Soak exposes longings, fears, traumas and resolve--sometimes elliptically, sometimes with disarming bluntness.
  5. DIY Magazine
    Jun 1, 2015
    80
    For all of Before We Forgot How To Dream’s subtle touches of production, it’s Soak herself who stands out the most.
  6. PopMatters
    Jun 1, 2015
    80
    This 14-track, 42-minute long disc offers a deep and mysterious environment that may be more briny than brainy, and it’s the emotional truth in the music that keeps one afloat.
  7. Q Magazine
    May 28, 2015
    80
    It's a richly textured record. [Jul 2015, p.109]
    All this publication's reviews
  8. New Musical Express (NME)
    May 28, 2015
    80
    Less teenage kicks, more teenage contemplation.
  9. Under The Radar
    May 28, 2015
    75
    A remarkable piece of work for someone so young. [Apr-May 2015, p.86]
    All this publication's reviews
  10. The Line of Best Fit
    May 28, 2015
    75
    Before We Forgot How To Dream is subtly uplifting, astute and speaks in the diction of a youth that may be tired of being talked at, rather than to.
  11. AllMusic
    Jun 1, 2015
    70
    There's a lot of very real talent on display here, and it's fortunate that she's been captured for the ages while she's still fresh and her voice remains unique and very much her own.
  12. Clash Music
    May 29, 2015
    70
    Mostly, Before We Forgot How To Dream reads a little like a portrait of Bridie's hero Joni Mitchell as a young artist: irreverent, observational and soulful.
  13. Exclaim
    May 29, 2015
    70
    A fine balance of naiveté and stirring wisdom.
  14. Pitchfork
    Jun 1, 2015
    63
    There seem to be so many questions stirring inside SOAK, and yet Before We Forgot How to Dream douses them in so much prettiness that they lose their spark.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 18 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Ricko
    Aug 22, 2019
    7
    The most impressive/unbelievable thing about this album is the age of the artist when it was written and released. The songwriting is so goodThe most impressive/unbelievable thing about this album is the age of the artist when it was written and released. The songwriting is so good for one so young and natural. There is nothing manufactured here. The album stands out for being different to the singer songwriter standard style. It does one of the hardest things in singer songwriter music in that is sounds pretty unique. There is still plenty of room for improvement but starting her career so early and so strongly, I'm sure there will be ample opportunity to do this.… Full Review »
  2. EMGC
    Mar 9, 2016
    8
    Who would have thought that, as a man in my mid-30’s, who has spent decades listening to the likes of Elliott Smith and Damien Rice, I wouldWho would have thought that, as a man in my mid-30’s, who has spent decades listening to the likes of Elliott Smith and Damien Rice, I would be almost brought to tears by the music of a 19 year-old?… Full Review »
See all user reviews »