By The Hedge
by Minks
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
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  1. The New York Times
    Feb 11, 2011
    80
    The sound is focused, thick, lovely.
  2. Uncut
    Feb 8, 2011
    80
    They stand out because they combine some very familiar elements with more style and grace than their peers. [Feb 2011, p.94]
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  3. AllMusic
    Feb 4, 2011
    80
    Minks leave listeners wanting more on By the Hedge, a debut that sounds timeless and surprising.
  5. CMJ
    Feb 4, 2011
    80
    A passive 12 song set that toes the line between nostalgic sadness and bright optimism with remarkable ease.
  6. cokemachineglow
    Feb 4, 2011
    80
    It is explorative, enchanting, wide-reaching, and so hopeful it ignites a tender pain all its own.
  7. Delusions of Adequacy
    Feb 4, 2011
    80
    His vision of the album is similarly relational, and this debut brims with variety and skill, coming off with a complex personality at turns exuberantly earnest, darkly melancholy, and dreamily coy.
  8. Beats Per Minute
    Feb 4, 2011
    76
    Minks' devotion to mood and texture may seem redolent of My Bloody Valentine's foggy experiments, but By The Hedge isn't nearly as sonically challenging or heady as Kevin Shields's work. No, Minks have more modest goals as it turns out, their greatest inspiration comes not from the music of others but rather from within.
  9. Pitchfork
    Feb 4, 2011
    71
    Minks adapt the style that the Clientele matured into over their recent full-lengths, which adds a foreboding touch to these love-and-regret-focused songs.
  10. Dusted Magazine
    Feb 23, 2011
    70
    Luckily, the songwriting on Minks' debut hits far more frequently than it misses. It's a solid establishment of a noteworthy sound--the proverbial "encouraging first album."
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  11. Consequence
    Feb 4, 2011
    70
    There are some real pop gems on here, especially if you're fond of The Cure and their ilk. Maybe it's just me not getting that soupy gloom that seems to be out there for everyone else.
  12. No Ripcord
    Feb 4, 2011
    70
    Yeah, Minks has churned out an enjoyable full-length debut, but there's an ever-present possibility that it'll get lost in the mess--much like the standout moments on By the Hedge, there's always a haziness enveloping everything like a dense fog.
  13. The Boston Phoenix
    Feb 4, 2011
    63
    Minks floats along like a Sofia Coppola movie - delicate and listless, topped with a glossy and charming overcoat, but lacking in substance.
  14. PopMatters
    Mar 28, 2011
    60
    In the end, By the Hedge is the work of a band trying to discover itself: Maybe Minks aren't quite sure who they are or where they're going yet, but at least their solid first effort suggests there's more than enough reason to keep following them to find out what'll happen with them.
  15. Under The Radar
    Mar 9, 2011
    60
    The urbane vibe exuded during their stellar live shows is stunning. Unfortunately they don't completely lasso that divine alchemy here. [Feb 2011, p.73]
    All this publication's reviews
  16. New Musical Express (NME)
    Feb 4, 2011
    60
    In summary then, better than most if you like that sort of thing.

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