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By The Time I Get To Phoenix
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By The Time I Get To Phoenix Image
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 9 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 35 Ratings

  • Summary: The latest full-length release from the Arizona alternative rap group is its last with Stepa J. Groggs, who passed away in June 2020 and features a guest appearance from Zelooperz.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Sputnikmusic
    Sep 22, 2021
    100
    What these artists have pulled together in their last outing as a trio is something more than the sum of its parts, a paradoxical masterpiece that lies somewhere in the space between, blindingly bright and painfully incomprehensible.
  2. Exclaim
    Sep 17, 2021
    90
    It is an abstract, melancholic and affecting body of work that is not only another incredible addition to a stellar discography, but a magnificent and moving tribute to a friend gone too soon.
  3. Clash Music
    Sep 17, 2021
    90
    Injury Reserve’s new album is a truly dystopian impression of despair, smashing together polar opposite genres to create something wholly new.
  4. Beats Per Minute
    Sep 17, 2021
    80
    They’ve released what is arguably their definitive record, they wouldn’t have any obligation to release anything else.
  5. The Quietus
    Sep 21, 2021
    80
    It joins the annals of desolate and broken works, like Skeleton Tree and Purple Mountains. It’s also an album whose rewards have to be worked for, and that makes it a challenging listen.
  6. Pitchfork
    Sep 23, 2021
    77
    On By the Time I Get to Phoenix, they reintroduce themselves as wide-eyed explorers, a rep that suits their fascination with rap’s mechanics, its margins, and its future.
  7. Under The Radar
    Sep 17, 2021
    55
    The album ends up feeling more like a patchwork of ideas than anything, resembling a puzzle with all of its pieces scattered. In a way, it’s the album’s greatest strength and its biggest downfall. Parker and Ritchie let us in to inspect their psychological state across 11 tracks, providing a sonic amalgam of their lives in these uncertain times, but the real question is whether or not the end result gives us enough room to truly explore.

See all 9 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 14
  3. Negative: 1 out of 14
  1. Daliqe
    Sep 22, 2021
    10
    This record is honestly amazing, this feels like a mix of something death grips would compose and something completely new.
    The composition    This record is honestly amazing, this feels like a mix of something death grips would compose and something completely new.
    The composition and overall feeling of the song "knees" is just incredible
    With that being said, stream this album, and support Injury Reserve!
    RIP Groggs

    Fav Tracks:
    Knees, Wild Wild West, Top Picks For You, PostPostPartum

    Least Fav Track:
    (idkkkk uhmmm, if i had to pick one, i'd say Outside, but only the intro)    … Expand
  2. chunkymrkrabs
    Dec 10, 2021
    10
    This is the AOTY and decade so far. It is mind blowing how weird it is but doesn't sacrifice the catchiness from their older albums. I cannotThis is the AOTY and decade so far. It is mind blowing how weird it is but doesn't sacrifice the catchiness from their older albums. I cannot stop listening to it. The beats on this sound like they have created a new genre. The lyrics are amazing. Perfect album.
    top 3 tracks: outside, superman that, knees
    no bad tracks
    RIP Stepa J. Groggs    … Expand
  4. SaintPablo32
    Sep 22, 2021
    10
    This honestly just blew my mind. This album broke the barrier of what music can be. This feels like a downward spiral with insane productionThis honestly just blew my mind. This album broke the barrier of what music can be. This feels like a downward spiral with insane production accompanied by some intense vocal performance. If you are a fan of experimental music definitely give this one a listen.

    Best song is Knees    … Expand
  5. zakier
    Sep 25, 2021
    9
    This album is amazing. I’m not usually one to praise experimental albums blindly, but Injury Reserve on By The Time I Get To PhoenixThis album is amazing. I’m not usually one to praise experimental albums blindly, but Injury Reserve on By The Time I Get To Phoenix definitely do it right. The production on this album straddles the lines between hip hop and non hip hop, and yet is still executed amazingly well. Every riff and chord is filled with emotion. The album encompasses a downward spiral and just the feeling of dread and disappointment, in the most beautiful way possible. The vocals on this album aren’t to be scoffed at either, impressive seeing IR expand their range. There is no bad or even mediocre song on this album. Knees and Top Picks For You are standouts, though. R.I.P Groggs.… Expand
  6. lapuissance
    Nov 4, 2022
    9
    Wow, mindblowing. To be honest, it took me some time to understand its greatness. But when I did, I could not stop listening to this. I feelWow, mindblowing. To be honest, it took me some time to understand its greatness. But when I did, I could not stop listening to this. I feel like this album stands on its own and no one will ever be able to recreate something like this. Top Picks For You and Outside broke me. Easily both top 5 songs from 2021. Amazing mindboggling album… Expand
  7. hausoflilluis
    Oct 6, 2021
    8
    I'm working what I just heard. Hip-hop? Experimental? Alternative? Music? A regret? I don't know what the heck that was, but I'll just sayI'm working what I just heard. Hip-hop? Experimental? Alternative? Music? A regret? I don't know what the heck that was, but I'll just say that for mentioning "5G", this record got me. Hands down, Injury Reserve did what they did to commemorate their colleague and the world in the best way they know how to do it.

    fav tracks: "Superman That", "Knees", "Postpostpartum", "SS San Francisco" & "Top Picks for You"
    KEY-TRACK: "Wild Wild West"    … Expand
  8. JohnnyMa
    Apr 9, 2023
    0
    By the Time I Get to Phoenix is a heartbreakingly beautiful Injury Reserve album that will leave you emotionally changed. It's as experimentalBy the Time I Get to Phoenix is a heartbreakingly beautiful Injury Reserve album that will leave you emotionally changed. It's as experimental as anything I've ever heard, but it works beautifully, Overall, an astoundingly emotional and charged album that is a must-listen for any experimental fan.… Expand

See all 14 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

77
#77 Most Discussed Album of 2021

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