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Compass - Jamie Lidell
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Metascore
76 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critics What's this?

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  • Summary: The fifth album for the British singer was produced by Beck and features a guest appearance by Chris Taylor of the band Grizzly Bear.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 30
  3. Negative: 1 out of 30
  1. All Music Guide
    90
    As on any good Beck record, Compass finds time for everything from R&B to hard rock to the type of gut-bucket experimental rock that Tom Waits would be proud of. The big difference is in the vocal performances. It's clear that Lidell is wearing his heart on his sleeve here, and we see a portrait of a person, not a personality.
  2. New Musical Express (NME)
    60
    Britain's foremost whiteboy funkateer has learned enough since his 2005 major label debut 'Multiply' for 'Compass' to pull off a neat trick. With his heart as his guide, Lidell gives us a tour of soul through his geographically-removed ears.
  3. Dusted Magazine
    30
    To wit, what irritates most about Compass is the way it assaults the listener with wave after wave of sonic winks, of moments intended to be witty or clever that instead fall flat. Busy and fussily filtered at every turn, I guess it's 'crazy' sounding or something, but there's nothing communicated in the slightest.

See all 30 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. ballinbeastauto
    10
    This album is Maroon 5 on LSD. and I love it. lots of shots are fired, and although many of them miss the mark, the moments of brilliance are well worth wading through the interstitial, often cluttered, but usually thoughtful r&b/acid grooviness. the mood of compass shifts from neurotic and dark acid funk to elated church-soul, ultimately painting Lidell's complicated psychology. The highs portray an almost campy exhuberance while the lows are as dense and complex as the many devices he uses to modify and deconstruct his clearly virtuosic voice. indeed, as Lidell croons "we dont need no armor for protection", the listener is reminded that there are few pretenses in the way of the vision Lidell seeks to convey, or rather, unapologetically confesses. above all, the beat, when, although intermitently, firmly in place, carries us through some very catch hooks and funk **** the album is definitely worth investing some time into, as I'm sure every listener will be able to take something worthwhile away from the wide and varied catalog of songs that compass has to offer.… Expand
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