• Record Label: Anti
  • Release Date: Feb 5, 2008
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 22
  2. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. It's a consolidation of Mould's considerable strengths, an album that showcases his gifts as a writer and record-maker, one that touches upon almost every phase of his career, yet it's filtered through a maturity that feels vital because of its unadorned honesty.
  2. It's not that it lacks tension--indeed, almost every song touches on relationship strife--it's just that the squabbles are gentle, the rage subdued.
  3. 80
    District Line is essentially the same furiously melodic pop Mould played way back when. [Feb 2008, p.98]
  4. District Line is a ­focused, gripping zigzag between fury and woe, scorched rock and folk-pop distress, much like the Hüskers' best records--now with a longer view.
  5. Perhaps it's fair to say that sometimes it all sounds a little too comfortable for, erm, comfort (the line "growing old, it's hard to be an angry young man" is pretty telling).
  6. 80
    For the most part, he sounds fresh-faced and ready to charge back into the fray.
  7. District Line is a fine showcase for the differing sides of ex-Hüsker Dü/Sugar frontman Bob Mould's repertoire.
  8. District Line, Mould's seventh solo album, is a swell follow-up to his bracing 2005 return-to-rockishness record "Body of Song."
  9. This album is an extremely provocative effort.
  10. A solid if not completely earth-shattering act of restitution for loyal Bob-watchers
  11. District Line delivers the latest dissertation in cross-pollination and like past projects it’s a bit of a Frankenstein affair.
  12. Mould comes full circle on District Line, marrying his distant acoustic past to his current path and it seems as if he has found a happy medium.
  13. The keyboards that colored his swan dive into dance music before he re-embraced rock with 2005’s Body of Song are simply another subtle layer of muscle for this sinewy disc.
  14. It plays much like a continuation of "Body Of Song," with the electronic elements even more streamlined and less obtrusive, save on the all-electronic 'Shelter Me.'
  15. Under The Radar
    70
    His latest contains some of the best guitar rock songs he's written in 15 years. [Winter 2008, p.88]
  16. Mojo
    80
    District Line is Mould's strongest song collection since Sugar's alt-rock paradigm, "Copper Blue." [Mar 2008, p.102]
  17. Alternative Press
    70
    The classic Mould you've sought is (mostly) back. [Mar 2008, p.145]
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10
  1. Andrew
    Feb 17, 2008
    8
    A good listen. Not edgy, but enjoyable.
  2. [Anonymous]
    Feb 14, 2008
    9
    It's a return to form for Mould and hits the highs of Sugar.
  3. E
    Feb 12, 2008
    8
    DL is not a groundbreaking, earthshattering, disc of cutting edge visceral yet intelligent and emotional rock music - not in the sense of all DL is not a groundbreaking, earthshattering, disc of cutting edge visceral yet intelligent and emotional rock music - not in the sense of all of Bob Mould's albums between 1983 and 1993. But like Body of Song and Last Dog and Pony Show before it, it is a solid and engaging batch of songs from one of the finest rock musicians of the past thirty years. Is it one of his best? Nah. Is it better than most everything else in mainstream rock music today? Absolutely. And "The Silence Between Us" is his best single since "Your Favorite Thing". It is just Bob doing what Bob does...with a few more bells and whistles. (But yes, no one likes the vocoder fixation.) Full Review »