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Emblems Image
Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 9 Ratings

  • Summary: This is the fourth release for the chamber-pop outfit led by--yes--Matthew Pond and based in--you guessed it--Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, to be exact).
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. The music is livelier and almost exuberant at times, and certainly more varied that on the last album.
  2. Mojo
    80
    A superior folk-tinged brand of MOR. [Oct 2005, p.102]
  3. It's baffling that these songs aren't all over the radio.
  4. Rolling Stone
    70
    Strangely, gorgeously disorienting. [10 Jun 2004, p.86]
  5. What Emblems lacks in youthful charm it makes up in its confident and solid delivery.
  6. Uncut
    60
    The chamber-pop arrangements make pretentiously snarled lyrics slip down smoothly. [Oct 2005, p.108]
  7. Emblems is numbingly repetitive.

See all 10 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. meganh
    May 15, 2005
    10
    amazing cd..a must
  2. jimj
    Jul 16, 2004
    10
    HUGE
  3. MaxxK
    Jul 30, 2004
    10
    My favorite song is "Lilly" ! It's awesome "I swear". His best album to date.
  4. benk
    Apr 23, 2006
    8
    I'm not sure if there's anything to add if you haven't read critic reviews. This music is soft enough to be listen-able to I'm not sure if there's anything to add if you haven't read critic reviews. This music is soft enough to be listen-able to anyone, but I think the reason MPPA lacks a large following is that none of the songs really grab you. The sound is simple (like the single-note opening riff of Kc) yet lush (layered strings compliment the acoustic guitar on nearly every track), and seems to wash right over the listener and vanish politely. Even so, it's worth a listen. One final note: MPPA's next album, "Several Arrows Later," is more of the same- if you like it, you'll like Emblems, and vice versa. Expand
  5. Chris
    Jul 16, 2004
    6
    Call it a 6.5, actually. Some songs blur together but several stand out. It's a good summer-feel album, like the Shins first release a Call it a 6.5, actually. Some songs blur together but several stand out. It's a good summer-feel album, like the Shins first release a couple of years ago. Expand