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Fan Dance - Sam Phillips
Metascore
79 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
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  1. Sonicnet
    90
    Whenever the delicious sensuality of the music threatens to take over, the anxiety and restless intelligence that drive it return to the surface, creating a quietly riveting tension. Fan Dance could be Sam Phillips' best album yet -- and that's really saying something.
  2. All Music Guide
    90
    With Fan Dance, Sam Phillips has made an album that proves modesty is one the rarest and most welcome virtues in pop music today.
  3. Blender
    80
    The music is by turns atmospheric, quirky and joyous. [Aug/Sep 2001, p.126]
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  4. CDNow
    80
    Framed in delicate, candlelit arrangements that beckon like distant ghosts, Phillips addresses matters of faith, love, and spiritual connection in such a way that questions are as important as answers.
  5. PopMatters
    80
    Fans will not be disappointed.... This collection of marvelously restless yet intelligent searching clocks in at a mere 33 minutes, yet it's got more quality within it than many CDs twice its length.
  6. The A.V. Club
    80
    Fan Dance confirms that Phillips has quietly developed into one of the most assured writers and performers in the underpopulated field of adult pop.
  7. E! Online
    75
    A less produced, totally honest and much more sparse collection than what fans were dancing to with Omnipop.
  8. Billboard
    70
    Some may find the subtle Fan Dance too unadorned, but its quiet beauty holds real strength.
  9. Austin Chronicle
    67
    Fan Dance is one of those albums that needs to be absorbed to be fully enjoyed, and those who take the time are sure to find its many rewards.
  10. Uncut
    60
    On first hearing, it's a record to admire rather than love, but its insidious appeal soon gets under your skin. [Sep 2002, p.112]
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  11. Q Magazine
    60
    An album that's as entrancing as it is modestly proportioned. [June 2002, p.121]
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User Reviews

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User Score
7.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 4 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. SneedyM
    9
    Having already forged a career in pop but failing to establish herself as a household name (despite her critically-acclaimed "Martinis & Bikinis" record which appeared on Virgin in 1994), this is Sam's attempt at paring down her sound after her bloated, heavier fourth album ("Omnipop" 1996). It's mesmerizing and vulnerable, with the entire album under a sort of acoustic restraint that makes it the first truly cohesive SP album since "Cruel Inventions" appeared a decade prior. While it's bound to turn off some fans, the independent label and mature focus make this transitional album as worthy as Bettie Serveert's "Private Suit" or any of Elvis Costello's albums from the mid 1980s.… Full Review »
  2. BobG.
    4
    Boring album. I love Sam Phillips' "Cruel Inventions" and "Martinis & Bikinis," but this one's a dud. Why critics are creaming in their pants about it, I dunno. But not one song sticks in your head.… Full Review »
  3. ChristopherC.
    9
    A quiet masterpiece by an exceptional and very underrated singer/songwriter that draws you further in and grabs ahold of your soul with each listen.
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