Fragrant World
by Yeasayer
Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 44 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 44
  3. Negative: 0 out of 44
  1. AllMusic
    Aug 29, 2012
    70
    For those willing to rise to the challenge, Fragrant World has a wealth of obscured moments of bizarre genius.
  2. Q Magazine
    Aug 20, 2012
    80
    When it works, it's a glorious thing. [Sep 2012, p.108]
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  3. Rolling Stone
    Aug 21, 2012
    70
    At times, you're sure they've nicked a melody from some neon-dream MTV hit you can't quite place. Then you realize they're reinventing that dream right now.
  5. musicOMH.com
    Aug 9, 2012
    70
    It's no stinker, more a transition, a typical third LP that just doesn't catch light enough.
  6. Under The Radar
    Aug 17, 2012
    90
    Yeasayer capture this seemingly ineffable fear, dread, and paranoia with wide-eyed clarity throughout this astounding album.
  7. Exclaim
    Aug 14, 2012
    70
    Fragrant World challenges from the first to the 15th listen, yet lacks the hooks that made Odd Blood such an impossible album to ignore. But, at the same time, Yeasayer are a talented bunch who make forward-thinking, 21st century pop music designed to make you think while you dance.
  8. Drowned In Sound
    Aug 21, 2012
    80
    Fragrant World is by far the band's most immersive and consistent record, a buzzingly exotic mass of nervy future soul and paranoid disco that grows in stature with each listen.
  9. The A.V. Club
    Aug 21, 2012
    67
    The aloof, introspective outlook isn't enough to fill the void left behind, nor is it enough to save Fragrant World from sounding somewhat generic.
  10. Paste Magazine
    Aug 21, 2012
    78
    Overall, Fragrant World is a sexy, infectious compilation of conventional musical tropes, filtered through Yeasayer's dark kaleidoscope.
  11. Clash Music
    Aug 15, 2012
    80
    [Fragrant World] is a further evolution of the band's interests in Eighties electro and contemporary R&B.
  12. Entertainment Weekly
    Aug 22, 2012
    83
    The result is something both tighter and somehow weirder, tethering college-dance-party grooves to the band's far-out secret-society visions.
  13. DIY Magazine
    Aug 17, 2012
    80
    Between sombre tones and esctasy highs, and with tracks like 'Folk Hero Shtick' and 'Reagan's Skeleton', this will leave you with a grin on your face and a confidence music will keep going.
  14. Alternative Press
    Aug 9, 2012
    80
    It's a relief to hear even weirder experiments emerge on Fragrant World--especially the second half. [Sep 2012, p.94]
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  15. Magnet
    Aug 16, 2012
    70
    There's a duality to Fragrant World that, sized up alongside its two predecessors, reveals an inherent character trait and a more troublesome trend. Bad songs turn into good songs, and good songs turn into better ones. [No.90 p.51]
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  16. The New York Times
    Aug 27, 2012
    70
    On a first listen, the music sounds aloof and arty - and it is, full of conceptual wiles. But the next time around, pop hooks sink in; more often than not, "Fragrant World" is a snappy synth-pop album.
  17. Filter
    Aug 20, 2012
    64
    This is not your usual carbon-copy victory-lap album--it's an ambitious boundary pusher.
  18. Beats Per Minute
    Aug 21, 2012
    71
    The thematic and musical revamping is impressive, even for a band that seems to enjoy turning itself inside out on a regular basis, but it isn't quite matched by the execution.
  19. The Boston Phoenix
    Aug 14, 2012
    88
    Yeasayer remain the new-millennium kings of studio manipulation, and it's downright jaw-dropping that they're able to experiment so wildly in the context of such catchiness. Fragrant World feels like a victory lap.
  20. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Sep 12, 2012
    86
    The quintet has a real pulse on how to be memorable, melodic and magnificent without sacrificing their defined visions.
  21. The Independent on Sunday (UK)
    Aug 21, 2012
    70
    Fragrant Word has killer synthpop tunes buried within it, but too often you wonder how much better a record this would have been if they quit dicking around and just gave you the song.
  22. CMJ
    Aug 23, 2012
    80
    When you give it [a] chance, this album blooms into something different, deeper and more resonant that, along with its musicality, should be appreciated for its originality and growth.
  23. Chicago Tribune
    Aug 21, 2012
    88
    Fragrant World may initially come off as messy, even chaotic. But the trio of Anand Wilder, Chris Keating and Ira Wolf Tuten are on to something worth absorbing all the same.
  24. The Fly (UK)
    Aug 17, 2012
    80
    It's the freakier corners here that shine bright like neon.
  25. Expert Witness (MSN Music)
    Sep 7, 2012
    83
    Almost every track offers up at least a snatch of melody you're always glad to hear again.
  26. Okayplayer
    Oct 5, 2012
    80
    It's not a bad album, it's actually pretty good. Just not their best.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 25 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 25
  3. Negative: 1 out of 25
  1. Billyliar87
    Aug 21, 2012
    9
    Loving this album! It's an excellent closer to this summer. The "hooks" in this album are not as accessible as their previous endeavors.Loving this album! It's an excellent closer to this summer. The "hooks" in this album are not as accessible as their previous endeavors. Nonetheless, this album has a few solid layers to it. The first 5 tracks twist and turn from mid-tempo, synth-filled ease, to fun electro-pop beats in Devil & the Deed. This album isn't getting as much love from the critics, but I feel that it deserves much more. I'd honestly give it a solid 8, but the critic hate is making me bump it up a notch.… Full Review »
  2. ascribble16
    Sep 7, 2012
    9
    This is such a fun album. Spotify tells me I've played it all the way through seventeen times, and that's really saying something. Each songThis is such a fun album. Spotify tells me I've played it all the way through seventeen times, and that's really saying something. Each song brings something special to the album, but I'm a huge fan of Reagan's Skeleton, Glass of the Microscope, and No Bones. Every song is great, even the singles that have been released. If you've ever liked Yeasayer, you'll like this too.… Full Review »
  3. jmcpIII
    Aug 23, 2012
    8
    Solid album. Yeasayer made a pretty concise batch of songs compared to Odd Blood and All Hour Cymbals which were sort of all over the place.Solid album. Yeasayer made a pretty concise batch of songs compared to Odd Blood and All Hour Cymbals which were sort of all over the place. The most notable difference between this album and the previous two is the massive amount of bass, everything sounds so thick. The band's sense of adventure and discontent is still in tact and that's where they lose a lot of listener interest. Sometimes they try too hard to make certain sounds and rhythms work, but it mostly pays off on Fragrant World. I think this is a step in the right direction for the band. They shamelessly latched onto this futuristic dance funk sound and are determined to make it work, no matter how divisive the results.… Full Review »
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