- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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Musically and lyrically the album is thoughtful and mature.
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The melodies and production are top-notch, even if, lyrically, the album’s motifs barely move from sullen dismay to cheery dismay.
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Friendly Fire is better than anyone could have predicted.
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Entertainment WeeklyFire passes in an enchanting sort of basement-cabaret haze, all pretty melodies and haunting orchestral arrangements. [3 Nov 2006, p.78]
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FilterA patient, assured album where nearly every sound feels appropriate. [#22, p.93]
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Los Angeles TimesAt first it seems fairly plain, built around Lennon's thin voice (friendly, if lacking fire)....Yet there's more to the album, most explicitly in the spiked words -- troubled, uncertain, seeking security in an impermanent world. [24 Sep 2006]
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MojoSean Lennon continues to impress. [Nov 2006, p.104]
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A collection of gentle, sun-kissed pop guaranteed to be easy on the ears.
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Humble and resigned to a fault.
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Rolling StoneAn album of angry, guilty, sad -- and often stunningly pretty -- songs. [5 Oct 2006, p.68]
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Lennon isn’t attempting to re-invent the wheel with Friendly Fire; he’s just writing a narrative using thoroughly enjoyable pop melodies.
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UncutA 10-track masterclass in spectral, psychedelicised pop, it's awash with great tunes and soaring arrangements. [Nov 2006, p.117]
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Under The RadarIt is lush, not airy like its predecessor, and while the songs on their surface remain light, they retain a certain musical heft that keeps the album grounded. [#15]
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UrbInstead of avoiding the comparisons, Sean Lennon succeeds by reveling in the kind of pop that runs through his family's genes. [Oct 2006, p.124]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 32 out of 36
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Mixed: 3 out of 36
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Negative: 1 out of 36
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MarkKNov 11, 2006Great album. Light and melodic, nice and melancholic. Just pleasant to hear it on sunday morning.
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Sep 8, 2011
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Feb 18, 2011