Give - The Bad Plus
Metascore
75 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 12
  2. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. There are eight originals seething with funky new millennium rhythms and succulent harmonic flights. [19 Mar 2004, p.65]
  2. For all of their rock leanings, they are a jazz combo in the best way possible—each player brings a potent set of chops to his respective instrument.
  3. By any standard, jazz or otherwise, it is moving, mighty music - bad in all the right ways.
  4. Another gripping CD of thunder and grace.
  5. Another eclectic, bold and idiosyncratic concoction of modern jazz.
  6. Dry, cavernous production by studio pro Tchad Blake lends Give some of its uniqueness, but more crucial is The Bad Plus' way of thinking through jazz compositions with a pop mind.
  7. Like its predecessor, Give is edgy, irreverent, and yes, fun.
  8. 70
    It's perhaps a tad effortful here and there, but it's gloriously impolite. [Apr 2004, p.113]
  9. At times, the band sounds totally incongruous, off in their own sound-proof studios beating their instruments into submission. At other times, the three come together to produce a sophisticated and ceaselessly pleasurable jazz/pop synthesis.
  10. While obviously talented and often inspired, it is unclear if the Bad Plus are avant-garde enough to appeal to hardcore jazz fans, or pop-oriented enough to grab the attention of rock listeners.
  11. Even its best moments sound like an amateurish reiteration of These Are the Vistas' quasi-jazz anarchy.
  12. 40
    It's music that's all cleverness and fury from a distance, but when studied up close, it turns out to be pretty hollow. [Apr 2004, p.126]
User Score
tbd

No user score yet- Awaiting 1 more rating

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. RyanT
    10
    The Bad Plus have released another intensely satisfying journey through foreign soundscapes. The group's ability to perform as one instrument with one voice and instantly explode into a wall of sound is fantastic. Open your mind and let the rhythms sink in. This album is a gold mine of new sounds and rhythms wedded gracefully with ones familiar. Full Review »
  2. Nathanb
    10
    Brilliant!! Dave King,drummer of the bad plus is an the most innovative drummers since Brian Blade.Worth checking out becase of king alone. It also has the hippest version of Iron man. Run to the record store and buy it now. Full Review »