Glitterbug
by The Wombats
Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 12
  3. Negative: 2 out of 12
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  1. AllMusic
    Apr 13, 2015
    80
    Ultimately, it's this kind of life-is-short pop energy, imbued with Murphy's well-curated sense of time and place, that helps elevate the Wombats' Glitterbug from just a one-crazy-night soundtrack to an album that might stick with you for years to come.
  2. Exclaim
    Apr 14, 2015
    70
    While their approach is a little aggressive at times, making it a little too much to take in at once, Glitterbug is full of tracks that prove there's no reason not to indulge in it.
  3. Alternative Press
    Apr 10, 2015
    70
    Any way you slice it, Glitterbug lives up to its explosive, playful name. [May 2015, p.102]
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  5. Q Magazine
    Apr 10, 2015
    60
    They're onto something here. [May 2015, p.115]
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  6. Sputnikmusic
    Apr 10, 2015
    60
    Glitterbug is pleasant enough and far from a chore to listen to, even if it feels too safe and inoffensive to warrant repeated listening.
  7. The Guardian
    Apr 9, 2015
    60
    It’s got “grimly competent” written all over it, but that doesn’t make Glitterbug awful--just desperately uninvolving if you’re not already one of the zealots.
  8. New Musical Express (NME)
    Apr 9, 2015
    60
    Only ‘The English Summer’ and ‘Pink Lemonade’ bear much resemblance to the antsy, fidgety post-punk The Wombats made their name with, and both end up falling somewhat flat. In its place are the sleek, synth-laden likes of ‘Be Your Shadow’ and ‘Headspace’ --precision-engineered for mass appeal, but no less effective for it.
  9. Pitchfork
    Apr 9, 2015
    57
    There’s a very palatable poppy sheen on all of these tracks: Glitterbug is packed with anthemic hooks and synth pulses that sound like they were composed solely to lure Lexus.
  10. musicOMH.com
    Apr 13, 2015
    40
    The reality is that Glitterbug just doesn’t excite or leave any lasting impression.
  11. DIY Magazine
    Apr 9, 2015
    40
    Glitterbug is a tired album that lacks invention and makes the landfill indie tag even easier to attribute.
  12. PopMatters
    May 28, 2015
    30
    The overall sound is thin and tinny.
  13. Drowned In Sound
    Apr 9, 2015
    30
    In all of this, it's not that any one song is outright horrific (okay, 'Pink Lemonade' is pretty unbearable), more that the entire experience is a chore.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 27 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 27
  3. Negative: 3 out of 27
  1. G0THFRANK
    Jun 15, 2023
    10
    One of my favourite albums to ever be made. Never saw one single person to not like this album, really is the one all of my friends will likeOne of my favourite albums to ever be made. Never saw one single person to not like this album, really is the one all of my friends will like if I play it anywhere, because it matches any vibe.… Full Review »
  2. NordicSnow
    Apr 6, 2020
    5
    This album has a pretty strong, if a bit generic start. The first four songs were something I wouldn't mind listening to on a relaxing summerThis album has a pretty strong, if a bit generic start. The first four songs were something I wouldn't mind listening to on a relaxing summer car trip. Then you hit track five and start to feel like you've heard this all before, and by the end you are just numb to it all. Theres no highs and no lows, it's all just a bland "thing" that you loose interest in after the first half concludes. It's almost like this is just a collection of singles thrown together because they had them done over something that is a proper album. Sad too, as I love the overly sweet synth sounds, but it's going to need more then that to keep me engaged.

    Not bad, just not anything special.    … Full Review »
  3. KDog1265
    Jul 26, 2019
    9
    This is without question my favorite Wombats album. The band goes full synth pop on this album with some of the most perfectly produced andThis is without question my favorite Wombats album. The band goes full synth pop on this album with some of the most perfectly produced and catchiest songs of the bands entire discography. It's also a bunch of goofy, over-the-top fun like the best Wombats material.… Full Review »
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