Hal - Hal
Metascore
68 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
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  1. Mojo
    80
    The melodies are so lush and the arrangements so stylish that you can't deny them. [Jun 2005, p.105]
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  2. Uncut
    80
    Whereas The Thrills' second album fizzled commercially because of an increasingly arch knowingness which many found alienating, Hal--perfectionists, eschewing irony--keep the envelope taut, the air fresh. [May 2005, p.106]
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  3. All Music Guide
    80
    Echoes of the Beatles, Harry Nilsson, the Beach Boys, and Phil Spector are everywhere, and while those aren't exactly unique or even very interesting reference points in 2005, Hal again go beyond imitation and use their influences as a good band should, as guides and not blueprints.
  4. Q Magazine
    80
    The sort of tunes The Beautiful South mislaid on the nation's pub jukeboxes years ago, often tinged with a soulful alt-country lilt. [May 2005, p.116]
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  5. The Guardian
    80
    There's not much drama or keeping-it-realness in Hal's golden, Beach Boys-influenced world, but who can't use a dollop of guilty pleasure?
  6. Stylus Magazine
    75
    There’s nothing groundbreaking here, and this record could very well sound sickeningly syrupy come December, but Hal have found a way of reflecting the sun from a time when it wasn’t quite so poisonous.
  7. cokemachineglow
    73
    Hal is basically just a pleasant, fun album.
  8. New Musical Express (NME)
    70
    The results are undeniably lush, yet slightly lacking in soul. [16 Apr 2005, p.50]
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  9. Drowned In Sound
    70
    So what is there to learn here? How about ‘Hal are generally good, although they’re usually better when they’re trying to blow our minds rather than win our heart’.
  10. Pitchfork
    61
    Full of serious songs with sunny, heavily polished arrangements.
  11. Splendid
    60
    You'll either find it cloying and saccharine or heartfelt and precise, or maybe a little bit of both.
  12. Dot Music
    50
    Naïve, twee, lacking imagination and pointlessly derivative on one hand but - with summer on the horizon and given a forgiving mood – this is also sunny, carefree and great background music to waft over your BBQ.
  13. Under The Radar
    50
    Lushly produced bubblegum made less palatable by elementary lyrics. [#10, p.111]
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  14. Blender
    40
    Instead of sunshine-pop sugar, there's the cloying tang of saccharine. [Jun 2005, p.109]
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  15. Junkmedia
    40
    The record's glossy sheen and sharp nostalgia give it a calculated, lab-constructed feel.
  16. Alternative Press
    40
    Doesn't make many lasting impressions. [Jul 2005, p.182]
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User Reviews

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User Score
9.2 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. mrsoul
    10
    a masterpiece! grows on you like a peachy smelling plant. like all great music, makes you love. the harmonies, like all good ones, possess a sense community, hence the love. really divine and humane.… Full Review »
  2. PhilM
    9
    A gem of an album that reveals more hidden depth with each listen
  3. Allistair
    9
    The feel good album of the year. HAL is probably the only band that replicates the sounds of 60s pop classics to make a masterpiece of their own. A must have of 05.… Full Review »
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