Half-Light
by Rostam
  • Record Label: Nonesuch
  • Release Date: Sep 15, 2017
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
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  1. Pretty Much Amazing
    Sep 19, 2017
    83
    While the album is beautiful both sonically and lyrically, in some of the tracks, Batmanglij falls into his older artistic patterns that feel played out. However, if you weren’t aware that he was in Vampire Weekend, this might not be as obvious.
  2. The A.V. Club
    Sep 14, 2017
    83
    Half-Light is never less than interesting: It’s tremendously layered and fussy, but also sweet and light. It’s a hell of a start for a guy who’s been doing it forever.
  3. Consequence
    Sep 7, 2017
    83
    After a decade of shaping the musical world in various supporting roles, Batmanglij’s first proper solo record is a quiet revelation that places his talents front and center, the key to unlocking just how instrumental he’s always been, and will hopefully remain, for years to come.
  5. AllMusic
    Sep 25, 2017
    80
    Half-Light is a sprawling, passionate musical memoir; as far as remembrances of things past go, this one is remarkably forward-sounding.
  6. Q Magazine
    Sep 7, 2017
    80
    It feels like a step into a brave new world. [Oct 2017, p.108]
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  7. Rolling Stone
    Sep 7, 2017
    80
    Batmanglij has a boyish, intimate tenor, charming when not overdoing the breathy, verge-of-a-giggle delivery. Ultimately, though, it's the gorgeously inventive tracks that steal the show.
  8. Paste Magazine
    Sep 11, 2017
    74
    Longing and heartbreak are universal themes, but what Rostam does is make them accessible, thought-provoking in an artful manner that will serve him well in as he navigates his solo career.
  9. Pitchfork
    Sep 18, 2017
    72
    Half-Light traces where he’s been so far, a typical theme for any solo debut. This is as understandable as it is slightly frustrating. Because all along, Rostam has never settled for anything close to typical.
  10. Exclaim
    Sep 22, 2017
    70
    All in all, Half-Light makes it apparent just how much of what was captivating about Vampire Weekend came from Batmanglij, solidifying the newly independent musician as a collaborator artists from multiple genres should--and do--want to work with.
  11. Magnet
    Sep 18, 2017
    70
    It's less an emphatic, assertive statement than a patchwork scrapbook of disparate moods and tunes that, taken as a whole, feels not unpleasantly unfinished, somewhat hazy and dreamlike and understatedly charismatic. [No. 146, p.59]
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  12. Under The Radar
    Sep 15, 2017
    70
    Half-Light is a brave, challenging, and infectious debut, sometimes falling short, and other times achieving grand things.
  13. The Line of Best Fit
    Sep 13, 2017
    70
    If Half-Light feels a touch scattershot, it’s likely because it’s the result of years of his creative energy being pent-up on the road with the band when he’d have much rather been at home in the studio, and it doesn’t dilute the emotional resonance of his best lyrics here, which are a world away from the coy collegiate that Koenig presents as.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 26 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 26
  3. Negative: 3 out of 26
  1. DavidWasHere
    Sep 22, 2017
    6
    It's sad when one of the best songs on the album, Woods, was a single released back in 2011. As a Vampire Weekend fan, I wanted to likeIt's sad when one of the best songs on the album, Woods, was a single released back in 2011. As a Vampire Weekend fan, I wanted to like Rostam's solo debut. And I did enjoy it, but not as much as I wanted. The album is a weird mish-mash of Vampire Weekend and Panda Bear's solo work outside of Animal Collective. There is a lot of Person Pitch and Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper in there. And unfortunately it all doesn't really pan out. The instrumentation and composition have some good ideas going, especially with the eclectic worldbeat ideas, but unfortunately is kneecapped by the terrible mixing and Rostam sounding drunk as he slurs his lines when he sings. Say what you will about Ezra's singing, at least he can pronounce his words and has some presence and charisma than someone just waking up from a nap after downing a bottle of cough syrup. This album comes off as boring mostly. There are some good tunes here, from the experimental piano ballad of the title cut, to the beautiful worldbeat of Woods, to the African drum beat and bleeping synths that actually sound pleasant of Don't Let It Get To You, and even pretty damn awful, like the autotune, trap, and gospel nightmare of Hold You. It's not really all that bad, but infuriating knowing that Rostam can do so much better than this!… Full Review »
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