Have You Fed the Fish? - Badly Drawn Boy
User Score
8.4 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13

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  1. JamesL
    Nov 17, 2002
    9
    Perhaps he hasn't quite recreated quite the magic of 'Hour of Bewilderbeast' with this album, but it is packed with new ideas and is well worth anyones cash in my opinion. Essential listening.
  2. peter
    Dec 19, 2002
    7
    Somehow the cliché of the indie-genius trying to go mainstream comes to mind. The album is by no means uninspired, but it is not at all as bold and brave as Hour of Bewilderbeast was. Trying to get more airplay? Well, it bores me a little. His weakest album so far, but still far above most of the junk albums out there.
  3. EricM
    Jan 5, 2003
    9
    I Haven't been able to stop listening to this album since I purchased it. I think the critics need to let this one play a few more times. Badly Drawn Boy is extremely talented and while this album may not flow as well as some others from this past year, "Have you Fed the Fish" definitely had the best songs.
  4. MikeP
    Feb 11, 2007
    4
    I really enjoyed The Hour of Bewilderbeast and the About A Boy soundtrack but he's lost something since then. This is quite a boring album with mildly irritating lyrics and weak tunes. There is none of the brilliance of Disillusion, Once Around the Block, Something To Talk About or Silent Sigh here.
  5. BenjaminBunny
    Mar 26, 2004
    8
    Damon Gough sheds his faux-folk cloak and comes out of the closet as a goofy British balladeer with a knack for shticky production and sticky melodies! Much better.
  6. JaredSS
    May 12, 2004
    9
    Great from beginning to end. Easily one of the most satisfying albums of the new millenium. If John Lennon, Elliott Smith, Elvis Costello, and "Mutations" or "Sea Change" Beck had a child, they'd name him Badly Drawn Boy.
  7. matta
    Jul 19, 2005
    8
    I will agree partially with some critics that have said that the whole affair just doesn't flow that well, but still, this album features, individually, some amazing songs (All possibilities, The Further I Slide) and a funny, recurring lyrical theme. He's still a genius.
  8. Rikardsen
    Aug 28, 2011
    9
    I think this album is a victim of bad track ordering, the second half of the album doesn't quite flow as much as the first. Its still great, the songcraft is as good as HOTB but just not as frequent, You Were Right is his best song yet and arguably one of the most touching songs ever written.
  9. Ricko
    Oct 26, 2011
    7
    The follow up proper to Hour of Bewilderbeast - It doesn't quite live up to his debut. There are some good idea's here but they aren't fully developed on here. Everything he got right on Bewilderbeast, doesn't quite come off for him here and at times the record has a bit of a dreary feel to it. Having said that there are still enough good tracks to make it a worthwhile listen.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. PopMatters
    50
    Plainly put, there's something missing in Have You Fed The Fish -- something fresh and whimsical, a tie that binds the songs together, and that endearing twinge that made The Hour such a masterpiece.
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  2. Ink 19
    60
    Have You Fed the Fish? seems like a bit of a let down. A surprisingly catchy and listenable disappointment, but a disappointment nonetheless.
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  3. Stylus Magazine
    50
    The disappointments just keep on coming.
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