- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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BlenderWith drums, strings, pianos, amps and backup singers, this is the biggest sounding record ever for a band that used to consist of one guy on acoustic guitar. [Apr 2008, p.81]
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As interesting as Heretic Pride already is, it misses an opportunity to pick one direction or the other.
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FilterWhile there's magic in Darnielle's always-blissful eye for detail--takes the kaleidoscopic, blood-red sun on 'San Bernadino'--far too often the album works up a head of steam only to wander into unflattering territory. [Winter 2008, p.95]
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MojoThe polished arrangements of Heretic Pride do Darnielle's songwriting no favours. [Mar 2008, p.106]
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This is business as usual: string-laced Americana that ranks alongside other literate types such as The Shins or Midlake.
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The music often verges on innocuous, but it serves its purpose as a backdrop for Darnielle’s steadily churning imagination.
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The lack of the sort of overarching theme that powered previous discography standouts 'Tallahassee' and 'The Sunset Tree' through their dull bits means that these moments rob the record of a lot of momentum and goodwill.
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Without the gripping autobiographical elements of recent Mountain Goats releases (or the tape hiss of the band's lo-fi days) to justify them, Darnielle's idiosyncratic, occasionally annoying vocals and elementary folk melodies fall a little flat.
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UncutDarnielle dresses songs of romance, heartache, and travel in elegant leaps of language. [Mar 2008, p.96]
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Under The RadarDarnielle's increasing love of full band arrangements--which aren't memorable--pushes him perilously close to earning the "soft rock' label. [Winter 2008, p.83]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 17 out of 19
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Mixed: 1 out of 19
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Negative: 1 out of 19
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SteveO.Apr 11, 2008Cool voice but it CAN get a little annoying... good songwriters though... its a good album overall.
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MichaelE.Mar 4, 2008
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JackB.Feb 28, 2008break away from the personal and back toward classic outward storytelling.