How Does It Feel
by MS MR
  • Record Label: RCA
  • Release Date: Jul 17, 2015
Metascore
62

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
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  1. musicOMH.com
    Jul 21, 2015
    70
    How Does It Feel, then, is a second album that reveals a band with plenty left in the tank.
  2. Boston Globe
    Jul 16, 2015
    70
    Nothing here is quite as instantly engaging as MS MR’s breakthrough single, “Hurricane,” but the duo’s gaze remains trained on both the expanse of the horizon and the insularity of the internal drama.
  3. AllMusic
    Jul 16, 2015
    70
    While a few tracks sound too similar to each other, How Does It Feel's best moments deliver pop accessibility without sacrificing any of MS MR's identity.
  5. New Musical Express (NME)
    Jul 13, 2015
    70
    MS MR might lack some of the extrovert star quality of the acts Plapinger usually signs, but 'How Does It Feel' is an emotional ride that shows she has plenty of her own worth sharing.
  6. The A.V. Club
    Jul 17, 2015
    67
    Although How Does It Feel is far more subdued and inconsistent than Secondhand Rapture, MS MR still has no peer in its ability to twist retro and modern influences in fresh ways.
  7. The 405
    Jul 23, 2015
    65
    In bitesize chunks this is a sumptuous feast--but it's more buffet than banquet.
  8. Pitchfork
    Jul 24, 2015
    60
    The aesthetics of her songs with Hershenow remain timid and careful.
  9. Clash Music
    Aug 21, 2015
    50
    The only reasonable offering on 'How Does It Feel' is the multi-layered and kaleidoscopic lead single, 'Painted'. Elsewhere, it's the kind of standard by-the-numbers electro-pop that's likely to soundtrack your next visit to the local department store.
  10. Under The Radar
    Jul 15, 2015
    50
    Disappointingly, How Does It Feel has a good dose of the latter [blatant variety of compositions].
  11. Consequence
    Jul 13, 2015
    50
    As a sophomore album, How Does It Feel delivers more of the same as MS MR’s debut, lacking innovation or development.
  12. Pretty Much Amazing
    Jul 23, 2015
    42
    Secondhand Rapture was inconsistent and uneven at points, but it also drew some power from its unpredictability. Its successor is twelve straight tracks of mostly the same thing: worn pop clichés. This dullness plagues the album from start to finish despite Plapinger’s best attempts at shouting through the monotony.
  13. The Observer (UK)
    Jul 20, 2015
    40
    As the album progresses, Plapinger’s vocals too often fail to engage, particularly on the more downbeat tracks, and there is a paucity of good ideas towards the end.
  14. DIY Magazine
    Jul 13, 2015
    40
    Something that gradually becomes clear is that this is an album of uncertainty.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. starryeyed
    Jul 17, 2015
    5
    I am a big fan / defender of MS MR's first album and I feel like a lot of the criticism towards it isn't justified. Their second album,I am a big fan / defender of MS MR's first album and I feel like a lot of the criticism towards it isn't justified. Their second album, however, is underwhelming in almost every way. I read a lot of reviews that said that this album sounds too much like "Secondhand Rapture" which I completely disagree with. Actually, I would have loved for it to sound like their debut. Instead, most of these songs sound like b-sides or tracks that you would give away for free in exchange for subscribing to an e-mail newsletter. I love "Painted" and "Criminals", but everything else ranges from boring to pretty decent.… Full Review »
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