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Insignificance Image
Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 16 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 10 Ratings

  • Summary: The Chicago-based avant-garde musician (best known for his work in Gastr Del Sol) offers up seven new tracks in his follow-up to 1999's 'Eureka.' Wilco's Jeff Tweedy adds guitar.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 16
  3. Negative: 1 out of 16
  1. Uncut
    90
    This is adventurous modern music which uses old rock and singer-songwriter traditions as the raw material to be manipulated. [Album Of The Month, Feb 2002, p.110]
  2. Insignificance is the release that finds him hitting his stride completely, seemingly mixing little bits of all the different styles that he's poked around with and boiling it all down into a cohesive little release.
  3. Rarely has the indulgence of rock ‘n roll dreams sounded this concise.
  4. The fly in the ointment is the lyric content, which plumbs depths of misanthropy that make labelmate Bill Callahan (Smog) sound like Bobby McFerrin.
  5. Insignificance’s length of less than 40 minutes perhaps indicates that O’Rourke is not as serious about producing a pop opus as he is interested in getting a kick out of screwing around with pop song writing.
  6. Spin
    70
    Proof that simple pleasures always beat academic detachment. [March 2002, p.137]
  7. His least demanding work ever, steeped in the traditions of pop and rock.

See all 16 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Jan 3, 2023
    10
    Was für Erinnerungen, hab die Platte gegen eine schwenkende Glühbirne gesungen, ein „Paar“ wollte die Birne küssen, hab das Frauenzimmer nichtWas für Erinnerungen, hab die Platte gegen eine schwenkende Glühbirne gesungen, ein „Paar“ wollte die Birne küssen, hab das Frauenzimmer nicht ganz gezwungen, später habe ich alle Lampen heruntergerissen. Für Text und Stimme volle Wertung. Expand
  2. JamesD.
    Aug 7, 2002
    10
    Although there are more exceptionally compelling moments on O"Rourke's "Eureka", "Insignificance" is the most consistently satisfying Although there are more exceptionally compelling moments on O"Rourke's "Eureka", "Insignificance" is the most consistently satisfying his pop-era years to date. (Nearly) absent are any traces of his earliest chaos-theory inspired noise of his early years; moreover, his infatuation with '70's MOR radio sounds far less cloying than examples of such off of his recent solo efforts (if just as ironic). And his lyrics are easily as entertainingly misanthropistic as ever. Plus, it Seriously Rocks. Do yourself a favour and give it a listen. Expand
  3. JimM.
    Feb 2, 2002
    9
    When i first picked up a copy a Eureka i had only heard a couple of things that Jim had done. When i got it home and played it i can honestly When i first picked up a copy a Eureka i had only heard a couple of things that Jim had done. When i got it home and played it i can honestly say i dont think i have (or ever will) hear anything like it again. So when Insignificance came out, i was first in line for a copy. Yet again he brings the bacon home and you can pigeon this album all you want Mr Piero Scaruffi but the fact is it rocks. Im not going to go into great detail about the arrangements and blah de blah but this guy is one of the few today who truly make the gee-tar sing and listening to his wicked lyricoligy is a joy, he could insult me any day of the week. Nuff said. Expand
  4. May 8, 2022
    6
    Not bad at all but also not memorable (beyond the cover art) . This is fun a fun follow up to EUREKA but doesn't feel as essential.