Insignificance - Jim O'Rourke
Insignificance Image
Metascore
81 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 16 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.6 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 5 Ratings

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  • 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.

Critic Reviews

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]
    All this publication's reviews
  2. Nude As The News
    80
    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.
  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    80
    'Insignificance' lays down an awesome challenge to other guitar records - it contains more great ideas than most bands have in their entire career. It's the first unequivocal classic album of the new year.
  4. Billboard
    30
    His least demanding work ever, steeped in the traditions of pop and rock.

See all 16 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. JamesD.
    10
    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
  2. JimM.
    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 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

See all 3 User Reviews

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