- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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Aug 6, 2012Instinct is a vivid and varied debut, and ultimately a more rewarding listen than if Niki and the Dove had just explored one facet of their sound.
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Jun 8, 2012One of the essential debuts of the year so far.
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Aug 23, 2012With Instinct, Niki and the Dove have made an album that will surely resonate with the American crowds already grooving to the likes of Hot Chip, Passion Pit and Twin Shadow while providing Sub Pop with a whole new planet of sound to colonize.
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Aug 9, 2012Instinct is an electro-pop album, but it's got that New Order-style darkness that gives it a comforting weight; this is that kind of bummer music that will make you dance.
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Aug 6, 2012Instinct plays as an open love letter to all forms of pop, while subverting those same objects of affection.
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Jun 8, 2012The music they make is frequently stunning.
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Entertainment WeeklyAug 3, 2012Malin Dahlstrom does art-funk just as well as she does feather-headdress anthems. [10 Aug 2012, p.75]
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Aug 7, 2012Warmhearted and epic, Instinct aims for the moon--and sticks the landing.
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Jun 8, 2012In what has already proved to be a strong year for breakthrough artists the duo have gone and raised the bar once again, and in doing so, created one of the most essential albums of the year.
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Jun 8, 2012They're at their strongest when at their hardest.
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Aug 10, 2012There's something about the visceral, elemental nature of Niki and the Dove's production that takes you right there, shivering and pulling the collar of your coat close as wind whips under the viaduct.
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Aug 28, 2012There isn't a whole lot of diversity in the musical canvas here... Nevertheless, the album remains ridiculously infectious. Try as you may not want to, you'll be hard pressed to walk away not liking it, or without at least one of the ditties stuck in your head.
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Q MagazineOct 12, 2012Beneath the distractingly high-pitched, multi-tracked vocals and tastefully tribal drama, there's nothing more threatening than a synthesized Florence + The Machine. [Jul 2012, p.107]
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Aug 6, 2012Flourishes like the instrumental outro on "Last Night" and the shifting tempos of "The Fox" speak to the duo's willingness to experiment with tone and rhythm in ways that are forward-thinking without being labored or self-indulgent.
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Aug 6, 2012The album clicks because beyond the date-stamping visuals and the music's timeless project to unite art and pop, the longtime partnership behind Niki & the Dove has finally found a proper voice, and a proper name.
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Jul 31, 2012While Instinct's creativity and sense of adventure are to be commended, the album never builds any real momentum.
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Aug 7, 2012[Their] strange blend of influences can be fascinating... but Instinct - clocking in at a bloated 14 tracks and 56 total minutes - runs out of gas way before reaching the finish line.
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Jun 8, 2012Overall, this is a daring, dynamic and dramatic debut.
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Jun 8, 2012More fury and less moderation and this would have been outstanding; as it is, it's just very good.
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Jun 8, 2012Nobody does this kind of thing quite like the Swedes, and NATD are a welcome addition to that nation's synthpop hall of fame.
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Jun 8, 2012Since much of it has been released in EP form before, you can't help but fear Dahlström and her foil Gustaf Karlöf might have peaked before they have really begun.
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UncutJun 8, 2012The best electro-pop debut since La Roux. [Jun 2012, p.80]
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Aug 3, 2012Awash with grand ambitions, Niki & The Dove is one of the few bands whose grasp actually matches their reach. The result is dazzling.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 36 out of 42
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Mixed: 2 out of 42
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Negative: 4 out of 42
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Dec 17, 2012
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Oct 7, 2012