• Record Label: Domino
  • Release Date: Oct 20, 2008
Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Mojo
    80
    Oldham's typically weary, wavering larynx is rendered imperious as it rises Lazarus-like from the wind-tanned dronescapes and rasping harmonues of an epic 'Cursed Sleep,' while a mistily brooding 'Ain't You Wealthy? Ain't You Wise?' finds him deploying unlikely falsetto whoops a la springsteen. [Nov 2008, p.110]
  2. I realise that bemoaning the inclusion of crowd noise on a live album is a bit pointless, but when it detracts from the enjoyment of the album then it's a valid grumble. But it's a minor issue.
  3. 80
    For newcomers, Is It The Sea? offers a neat summation of Oldham’s quiet industry, while it may just mark the turning point from his darker years.
  4. The Wire
    70
    There's little in the way of structural reinvention, but then Oldham has never really been a sonics man, and the success of this album rests on one's appreciation of his songwriting alone. [Oct 2008, p.52]
  5. Q Magazine
    40
    Often the players transform the hushed originals into rousing barnstormers, although diehards might baulk at the cluttered performances and newcomers may wonder what seperates the "Prince" from other raggle-taggle troubadours. [Nov 2008, p.107]

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