Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 30
  2. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. Beautifully sequenced, Jarvis makes the case for albums as opposed to downloads.
  2. It's lyrically depressing, but if you're down in the dumps about the ills of the world and frustrated by a lack of personal achievement, there's surely not a better companion piece to have to hand as you wallow.
  3. A decade after he first set an impossibly hard act to follow, Jarvis Cocker has returned with an album that knocks not only his ageing contemporaries, but many of his descendents, for six.
  4. A very fine solo album indeed.
  5. A stunning collection of songs, in the grand Brit-pop tradition.
  6. The main difference between Jarvis and Pulp's final album, We Love Life, is that the new record feels far less portentous, and more brightly poppy.
  7. This is the record Pulp could/should have made as a sequel to the seminal Different Class.
  8. This is the most immediate album Cocker has put his name to in ten years.
  9. There are songs here that easily stand up to any of Pulp’s high-points, and sound totally unique against the backdrop of 2006.
  10. Q Magazine
    80
    The old Jarvis Cocker is back. [Dec 2006, p.130]
  11. Mojo
    80
    He sounds fresher than in years. [Dec 2006, p.108]
  12. Even if it isn't as immediate as the prime of Pulp, it's a richly nuanced, complicated album that finds Jarvis near the top of his craft as a writer and record maker.
  13. His finest batch of songs since This Is Hardcore.
  14. Spin
    80
    Happily, his killer solo debut offers more of the same. [Apr 2007, p.87]
  15. A collection of songs that proves nearly as personal, as socially aware, and as deft at intertwining the two, as was Pulp’s 1998 opus, ‘‘This Is Hardcore.’’
  16. Alternative Press
    80
    A ripe thriller, the work of a facile talent with a newfound fecund baritone that goes places where Pulp could not tread. [Jun 2007, p.150]
  17. Jarvis is a solid, thought-provoking album.
  18. Jarvis is strong enough, smart enough, and at home enough with its ancient rock-star concerns and unembellished songcraft, for "Running the World" to remain a bonus track. This album doesn't need rescuing.
  19. Cocker's caustic observations cut deepest when married to hummable tunes.
  20. The lyrics are often sublime, of course, but there are big, stupid choruses too.
  21. 'Jarvis' never quite gathers an irresistible momentum like his past glories did. There isn't a bad song on here, but there are several which don't fulfil their full potential.
  22. "Jarvis" is a collection of 13 individual songs, rather than an album with cohesive impact.
  23. "Jarvis"... is essentially a patchwork drawing from low and high points of his career - a quilt meant as a cover as well as an ornament.
  24. Billboard
    70
    An understated triumph. [9 Dec 2006]
  25. Some of the old tension is missing: Mr. Cocker isn’t straining to write pop hits. But all of the old spleen is intact.
  26. Under The Radar
    70
    Yet for all its pomp and glam, Jarvis is a uneven affair that sags a little too long in the middle. [#17, p.83]
  27. All in all, Jarvis a mixed bag. It feels like the sort of thing that Cocker would do just to expunge his notebooks before moving on.
  28. Jarvis is the record of someone losing hope, the sound of dejection turned up to 10.
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 32 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 32
  2. Negative: 3 out of 32
  1. Nov 4, 2013
    10
    Jarvis manages to cover the entire spectrum of human emotion in 13 tracks of pure genius. The brilliance of his lyrical wizardry knows noJarvis manages to cover the entire spectrum of human emotion in 13 tracks of pure genius. The brilliance of his lyrical wizardry knows no bounds whatsoever. Beautiful, a modern masterpiece. Full Review »
  2. alanl
    May 4, 2007
    10
    A Morrisey for the new generations!!!!
  3. JasonL
    Apr 4, 2007
    10
    Just saw this live in Melbourne. Without Jarvis, the whole Best of V festival would have been absolutely worthless. Jarvis is witty, Just saw this live in Melbourne. Without Jarvis, the whole Best of V festival would have been absolutely worthless. Jarvis is witty, entertaining and musically brilliant. Forget top 20, forget itunes, forget throw away music. Jarvis is the real thing. 'Its OK to grow up, just as long as you don't grow old. Face it you are young.' Jarvis Cocker. Full Review »