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Let's Just Be - Joseph Arthur
Metascore
59 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 10 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    75
    Unfortunately, Arthur drags his backing players through a good deal of hoarsely hollered filler between [the] peaks. [20 Apr 2007, p.62]
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  2. Los Angeles Times
    75
    Some more outré passages could have benefited from mad-scientist tinkering. But the mad-Mick Jagger that Arthur affects on the nasty "Cocaine Feet" and elsewhere is still nicely twisted.
  3. Alternative Press
    70
    A diverse collection that often has a life force all its own. [Jun 2007, p.150]
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  4. Paste Magazine
    70
    A chaotic mix of gorgeous T. Rex acoustic reveries, cheeky Stones-inflected rockers and studio-jam goofiness. [Apr 2007, p.55]
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  5. Billboard
    70
    There are fewer memorable moments here than on his solo albums, but it's still nice to hear him taking risks. [21 Apr 2007]
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  6. Stylus Magazine
    58
    Let's Just Be is as poppy and willfully idiosyncratic as Arthur's older work, but is both more conventionally arranged and more loose-limbed than ever before.
  7. All Music Guide
    50
    There's an air of sloppy experimentation, of demos and B-sides and other things that probably won't interest more than the heartiest fan.
  8. Spin
    50
    A sweaty, first-take orgy that sometimes suggests Tom Waits fronting the Stones, only clumsier. [May 2007, p.84]
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  9. Boston Globe
    40
    A wildly uneven record.
  10. Pitchfork
    34
    There are a few quality tracks among these 16-- enough for a pretty good EP-- but this is an 80-minute album with at least an hour of stuff on it that sounds at best like studio outtakes.
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User Reviews

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User Score
5.9 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 12
  3. Negative: 5 out of 12
  1. Brynn
    9
    I live for live music and i love the loose feel of this album. hearing these new songs at the shows made me fall in love. i guess everyone sees things differently.… Full Review »
  2. DanM
    2
    Big fan of his past work and live shows, but this album is a piece of crap. A few decent tracks here, but overall this should be a giveaway of B-sides and outtakes. No one should be charged money for this, there's so little effort in its creation. I'm ok if he wants to change sounds and styles, but put some effort in to the recording. Maybe it should have been released under a different name, to avoid scamming long time fans into buying it.… Full Review »
  3. RichardH
    6
    On comparison with his earlier albums this one leaves me feeling a bit empty. Most of the beauty is gone from Arthur's signature sound on this disk and it's replaced by a dry, arid sound that is slightly cold and impersonal. While it feels like the band was making a shot at a 'rock' record, it is the softer moments that stand out. There are still worthwhile songs on the disk, just don't expect to hear the Joseph Arthur that you've grown to know through the years.… Full Review »
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