Light After Dark - Clare Maguire
Light After Dark Image
Metascore
50 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 12 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

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0 out of 10
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  • Summary: Fraser T. Smith produced the debut album from the British singer who was discovered on MySpace.
  • Record Label: Polydor
  • Genre(s): Pop, Pop/Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter
  • More Details and Credits »

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 12
  3. Negative: 2 out of 12
  1. Q Magazine
    May 6, 2011
    80
    the expectancy of being universally tipped for greatness may yet sink her, but she's delivered here. [Mar 2011, p.109]
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  2. The Independent on Sunday (UK)
    May 6, 2011
    60
    Her Lennox-meets-Tyler, or Welch-meets-Tunstall lungs boom out across a Heart FM-friendly pop-rock sound which sometimes attains a sweeping Stevie Nicks drama but often merely reaches Dido level.
  3. Mojo
    May 6, 2011
    60
    If Kate Bush backed by MGMT appeals, Maguire's your woman. [Apr 2011, p.105]
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  4. Drowned In Sound
    May 6, 2011
    30
    A voice like Maguire's deserves infinitely better than the calculated dross on display here.

See all 12 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. SuperTakashii
    7
    Someone needs to take this girl in the right direction. A lot of the songs on here are Barbara Streisand-style blasty **** and to be honest, Clare deserves better.… Expand
  2. craigburrrns
    7
    Great debut, but sadly, lacks the emotion and power that it was hyped to show. Lead single 'Ain't Nobody' starts off slow, telling how her heart only has room for one love and she thinks that one love should think the same way, but isn't a great song. Second single 'The Last Dance' is a get-up-and-sing powerhouse of a single. This song truly shows the power in Maguire's voice that most of the other tracks failed to show. The chorus "I save my last dance for you, my friend." may lack lyrical genius, but with the strong drum backing and dancy synth sounds the lyrics don't matter much. Third single 'The Shield and The Sword', with it's string intro and house piano backing welcoming the listener into 3 and a half minutes of pop gold. The track depicts Maguire's overcoming of a somewhat unpleasant break up "You take the shield, I'll take the sword, I no longer love you." shows that Clare is well and truly over and is on the offensive, showing she is a strong woman. Sadly, intro 'Are you Ready? and outro 'This is not the End' seem to be album fillers and nothing more. Ballad 'Bullet' is one of the record's highlights, showing the raw emotion that was promised of the record, a tale of heartbreak it may be, but it is a track that will be on repeat for those in a blue mood. 'The Happiest Pretenders' and 'Break These Chains' depict the fall of a relationship and just wanting to break free from it, feeling that she is imprisoned in a sad situation. Sadly, 'I Surrender', 'You're Electric' and 'Light After Dark' fall flat. Top tracks are 'The Last Dance', 'Bullet', and 'The Shield and the Sword'.… Expand

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