Lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roar
by Robert Plant
  • Record Label: Nonesuch
  • Release Date: Sep 9, 2014
Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Paste Magazine
    Sep 9, 2014
    93
    For the ruminating about the world and wanderlust, lullaby’s potency comes from affairs of the heart, love lost and sought, and the jagged loneliness of failing to stay bonded.
  2. American Songwriter
    Sep 8, 2014
    90
    This stunning entry into his already impressive catalog shows he refuses to rest on his laurels.
  3. AllMusic
    Sep 8, 2014
    90
    He's building upon the past, both his own and the larger traditions of his homeland, both spiritual and actual, and that gives lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roar a bewitching depth. It's an album to get lost in.
  5. musicOMH.com
    Sep 2, 2014
    90
    These outstanding songs, imaginatively and intuitively balanced by clever production, cohere to form a serious work reflecting on landscape, memory, regret and the pull of our roots. It more than earns its somewhat portentous title.
  6. Uncut
    Sep 2, 2014
    90
    Beyond the clever production and judicious musical blend is a sensibility and a voice and songs that find Plant still on his quest, still grappling with the intricacies of love, still seduced by distant, misty mountains. His Uniqueness has never been more apparent. [Oct 2014, p.61]
    All this publication's reviews
  7. The Line of Best Fit
    Sep 5, 2014
    85
    This is a riveting, first-rate record from a man who has made quite a few of them.
  8. Entertainment Weekly
    Sep 9, 2014
    83
    Its multitude of borrowings from other genres meld elegantly to frame Plant's inimitably keening vocals. [12 Sep 2014, p.62]
    All this publication's reviews
  9. Classic Rock Magazine
    Dec 18, 2014
    80
    It's one in which Plant makes precious few concessions to what's expected of him, and it's all the richer for it. [Sep 2014, p.92]
    All this publication's reviews
  10. Record Collector
    Sep 17, 2014
    80
    It’s an ethereal, atmospheric set, though the busyness of the band has the occasional tendency to swamp the songs, the singer’s emotive power at its most affecting on the stripped-bare stately piano ballad A Stolen Kiss.
  11. Blurt Magazine
    Sep 16, 2014
    80
    Lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roar is the all-encapsulating masterpiece we all knew Robert Plant the solo artist had in him the entire time.
  12. Mojo
    Sep 12, 2014
    80
    With Lullaby his tricky metamorphosis from Golden God to dignified elder statesman is now complete, and the last stages of that transition make for a rewarding, often touching listen. [Oct 2014, p.84]
    All this publication's reviews
  13. Boston Globe
    Sep 9, 2014
    80
    Plant has glossed all of this as “trance meets Zep,” but it’s more: a kaleidoscope that shows he still has much to say.
  14. Clash Music
    Sep 8, 2014
    80
    A searing, soul-searching jewel.
  15. Under The Radar
    Sep 5, 2014
    80
    A stunning achievement. [Sep/Oct 2014, p.81]
    All this publication's reviews
  16. The Guardian
    Sep 4, 2014
    80
    It all feels striking coming from an artist whose legend is based on a certain bombast. The songs' impact is aided by his hugely impressive backing band, the Sensational Space Shifters.
  17. Q Magazine
    Sep 2, 2014
    80
    A beautifully moving, soul-stirring, bravely genre-blurring album. [Oct 2014, p.111]
    All this publication's reviews
  18. Consequence
    Sep 11, 2014
    75
    After a long life full of wild experiences and devotion to music, it should be no surprise that Plant has produced another album full of clarity and vitality.
  19. Chicago Tribune
    Sep 2, 2014
    75
    The band's debut studio album is more Lullaby than ceaseless roar. As such, it leaves more room for Plant to explore the next time he gets together with this formidable crew.
  20. Sputnikmusic
    Sep 12, 2014
    70
    It’s a bit front-loaded, and not every track will floor you, but it’s definitely the most summative album of Robert Plant’s career.
  21. Pitchfork
    Sep 9, 2014
    70
    If not all of Lullaby’s fusion experiments succeed, there’s enough inspired alchemy here to earn Plant the right to bring it on home.
  22. Drowned In Sound
    Sep 3, 2014
    70
    All together, lullaby and...The Ceaseless Roar seems like the sound of someone musically satisfied, but not in a safe, comfortable way.
  23. PopMatters
    Sep 22, 2014
    60
    On Lullaby, the vocalist and songwriter certainly makes good on that declaration, his refreshing lack of desperation taking shape in a melting pot of Americana, new age and electronic music.
  24. Rolling Stone
    Sep 9, 2014
    60
    It lacks the focused grace of his country experiments, but this much is true: It's Plant's hardest-rocking set in a decade.
  25. The Observer (UK)
    Sep 8, 2014
    60
    It's hard to tell whether this is Plant teasing, or connecting threads, or both. Whatever the truth, his bloody-minded refusal to countenance that Zeppelin reunion continues to yield beguiling new directions.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 32 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 32
  3. Negative: 2 out of 32
  1. exodus9237
    Sep 9, 2014
    9
    Excellent. Robert Plant demonstrates that he's one of the best in the business with a very eclectic and satisfying album. From the pianoExcellent. Robert Plant demonstrates that he's one of the best in the business with a very eclectic and satisfying album. From the piano oriented A Stolen Kiss to the rocker Turn It Up, every song forms part of a whole that Plant crafted very consciously.… Full Review »
  2. RoxanneWalsh
    Apr 16, 2021
    9
    All his solo albums have shown a restless and exploring soul who was searching for something through his music. To follow him has always beenAll his solo albums have shown a restless and exploring soul who was searching for something through his music. To follow him has always been interesting. Has he found it now? If not, he makes the listener feel that he is maybe as close as he can get.
    This is the perfect fusion of his different influences regardless of whether they come from different regions of the world or from different periods of his life. He merges everything into little gems that you can inspect from any side to see (hear) them sparkle. Each new listening to the album will reveal another aspect, this is music to keep and revisit in different moods, it is deep and rich in nuances.    … Full Review »
  3. AxeT
    Jul 21, 2015
    8
    While not quite as good as his last album, this delivers in the forward momentum charge to do new music rather than rely on the epic past likeWhile not quite as good as his last album, this delivers in the forward momentum charge to do new music rather than rely on the epic past like so many other great legends of his generation have done. The expected world music influences and flourishes abound, particularly Arabic in this eclectic mix.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »