Marks to Prove It
by The Maccabees
  • Record Label: Caroline
  • Release Date: Jul 31, 2015
Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
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  1. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Jul 29, 2015
    90
    The quintet have honed in on their strengths and produced their most concise and assured release to date.
  2. PopMatters
    Aug 24, 2015
    80
    Marks to Prove It proves that the Maccabees are proper masters of their musicianly craft.
  3. DIY Magazine
    Jul 31, 2015
    80
    This is not a perfectly crafted album; instead, it’s an incredibly human one.
  5. The Independent (UK)
    Jul 31, 2015
    80
    Marks to Prove It sounds more like a band, with songs reached by trial and error and group arbitration, not by notation. It’s there right from the opening bars of the title-track.
  6. Clash Music
    Jul 29, 2015
    80
    Marks to Prove It is the most cohesive offering from the Maccabees to date.
  7. Mojo
    Jul 28, 2015
    80
    The overall sense is of a spirited and inventive band truly coming into their own. [Sep 2015, p.87]
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  8. The Line of Best Fit
    Jul 27, 2015
    80
    It’s the same but slightly more so. Solid and satisfying.
  9. Drowned In Sound
    Jul 27, 2015
    80
    With Marks to Prove It, The Maccabees have created a record of gritty intimacy. While there are moments of astonishing beauty (the sizzling brass and ethereal vocals of ‘Dawn Chorus’ is one of many examples), true intimacy means getting close to something, often in spite of its flaws.
  10. New Musical Express (NME)
    Jul 27, 2015
    80
    It’s a beautifully crafted album, with Orlando’s lyrics their strongest ever.
  11. AllMusic
    Aug 7, 2015
    70
    Overall, Marks to Prove It feels a bit anxious, but that's not necessarily to its detriment, and four LPs in, the Maccabees are still making smart and sophisticated Brit guitar rock.
  12. Uncut
    Jul 28, 2015
    70
    They're at their best when they dial down the melodrama. [Sep 2015, p.77]
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 21 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 21
  3. Negative: 1 out of 21
  1. indierokdunstop
    Jan 29, 2016
    10
    In a year of incredible albums, Tame Impala's 'Currents' and Wolf Alice's 'My Love is Cool' to name a couple, The Maccabees still managed toIn a year of incredible albums, Tame Impala's 'Currents' and Wolf Alice's 'My Love is Cool' to name a couple, The Maccabees still managed to become the highlight of the bunch in my opinion. The lyrics have developed from previous albums making this album mean so much more. From the punchy opening title track followed by the slick riffs of 'Kamakura' and 'Spit it Out' to the dreamy closure of the album through 'Pioneering Systems' and 'Dawn Chorus', Marks to Prove it is a masterpiece which takes top marks from me.… Full Review »
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