Buy Now
| Buy on |
|
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
-
Modern Rituals feels like an encouraging first draft, waiting for the distinctive touches that would complete it.
-
Musically, the song structures are as bog-standard as Britpop, the lyrics constantly teeter on the edge of nonsense, while the lack of any real change in style save for rotating the guy on vocals means the tracks continue to merge into one another even after a few listens.
-
The transcontinental breadth of the band's influences keeps Chief from coming across as pallid piggybackers of any one scene, but for a group that hasn't yet demonstrated an ability to nail down a particular sound, keeping so many balls in the air could be stretching its talents too thin.
-
Earnest, melodic, and slow to unfold, there's not a bad song on here, but surprises are few and far between.
-
Chief could learn something from fellow California nostalgics Best Coast: Atmosphere is great, but so are sprightliness and hooks.
-
It's as if Chief wanted to sound as grand as possible, but by wanting to do too much, they ultimately end up accomplishing very little. This is catchy, easy-going stuff; but the obvious and at times, plaintive feel of the record doesn't exactly beg for repeated spins.
-
UncutPleasant enough, but The Magic Numbers do this stuff for warm-ups. [Sep 2010, p.87]
-
Q MagazineThere's a late sunburst of sweet vocal harmonies and folk rock riffs on closing track Night And Day, but it's not enough to save this dreary album. [Oct 2010, p.104]