Monomania
by Deerhunter
  • Record Label: 4AD
  • Release Date: May 7, 2013
User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 56 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 56
  3. Negative: 1 out of 56
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  1. Web
    May 8, 2013
    6
    A back-to-basics effort seems logical considering the band's catalog and the relative accessibility of Halcyon Digest. For the most part, they pull it off, particularly when things get guttural, as in the title track, "Neon Junkyard," "Leather Jacket II," "and "Punk (La Vie Anterieure)." Raw jewels, loose and loud and convincing. Complimenting these are the excellent "T.H.M.," a 2/4 jazzyA back-to-basics effort seems logical considering the band's catalog and the relative accessibility of Halcyon Digest. For the most part, they pull it off, particularly when things get guttural, as in the title track, "Neon Junkyard," "Leather Jacket II," "and "Punk (La Vie Anterieure)." Raw jewels, loose and loud and convincing. Complimenting these are the excellent "T.H.M.," a 2/4 jazzy romp showcasing the album's most compelling lyrics; the twangy, whiskey-eyed "Pensacola;" the pensive "Nitebike;" the snake-like "Blue Agent" (showcasing the album's least compelling lyrics). What holds Monomania back are the remaining songs. On its own, guitarist Lockett Pundt's "The Missing" has a soft indie charm, and would have fit nicely in either Halcyon Digest or his own work with Lotus Plaza. But it has no place here, and seems like the accidental inclusion of another band's song after the electricity of the opening tracks. The inclusion of Pundt's song is ultimately excusable due to it's quality. There's still one real problem with this album: "Dream Captain," "Back to the Middle," and "Sleepwalking," are bread and butter pop-rock songs that disappear after a few listens, and the fact that they're nestled among such rough and jagged numbers accentuates their limpness. It's what keeps Monomania from being Deerhunter's most believable record. Cutting those three would have done wonders, but as things stand they're a spritz of cheap perfume that dampens the animality of the edgier stuff Still, the album succeeds in enough ways to push it into "solid" territory, and it's certainly better than a mere continuation of what worked in HD. 6.8/10… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 41 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 41
  3. Negative: 0 out of 41
  1. Delusions of Adequacy
    Jul 9, 2013
    90
    This kind of hunger, this kind of uphill battle and this kind of gritty determination leaks out onto Monomania with tremendous results; the ending fruition is another gleaming winner for Cox and Deerhunter.
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  2. Magnet
    Jun 18, 2013
    90
    Monomania is stacked with track-to-track unshakable, albeit twisted, pop melodies and an atmosphere of unrest that will stick with you between repeated listens. [No.99, p.52]
  3. Record Collector
    Jun 4, 2013
    60
    Monomania retains those same Deerhunter kernels if you’re willing to forage. You might get your fingers grubby, but the fruit, often deep inside the shell, is still delicious.
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