New Material
by Preoccupations
Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
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  1. Exclaim
    Apr 2, 2018
    60
    New Material's subjects are too broad for incisive commentary, and its themes of disenfranchisement and helplessness are played too straight for dark comedy. Ultimately, it's about as expressive as those one-word titles would suggest.
  2. The 405
    Mar 23, 2018
    60
    None of the tracks on New Material could fit any such textbook definition of "bad". It’s stylistically inconsistent and at times bafflingly chaotic, but each track has a certain quality that defines Preoccupations as a willingly evolutionary band.
  3. Q Magazine
    Mar 22, 2018
    60
    The whole thing might be like travelling back to a nightclub in Leeds in 1983 but it's executed with a gloomy elan that allows you to forgive its occasional silliness. [May 2018, p.112]
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  5. Sputnikmusic
    Mar 23, 2018
    58
    New Material is an album that achieves a lot, but accepts failure as an option and takes it with a begrudging grace. So much can be made out of the stories told in the album's songs, but with the general lack of ideas, the role of the doomsayer is running its course for Preoccupations.
  6. Under The Radar
    Mar 26, 2018
    45
    New Material is certainly not more than the sum of its parts, which causes problems for a band that thrives on the whole, rather than moments of individual magic. It leaves much of New Material ambling by.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. lulabymusic
    May 19, 2018
    9
    ____ Aesthetic post-punk, which contains elements of art-rock, synth-pop and industrial, where against the background of rumbling bass lines,____ Aesthetic post-punk, which contains elements of art-rock, synth-pop and industrial, where against the background of rumbling bass lines, synth splashes and a variety of percussion parts, dreamy vocals by Matt Flegel. In the tracks of "New Material" you can catch the influences of bands like JoyDivision, The Cure and Depeche Mode, but Mat's voice returns to the fact that it's a band that performs their music here and now named Preoccupations. It sounds convincing, consistent and tempting.
    ____ Preemptive staff, pretentious sound.
    ​    … Full Review »
  2. jlhoftie
    Mar 23, 2018
    10
    In similar fashion to previous albums, Preoccupations create atmospheric, thought-provoking pieces that toe the line of art rock. AlthoughIn similar fashion to previous albums, Preoccupations create atmospheric, thought-provoking pieces that toe the line of art rock. Although New Material is a more melodic addition to their repertoire, it still achieves the same synth-driven existential inquisition that fans have come to love.… Full Review »
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