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Nootropics
by
Nootropics Image
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 20 Ratings

  • Summary: The second album for the Baltimore-based indie rock band led by Jana Hunter was produced Drew Brown.
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  • Record Label: Ribbon Music
  • Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Rock, Indie Folk
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Top Track

Alphabet Song
Man walking forward forever Breaking the bough Finally feels the crush of gravity Imperious design Resignation in the formative appetites For all... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Paste Magazine
    May 2, 2012
    88
    Nootropics, the latest record from Baltimore quintet Lower Dens, connects layered loops and trippy chants with catchy rock 'n' roll arrangements, delivering a pure punch of sonic bliss.
  2. Spin
    May 8, 2012
    80
    Sometimes trance-inducing, sometimes wildly dynamic, the album is a sumptuous, woozy feast that proudly dances on the lines between nirvana and reality.
  3. DIY Magazine
    Apr 27, 2012
    80
    Its refined edges, percussion heavy sounds and understated opulence find the band's sonic landscape revitalised.
  4. Mojo
    Jul 18, 2012
    80
    You're left with the impression that Lower Dens are both big sounding and very clever. [Jun 2012, p.85]
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  5. cokemachineglow
    May 21, 2012
    79
    A welcome new start for this talented band.
  6. Filter
    May 9, 2012
    74
    Largely favoring grayscale tones and sedated sentiment, Lower Dens' highs achieve with an understated ability to evoke emotion.
  7. Q Magazine
    Jun 20, 2012
    60
    It's the vocals of Jana Hunter, an apprentice of freak folk luminary Devendra Banhart, that provides Nootropics' bewitching focal point, the group's gothic meld of gliding guitars and spectral synth noises resembling the Cocteau Twins on a comedown. [Jun 2012, p.107]
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See all 25 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. pandachrist
    May 3, 2012
    10
    This album is a beauty! I get the Beach House and Radiohead comparisons but you can get so much more out of this if you give it a chance. IThis album is a beauty! I get the Beach House and Radiohead comparisons but you can get so much more out of this if you give it a chance. I didn't enjoy the Twin-Hand Movement on first listen but eventually came to love it. Nootropics brings you into a whole different world. I wasn't blown away on first listen but I knew I was listening to something special but I could not pin it down. The more listens you give this baby the more beauty it reveals. Fantastic record!… Expand
  2. jyo_tirmaya
    Jul 10, 2012
    9
    This album is like a Beach House album, but it's "weird" and I like it better. There was something too pretty about Beach house. Lower DEnsThis album is like a Beach House album, but it's "weird" and I like it better. There was something too pretty about Beach house. Lower DEns adds more gothic beauty in their music (and being a goth a decade ago that means a lot). Overall, this album is a strange trip, but one worth taking if you have the guts to do so.… Expand
  4. JBBu
    Jun 14, 2012
    9
    This one of the best of the year so far....with many of the ethereal end of post punk references (early 80's Cocteau Twins, the Cure,This one of the best of the year so far....with many of the ethereal end of post punk references (early 80's Cocteau Twins, the Cure, Breathless, etc.) mixed with contemporary sensibilities, it shines.… Collapse