Observatory
by Aeon Station
  • Record Label: Sub Pop
  • Release Date: Dec 10, 2021
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
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  1. otto1494
    Dec 16, 2021
    6
    It's a shame Whelan couldn't have released his solo record without pulling the plug the long promised Wrens release. This sounds like something in between, and suffers for it. It shoots for the magic of the Wrens, but without Bissell, the chemistry isn't there.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. Mojo
    Dec 14, 2021
    60
    The highs of Fade, Queens and Better Love variously recall Arcade Fire and The Flaming Lips in euphoria mode, while the lows plumb eerie depths akin to Big Star's Third. [Feb 2022, p.89]
  2. Pitchfork
    Dec 14, 2021
    76
    A rousing, unabashedly sentimental album that’s even more explicitly about recalibrating fading dreams than its predecessor.
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  3. Uncut
    Dec 10, 2021
    90
    From the yearning opener “Hold On” through to the life-affirming ruckus of “Queens” and “Better Love” and to the final epiphanies in “Alpine Drive”, Observatory is a triumphant expression of resilience in the face of all the hard knocks and harder lessons that fill a life.
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