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Offend Maggie Image
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 18 Ratings

  • Summary: The latest release from the trio of rockers from San Francisco.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 27
  2. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. Nearly every tune sports a hummable melody--many of them sublime--which makes this album one of the more accessible entries in Deerhoof's willfully strange catalog.
  2. Tastefully fashionable, Saunier's truly grandiose drumming bits serve to keep the listener well entertained while never flagging as the band's backbone; Dieterich, now bolstered by Rodriguez, sharpens the material with catchy guitar riffs; and Matsuzaki's well-timed and particularly soft voice provides plenty of flavor. Never conventional, bordering on the impractical, the formula nevertheless works.
  3. There are no "eureka" moments on Offend Maggie but plenty of small epiphanies.
  4. Mojo
    80
    The surprises keep coming. [Nov 2008, p.108]
  5. Maggie balks at the chance to make your knees go wobbly, keeping its allure strictly intellectual and technical rather than hot-blooded. That ethos isn't going to win a lot of hugs and kisses from fans or non-fans, but Maggie never asks for more than a firm, professional handshake, the kind of appreciation it more than deserves.
  6. It shouldn’t offend, but it might be slow to engage.
  7. Ultimately rewarding for indie enthusiasts up for a challenge, Offend might leave more pedestrian listeners scratching their heads.

See all 27 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. Oct 6, 2012
    10
    Offend Maggie doesn't hit you in the gut the way The Runners Four did, but I think it's every bit as good for different reasons. It's probablyOffend Maggie doesn't hit you in the gut the way The Runners Four did, but I think it's every bit as good for different reasons. It's probably Deerhoof's most carefully composed album, making it richer and more complex. As a result, it rewards repeated listens more than their past releases. They still have the ability to immediately knock your socks off, though; "Jagged Fruit" is one of their best closers (and best songs) to date, and it's the perfect ending to a great album. +50 win points for Deerhoof. Expand

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