Open Season
by British Sea Power
User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 38 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38

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  1. SeamusS
    Apr 7, 2006
    10
    A Beautiful Kind Of Effort That Lifts You Away From Where Ever You Are. Alive Beautiful Amazing
  2. PeterD
    Apr 5, 2005
    10
    I just hate anyone that doesn't like this album. They have no soul.
  3. JakeF
    Apr 7, 2005
    10
    It's the greatest work of art since......... the last BSP album!
  4. DaveD
    Sep 10, 2009
    10
    Absolutely outstanding album. Brimming with beautiful imagery and stunning settings, the album has a real epic quality.
  5. DuffMan
    Apr 4, 2005
    10
    An album of explicit beauty.
  6. LA
    Apr 29, 2005
    10
    excellent from start to end
  7. LaurenH
    Apr 4, 2005
    10
    This is a fantastic, near-perfect follow up. Larsen B!
  8. DoubtingThomas
    Jun 3, 2005
    10
    A great young band who carry forward the spirit once exuded by Brit pop stalwarts Echo & The Bunnymen, Julian Cope, and The Smiths.
  9. TJS
    Oct 15, 2007
    10
    An excellent album. More mellow than their first effort, but more mature as well. The song "Please Stand Up" should have had major play on radio stations all across the world. And the world would have been a better place because of it. A shame it didn't happen. Look forward to their next release.
  10. DavidG
    Apr 8, 2005
    9
    Quality album - trying to be different to "the decline of...", which is appreciated. "Please stand up" and "The land beyond" are highlights for me at the moment.
  11. jimmyp
    May 13, 2005
    9
    fuck yeah!!!!!
  12. davem
    May 31, 2005
    9
    What a great second album, rounded and bulked up the sound of there music, which is a nice exstension to their music.stand out tracks -first 4 and the last 7! great - north hanging rock what a beaut
  13. honzau
    Jul 2, 2005
    9
    Excellent album!! Smooth, melodic, mellow, poppy, sometimes nicely calm, just awesome.
  14. donnayfoo
    Apr 4, 2005
    9
    Having been listening the leaked album for weeks I can say that this is a very subtle album. It sounds very samey at first but after a few weeks of listening, like all good albums its many intricate hooks grab hold of you.
  15. D.S.
    Apr 4, 2005
    8
    Excellent sophomore album. Anyone who's a fan of atmospheric, intelligent, slightly unsettling rock should check this band out. Far more passionate and energizing than most of their peers and far more interesting than those other Brit bands we're told to love (Franz, Bloc, Kaiser et al).
  16. MichaelA
    Apr 7, 2005
    8
    It's nice to see a band pulling from the early '80s new-wave explosion rather than exploiting it a-la Killers and Franz Ferdinand. I was a fan of the debut, but I am glad to see their melodic and textural prowess really stepped up a notch. This is a much more subtle album, and strangely, much more rewarding. The melodies are breathtaking but simple. "Please Stand Up" and "The It's nice to see a band pulling from the early '80s new-wave explosion rather than exploiting it a-la Killers and Franz Ferdinand. I was a fan of the debut, but I am glad to see their melodic and textural prowess really stepped up a notch. This is a much more subtle album, and strangely, much more rewarding. The melodies are breathtaking but simple. "Please Stand Up" and "The Land Beyond" are brilliant, summery anthems.… Expand
  17. MusicMaven
    Apr 12, 2005
    8
    A notch below their debut album, but still very good indeed. They've definitely toned down their hard edge -- nothing on Open Season rocks as hard as "Apologies To Insect Life" or even "Remember Me" from the first album. While I do miss them rocking out a bit, they've come up with some great melodies over which to sing their paeans to love, nature, and arctic ice shelves. My A notch below their debut album, but still very good indeed. They've definitely toned down their hard edge -- nothing on Open Season rocks as hard as "Apologies To Insect Life" or even "Remember Me" from the first album. While I do miss them rocking out a bit, they've come up with some great melodies over which to sing their paeans to love, nature, and arctic ice shelves. My personal favorites at the moment are "Oh Larsen B" and "Please Stand Up" which may be their best track yet.… Expand
  18. Ricko
    Oct 27, 2014
    8
    BSP have a nice spacey brand of indie rock, often reminding me of how Pulp would sound without their charismatic frontman. "Open Season" is definitely a grower. On the surface we have 11 reasonably straightforward guitar driven tracks, however repeated listens to the record allows it to unfold into something much more detailed. For the most part, the album has a distinct feel to it - veryBSP have a nice spacey brand of indie rock, often reminding me of how Pulp would sound without their charismatic frontman. "Open Season" is definitely a grower. On the surface we have 11 reasonably straightforward guitar driven tracks, however repeated listens to the record allows it to unfold into something much more detailed. For the most part, the album has a distinct feel to it - very spacey and chilled out. Having said this, there is always an anthemic feel to the songs. "Please Stand Up" is my favourite track on the album but there are plenty of other highlights accompanying it. Well worth checking out… Expand
  19. KumikoR
    Apr 4, 2005
    7
    I've just listened this once and a bit dissapointed because even though this is a good album it lacked the impact of the first album. Personally I prefer the songs like "Please Stand Up" and "North Hanging Rock" as they successfully recreate the atmosphere of The Decline, which made the band so special. In comparison to those, opening songs sound too pop & easy-listening.
  20. ChrisC
    Apr 5, 2005
    7
    They are good at writing nice pop-rock sounds, but they don't really stand out in any particular way. And the fact that the instrumentation sounds like Coldplay doesn't help that fact, since Coldplay writes better songs over that music.
  21. JohnR
    Apr 6, 2005
    7
    Doesn't quite reach their first record, this one still has a handful of stellar tracks. A little samey through the middle third, but a solid disc nonetheless.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. cokemachineglow
    72
    It’s a good record, and doesn’t try to recreate The Decline, but it doesn’t manage to capture its energy, fear and grandeur.
    Read full review
  2. Rolling Stone
    70
    The first few songs are so jaw-slackeningly great, it can take days to get to the album's highlight, the epic eight-minute medley of "Please Stand Up" and "North Hanging Rock."
    Read full review
  3. The Guardian
    90
    It's a triumphant lesson in sweeping gracefully towards the mainstream with your imagination and mystery intact.
    Read full review
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