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Painted Ruins
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Painted Ruins Image
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 29 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 93 Ratings

  • Summary: The fifth full-length release for the Brooklyn indie rock quartet was produced by the band member, Chris Taylor.
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Top Track

Mourning Sound
I made a mistake I should have never tried I took the cake Thinning every slice I moved away Still playing off the fights For every day I share our... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. The Skinny
    Aug 15, 2017
    100
    Whilst their run-of-the-mill, dream-pop contemporaries experiment with a range of distortion pedals, this band continue to show that use of every crayon in the box (or, rather, every seat in the orchestra) can create a true masterpiece.
  2. Clash Music
    Aug 14, 2017
    90
    Where three years of agonised, vice-grip creation and destruction preceded Grizzly Bear’s 2012’s multi-dimensional effort ‘Shields’, the five years of space following has worked in their favour--leading to the conception of a creature that breathes confidently with a heavy sense of hyper-ambition in Painted Ruins.
  3. Pretty Much Amazing
    Aug 22, 2017
    83
    Only when you dive in does the beauty reveal itself. Grizzly Bear have never been afraid to expect something of the listener. That’s never been truer than on Painted Ruins.
  4. Q Magazine
    Aug 1, 2017
    80
    A more than a welcome return, Painted Ruins is the album you suspect Grizzly Bear didn't think they'd ever make. [Sep 2017, p.111]
    All this publication's reviews
  5. Magnet
    Aug 15, 2017
    80
    It's sharply focused--and sonically beautiful--but also abstract, with an open-ended feeling to the swooping voices and lyrical ambiguities. [No. 145, p.51]
    All this publication's reviews
  6. Pitchfork
    Aug 18, 2017
    73
    Painted Ruins, cursorily an album about battling demons, can feel a little like prestige music. But there’s this moment at the end--a spot where Grizzly Bear records routinely reach their heights--that reminds listeners that tangible realism can be a necessary counterpoint to the quartet’s impressionism.
  7. Tiny Mix Tapes
    Sep 8, 2017
    40
    With nary an aural step forward from their hitherto records, Painted Ruins ends much in the same way it begins, not with a bang, but with a drone.

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User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. CiphirSol
    Aug 19, 2017
    10
    I really dig what they're doing here, the new elements they've brought into the forefront give the album a real pulse. I'd say it is moreI really dig what they're doing here, the new elements they've brought into the forefront give the album a real pulse. I'd say it is more accessible than Shields but there's no reason that's a bad thing.… Expand
  2. andrewsalgado
    Feb 28, 2018
    10
    I WAsnt keen at first ... hit it is without a doubt their best work. It has such texture and brilliant melodies that maintain listener interest...
  4. thelittlecoon
    Aug 18, 2017
    10
    This might be my favorite album of theirs yet. Every song is fantastic and the album flows really nicely the whole way through. One of theThis might be my favorite album of theirs yet. Every song is fantastic and the album flows really nicely the whole way through. One of the best alternative albums of the year.… Expand
  5. YT_Guyyy
    Aug 18, 2017
    9
    Took me a long time to get to review this album because like all of their albums this is a slow-burner. In the end it's probably the band'sTook me a long time to get to review this album because like all of their albums this is a slow-burner. In the end it's probably the band's best album. I was skeptical based on the singles, but this album really blew out my expectations.

    The band experiment with elements of electronica on the album, with full, electronic soundscapes on songs such as Neighbors. Other than that it's really business as usual. There's not much for fans of the band that could be said to be different other than the experimentation into electronica. The album has the usual beautiful, lush art rock sounds that are featured on every Grizzly Bear album.

    Best songs: Sky Took Hold, Wasted Acres, Mourning Sound, Three Rings, Losing All Sense, Aquarian, Neighbors

    Worst song: Four Cypresses    … Expand
  6. facuronca
    Aug 24, 2017
    9
    Grizzly Bear es una banda que siempre resaltó por su profundidad y rupturas de esquemas en cuanto a lo que bases musicales se refiere.Grizzly Bear es una banda que siempre resaltó por su profundidad y rupturas de esquemas en cuanto a lo que bases musicales se refiere. Sabiendo esto creo que en este último album no modificaron esa idea que, como banda, tuvieron si es que la tuvieron. Me parece que, viendo la increíble como inolvidable obra de arte que fue Shields, dado el tiempo que como fan he tenido que esperar para escuchar nuevas noticias de Ed y compañía, en este nuevo album noto una combinación entre anteriores álbumes de la banda (más precisamente Horn Of Plenty y Veckatimest). De esta forma creo que las nuevas pistas que Painted Ruins nos aportan tienen muchísimo más ritmo, que en el pasado, las primera canciones tuvieron. Me gusta, aunque honestamente esperaba algo un poco más experimental como siempre fueron en la banda, ahora suenan mucho más a indie rock. Mi puntuación es un 9 en comparación de Shields y Horn Of Plenty, que me parecieron un indudable 10 ambos.… Expand
  7. Ricko
    Apr 7, 2020
    8
    Painted Ruins in its own right is a laudable indie pop album. It does different to older Grizzly Bear work in that the songs are relativelyPainted Ruins in its own right is a laudable indie pop album. It does different to older Grizzly Bear work in that the songs are relatively more straightforward and relatively traditional with the emphasis more on melody than experimentation. That said, it still will appeal to fans of their previous work as it still has that distinct sound the band are known for. It's arguably the bands most instant album but also their easiest to forget. One of 2017's most enjoyable releases for me with a great balance of interesting ideas and good tunes. "Mourning Sound" is a highlight, simple enough idea made to sound amazing.… Expand
  8. CPaccini
    Aug 23, 2017
    7
    Grizzly Bear did a stellar job on instrumentation on this project, with immaculate layering and a pleasing pace throughout. However, the slowGrizzly Bear did a stellar job on instrumentation on this project, with immaculate layering and a pleasing pace throughout. However, the slow and rather boring vocal performances on most tracks leave the instrumentals to display the creative vision and carry the project.… Expand

See all 14 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

81
#81 Most Discussed Album of 2017
49
#49 Most Shared Album of 2017

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