Past Life Martyred Saints
by EMA
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 34 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 34
  3. Negative: 4 out of 34
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  1. dartagnan
    Dec 14, 2011
    10
    while others seem more enamored by "milkman" the song that sold me was "greyship" powerful and poignant. I'm not going to pretend I know what the album is about i don't I do know that no matter how earnest an album is the most important element is the strength of the melodies and they are as strong as a viking.
  2. lilbilly
    Jul 6, 2011
    9
    This is simply an excellent album, with haunting lyrics, and mostly minimal instrumentation. My only problem with it is that is a little short. But if you are a fan of alternative music, I recommend you pick this up as fast as possible.
  3. RobertoReis
    Jan 21, 2012
    9
    EMA's debut album is one of the finest releases of 2011. It has everything to become a sort of classic in the following years. Every single song is crafted with sentiment and depth.
  4. hydrawithears
    Oct 2, 2011
    8
    Whenever I listen to EMA, Anna Calvi comes to my mind. The two singers have a lot in common: they both have released their debut albums this year, each of them touches on dark matters, even the LP covers are somehow similar. Finally, they both rock. EMAâ

Awards & Rankings

83
#83 Best Album of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Expert Witness (MSN Music)
    Feb 2, 2012
    83
    Insofar as she pretends her willful pose is the holy truth, she's annoying. What saves that pose is the willful power of a presentation less Courtney Love or Chan Marshall than PJ Harvey.
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  2. BBC Music
    Nov 30, 2011
    70
    As an album, a glorious rawness and disregard for verse-chorus-verse simplicity runs throughout, but it strains for cohesion.
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  3. cokemachineglow
    Aug 8, 2011
    80
    The most intense moments in Past Life Martyred Saints are evocative enough to drag you back through your own most overblown emotional crises, but when the buzz fades, you are plopped back into the halcyon present, strangely empty.
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