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Play - Moby
Metascore
84 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 20 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
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  1. Village Voice (Consumer Guide)
    100
    But though the blues and gospel and more gospel testify not just for song but for body and spirit, they wouldn't shout anywhere near as loud and clear without the mastermind's ministrations--his grooves, his pacing, his textures, his harmonies, sometimes his tunes...
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    91
    What could've been a condescending gimmick yields some of the year's most haunting, and haunted, music.
  3. E! Online
    91
    Unlike so many other cut-and-paste experiments, this actually sounds like music and not a clever science project.
  4. All Music Guide
    90
    Moby shows himself back in the groove after a long hiatus, balancing his sublime early sound with the breakbeat techno evolution of the '90s.
  5. CDNow
    90
    Although it may appear frantic, Play is an eclectic and coherent work where Moby accesses an array of sounds from his milieu of influences.
  6. Armchair DJ
    90
    The most consistently lovely album of his career.
  7. Austin Chronicle
    89
    Much of Play sounds like it was beamed directly from planet Sad Guy, but it's far and away Moby's most cohesive and affecting work to date.
  8. Almost Cool
    80
    It's a fun, varied excursion.
  9. New Musical Express (NME)
    80
    In ploughing a unique furrow in pop music, he demands your enjoyment as much as your respect.
  10. Q Magazine
    80
    Play's inventiveness will restore his reputation as a puck-like, maverick talent.
  11. Rolling Stone
    80
    The ebb and flow of eighteen concise, contrasting cuts writes a story about Moby's beautifully conflicted interior world while giving the outside planet beats and tunes on which to groove.
  12. MTV.com
    80
    It's a well-thought-out, catchy, and complex body-rocker of a record from beginning to end, with only one or two minor missteps.
  13. Salon.com
    80
    On his cunningly crafted CD, the restless techno composer cleverly constructs a bridge between electronic dance music and the black Southern styles that form the basis of most American rock and pop.
  14. Launch.com
    80
    At the risk of once again alienating fans--as well as purists who may consider this treading on sacred ground--Moby has taken another set of disparate influences and "translated" them into a futuristic language that's all his own.
  15. Splendid
    80
    This time out, Moby manages to establish himself not only as a talented multi-instrumentalist and genre-jumper, but as someone who can write interesting songs in a variety of genres -- a point he's missed in the past.
  16. The A.V. Club
    80
    His most accessible, mature work to date.
  17. Village Voice
    80
    A perfect blend of sacred and secular--exactly what Moby's been looking for all along.
  18. Nude As The News
    70
    Unfortunately, the last third of the CD isn’t nearly as good as the first two-thirds.
  19. Sonicnet
    60
    Play is a modest, charming little record built on a few simple ideas, and a winner on its own low-key terms: Moby has made the first electronic blues album.
  20. Pitchfork
    50
    In short, it's fun and functional, yet disposable.
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.0 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 37 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 17
  3. Negative: 3 out of 17
  1. Ricko
    8
    Groundbreaking might be a bit OTT, but this album really brought dance and ambience tracks to the mainstream in a major way. It's got a lot of great tracks on it, however there are a few tracks that just crawl along and don't really serve any purpose as far as I can hear. Every other track on this seems to have been either features in some film, tv show or advert. Fans of the X files will recognise "The Sky is Broken" and "My Weakness" from some of the later episodes. Natural Blues, Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad and Porcelain and instantly recognisable.… Full Review »
  2. AN
    8
    A strong CD, with some of the most unique, catchy songs I've ever heard. Still, even with all of the acclaim it's gotten, I doubt anyone would have complained if a couple of the ambient tracks had been replaced with some more of the clever gospel/techno seen at the start (which also contributes to the album's front-loaded issue). Still, the majority of the tracks are strong, as is much of the ambient, and it turns out to be a shining example of experimentation gone right.… Full Review »
  3. AlexK
    8
    Any review that uses the word "advertising" to sum up this album (excluding this one, obviously) should be disregarded. To judge an album purely on a populist basis is unfair. While Moby brought his music to a much wider audience by licensing it to ad execs, much smaller bands and artists are doing the same using MySpace. Same intention, but simply different means and different scale, and Moby shouldn't be criticised for it. This is a seminal album, one that properly transcended genres and one which - rough edges and all - managed to prove that anyone with a sampler and a keyboard can't blame their equipment for making poor music.… Full Review »
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