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Power
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  • Record Label:
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Power Image
Metascore
72

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

  • Summary: This is the third Dischord release for the Washington, D.C. rockers, who are frequently mentioned next to hyphenated labels such as "post-punk" and "dance-punk."

Top Track

Cool Like Me
May you lead all men into truth May your rays consume this earthly vessel called 'body' Give us the courage to embrace your chaos, for that is the... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. Tiny Mix Tapes
    90
    Overall, the songs are more accessible, with clearer melodies and less discordance. For many bands this would be a misstep, but it turns out that Q & Not U's penchant for the catchy is one of their best assets.
  2. New Musical Express (NME)
    80
    This is the sound of the US underground realising that its message is easier to swallow if it has a smile on its face. [9 Oct 2004, p.56]
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  3. AllMusic
    80
    Even when there are plenty of other bands working in a similar style, Q and Not U remain more distinctive and harder to classify than many of their peers, which makes Power an exciting album and proof that the band has variety and vitality to spare.
  4. The A.V. Club
    70
    Power announces a change from the get-go, fast-forwarding through punk's often-tired gambits and--sometimes tentatively, sometimes with impressive assurance--shimmying around the dance floor with only occasional furtive glances at the exit.
  5. cokemachineglow
    63
    Littering their album with frail songwriting and all but killing off the aggression of their percussion, the band inexplicably jump into ill-advised stylistic misfires---with a few too many missed falsetto notes.
  6. Delusions of Adequacy
    60
    Most of the songs on Power are quite impressive, and a good number are excellent, but there are some songs that were probably better left in the studio.
  7. Dusted Magazine
    50
    We can see Power as a breakthrough provided that we do not think about the DFA, !!! or Out Hud, or Les Savy Fav. Unfortunately, Q and Not U do not have much to add to what those bands have already done.

See all 14 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 1 out of 4
  1. seant
    Aug 12, 2005
    10
    newly discovered vocal harmonies and synth lines add to Q and not U's "post-punk" DC sound well.
  2. NelsonB
    Dec 3, 2004
    10
    An excellent, different offering from the post-punk-dance masters of Q and not U. This songs destroy live, and the cd is plenty fine, and far An excellent, different offering from the post-punk-dance masters of Q and not U. This songs destroy live, and the cd is plenty fine, and far more different than the other crap that's been polluting these genre's of late...… Expand
  4. leem
    Nov 12, 2004
    8
    Power requires, no, screams above a surging cresting instrumental wave to be listened to amidst the rest of the musical dirge that populates Power requires, no, screams above a surging cresting instrumental wave to be listened to amidst the rest of the musical dirge that populates ipods everywhere.… Expand
  5. JamesF
    Nov 2, 2004
    0
    Wish I hadn't spent an hour of my life on it, I want it back.