So Divided
by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 45 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 45
  3. Negative: 7 out of 45

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  1. DavidW
    Dec 22, 2006
    9
    Trail of Dead have jumped the shark? I thought the phrase "jumped the shark" had jumped the shark. I'm not even sure Tom knows what that saying means. So, TOD are after a different sound than the post-punk indie fare that earned them an emphatic fanbase. Well, fine with me. This is a band that has always written and arranged with a sense of adventure and novelty. And this album Trail of Dead have jumped the shark? I thought the phrase "jumped the shark" had jumped the shark. I'm not even sure Tom knows what that saying means. So, TOD are after a different sound than the post-punk indie fare that earned them an emphatic fanbase. Well, fine with me. This is a band that has always written and arranged with a sense of adventure and novelty. And this album continues to reveal a band with no desire to please any petty indie kids or Pitchfork's dumbass schoolyard mentality. Anyway, this album really rewards an open mind and multiple listens. I don't expect everyone to like it, but I'm particularly irritated with reviews that maintain this album is some terrible mess or sellout. It's melodic, adventerous, dynamic, and interested in new possibilties. I wish far more albums could be described that way, yet most everything I hear is more fashion statement that genuine musical expression. Sure, the album contains a few missteps, but so does The White Album, Led Zeppelin II, or whatever other classic album you could name. The better albums will take risks, and even negative reviews should be pitched in a way that encourages that kind of risk rather than crying about it.… Expand
  2. NelsonD
    Dec 5, 2006
    9
    Very good album by THE TRAIL OF DEAD and very bad review by STYLUS MAGAZINE.
  3. kevink
    Jan 9, 2007
    7
    I would give this a 7 compared to World's Apart. I thought World's was their best cd yet. The lastest one has some great tracks but like others have said, doesn't have much heart in it. Maybe it just takes a few listens to get the feel of it but it's still a little droning.
  4. AlexK.
    Nov 15, 2006
    8
    I'm baffled by the lukewarm responses that critics have been shelling out for So Divided. This album is certainly an improvement over the horrendous Worlds Apart, and returns to the grandiosity of Source Tags & Codes. While ST&C was anthemic in all stages of the record, So Divided is more eclectic in tone, with many songs sounding unlike anything ToD has done before. "Sunken Dreams", I'm baffled by the lukewarm responses that critics have been shelling out for So Divided. This album is certainly an improvement over the horrendous Worlds Apart, and returns to the grandiosity of Source Tags & Codes. While ST&C was anthemic in all stages of the record, So Divided is more eclectic in tone, with many songs sounding unlike anything ToD has done before. "Sunken Dreams", the final track, is one of the best closers I've ever heard.… Expand
  5. TylerA
    Nov 20, 2006
    10
    A cohesive concept record about the loss of artistic confidence. All of the songs sound like they are performed by different bands, but the lyrical narrative makes them a unified bunch.
  6. AdamE
    Dec 9, 2006
    9
    So Divided is a bold, brave step forward, displaying Trail of Dead's dedication to making the music they want, exploring and pushing the limits of what they are and what their music can be. I'm slightly concerned that in the last 2 days 2 reviews have been added by Metacritic with scores of 50 (Popmatters) and 49 (cokemachineglow) while reviews of 8 out of 10 (NME) 80% (Filter) So Divided is a bold, brave step forward, displaying Trail of Dead's dedication to making the music they want, exploring and pushing the limits of what they are and what their music can be. I'm slightly concerned that in the last 2 days 2 reviews have been added by Metacritic with scores of 50 (Popmatters) and 49 (cokemachineglow) while reviews of 8 out of 10 (NME) 80% (Filter) 4 out of 5 (AP), and others have not - to be fair, Spin and Q have given the album 3 out of 5, and MOJO gave it a 2 out of 5. I just hope that there's no bias at work here, as one of the things I love about this site is its impartiality.… Expand
  7. AlexK
    Nov 15, 2006
    10
    Being a Trail Of Dead fan from the start of their career I have enjoyed all the twists and turns the band has taken throughout each new release. Granted some I enjoy more than others but there isn
  8. [Anonymous]
    Nov 16, 2006
    10
    amazing!
  9. SeanG
    Nov 16, 2006
    9
    ...Trail of Dead have combined many of their strengths to put together a great mix of songs. I'm glad to see the band has continued to push the envelope and experiment with their sound, even though they have been heavily critisized for departing the sound that got them recognized on their earlier albums.
  10. Johnathan
    Nov 23, 2006
    10
    This CD is one of the most brilliantly arranged recordings I've heard in a while. Very pretty melodies and deep lyrics. I am not surprised by many of the bad reviews. Most people are idiots. Remember the average IQ in this country is 100. That means that HALF the people must be below 100 to balance out all those ABOVE 100. Most reviews talk about Source Tags and Codes. It was a great This CD is one of the most brilliantly arranged recordings I've heard in a while. Very pretty melodies and deep lyrics. I am not surprised by many of the bad reviews. Most people are idiots. Remember the average IQ in this country is 100. That means that HALF the people must be below 100 to balance out all those ABOVE 100. Most reviews talk about Source Tags and Codes. It was a great album. So was "Aftermath" by The Rolling Stones, but there were a whole bunch a people that hated "Exile on Main Street" when that came out. Like I sadi people are IDIOTS. They want the same shit played over and over and over and over. Everything on the radio sounds the same. Indie rock sounds the same. Same mic placements for recording drums and guitars. Same fucking voices. same fucking clothes on all the rock stars. Like I said, I'm not surprised that people didn't like this album. People actually care what pitchfork tells them. All the bad reviews are from just a bunch of small IQ, sheep that wish they could play in a band as cool as Trail of Dead. I am seeing them in Portland in a few weeks and I will be on the front row.… Expand
  11. AndyG
    Nov 13, 2006
    10
    Wow. This record just feels classic. A much different album than anything they've put out, but just as good, if not better than anything they've done. Forget whatever flavor of the month critics are shining up this month, this record wipes the floor with them all. Trail of Dead just made the record of the year.
  12. JoeI
    Nov 15, 2006
    10
    I really don't know if the critics have listened to the same record I have because I find So Divided to be grand, majestic and melodic. Sure, it's not as noisy as Source Codes but this feels to me like a mature and powerful recording that focuses on Trail of Dead's unique, haunting and beautiful melodies. Highly recommended.
  13. SeanC
    Nov 22, 2006
    7
    This album sounds like AYWKUBTTOTD did tributes to some bands that they heard in the past. You can probably pair up the artists to the songs they sound like on this album. Maybe they got caught in a car with the Cure on the stereo. And what is with Naked Sun sounding like Rocky Mountain High by that guy from the Eagles. Great art work, too bad you guys didn't like the UK, (can't This album sounds like AYWKUBTTOTD did tributes to some bands that they heard in the past. You can probably pair up the artists to the songs they sound like on this album. Maybe they got caught in a car with the Cure on the stereo. And what is with Naked Sun sounding like Rocky Mountain High by that guy from the Eagles. Great art work, too bad you guys didn't like the UK, (can't really blame you), please, turn up the ROCK! Worlds Apart started with driving guitars and never stopped. I forgot to breath, damn. Still cannot wait to see them live however.… Expand
  14. S.FoxxF
    Nov 23, 2006
    9
    Ambitious, grandiose and beautiful. It shows maturity and growth compared to Source Tags by embracing pop melody (definite echoes of the Beatles at points). The criticisms seem to be lodged at their reputation and the fact that it's a different sound rather than the fact that it's a well-crafted album.
  15. BillyK
    Dec 21, 2006
    9
    I thought Worlds Apart was a fantastic evolution of their sound, and So Divided continues down that same path with even better results. "Wasted State of Mind" and "Stand in Silence" are impossible to get out of your head. The beautiful and unexpected falsetto in "Witches Web", the layers in that Guided By Voices cover...just an awesome album. I hope they keep recording.

Awards & Rankings

16
#16 Most Shared Album of 2006

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
68

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 31
  3. Negative: 1 out of 31
  1. The Boston Phoenix
    75
    [It] depends less on the band’s gear-smashing antics than on their sense of tunecraft, which isn’t as highly developed.
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  2. NOW Magazine
    60
    While they may never reach the heights of their Source Tags & Codes, the band can still push boundaries.
    Read full review
  3. Village Voice
    60
    As with most things Trail of Dead, it's bloated where it thinks it's profound.
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