Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 10
  2. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. A winning combination of hip-hop beats, horns, strings and cinematic soundscapes, the album is spiced with precise scratching and effectively abrupt changes in direction.
  2. Colossal and cinematic, the fourth record from the Herbaliser is a timely achievement in music, a genre-bending statement of creative poignancy.
  3. Alternative Press
    90
    Grooves with uptight downtown funk that's not just for beat freaks. [May 2002, p.88]
  4. Mojo
    80
    One of the most cerebral-yet-groovy hip hop albums you'll hear. [Apr 2002, p.104]
  5. Herbaliser is heavily influenced by American jazz and funk -- and those influences infuse the tracks on their fourth release, Something Wicked This Way Comes with a freshness that hip-hop needs desperately.
  6. This will be one of the best things you'll hear all year.
  7. There are tough, commanding rare grooves, fly spy-thriller tracks, big, daft hip-hop tunes, a brilliant lounge-reggae skank, 'Good Girl Gone Bad', and, in 'The Turnaround', and the 'Apache'-like b-boy break-out, 'Battle Of Bongo Hill', two of the funkiest, party starters you'll hear all year.
  8. The beats are just fine, but they lack the risk or innovation that could potentially make them truly engaging.
  9. Mixer
    60
    Some cuts get too enamored with their own groove to acutally go anywhere. [Apr 2002, p.77]
  10. The Wire
    60
    Poorly sequenced instrumental epics and rap cuts leave Something Wicked sounding disjointed. [#217, p.56]

Awards & Rankings

User Score
tbd

No user score yet- Awaiting 2 more ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. TonyF.
    Jun 7, 2002
    10
    Great playing, arrangements and choice guests like nascent chinese diva Seeming To take the album and their live show to new heights they Great playing, arrangements and choice guests like nascent chinese diva Seeming To take the album and their live show to new heights they have proved they are an awesome force that should finally break into the charts. This album is the best so far from the Herbaliser and they haven't neglected the original followers retaining all the grooves, scratching, rap and cinematic soundscapes with killer horns that put them on the Ninja Tune map in the first place. I look forward to miss To's own band's effort soon on Ninja too. Full Review »