Summer 08
by Metronomy
Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
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  1. Record Collector
    Aug 12, 2016
    60
    So the album remains a solo project, despite the welcome input from Robyn on Hang Me Out To Dry. The duet hints at how human Metronomy can sound when more life is squirted onto their palette.
  2. The Guardian
    Jun 30, 2016
    60
    The 808-rattling Old Skool is playful stuff, but the best moments seem more wistfully personal.
  3. Q Magazine
    Jun 29, 2016
    60
    Ultimately, with its emphasis on synths and beats over the sterling melodies of Love Letters, Summer 08 ends up coming over like a stopgap offering--or a Joe Mount solo record--rather than the next Metronomy album proper. However, those who miss the slightly demented groves of the pre-fame Metronomy are advised to dive in. [Aug 2016, p.112]
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  5. The Independent (UK)
    Jun 29, 2016
    60
    It’s a weird one, mysterious and mildly menacing, but eerily engaging nonetheless.
  6. Mojo
    Jun 28, 2016
    60
    This album isn't shy, but the jittery electro-pomp and lyrical cleverness can feel off-puttingly arch. [Aug 2016, p.90]
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  7. Consequence
    Jun 30, 2016
    50
    After starting strong, Summer 08 fizzles out, much like a failed night on the town.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 28 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 28
  3. Negative: 1 out of 28
  1. Scratch
    Dec 29, 2016
    5
    While a few of the tracks are definitely worth listening to, Summer 08 is what happens when you give an architect their old tools back, onlyWhile a few of the tracks are definitely worth listening to, Summer 08 is what happens when you give an architect their old tools back, only to find out they've forgotten how to use them. The nostalgic sounds of Metronomy from days past are there, but feel almost forced together to make songs that feel soulless and are straight up unpleasant.… Full Review »
  2. thebassline
    Aug 19, 2016
    7
    Summer 08 is somewhat of a sharp turn conceptually for Joseph Mount, the mastermind behind London-based act Metronomy. Originally started as aSummer 08 is somewhat of a sharp turn conceptually for Joseph Mount, the mastermind behind London-based act Metronomy. Originally started as a one-man bedroom project, Metronomy had gradually transitioned to being a live band, with matching clothes and band members appearing in music videos. However, eight years of touring since the release of 2008’s Nights Out have taken their toll on Mount; having recently become father, he decided to sidestep this career for a period of time. Instead, he locked himself up in a studio near Paris and recorded an entire album alone. An obsessively self-referential album, Summer 08 not only serves as a goodie to Metronomy’s fans during his live hiatus, but also seems to have brought out a pronounced sentiment of nostalgia in his work.

    Revolving around his last summer of ferocious nights of partying and cultivating short-lived flings and romances, Summer 08 is a transitional record in that it not only hangs in an awkward spot in the career of Metronomy, but also revisits tropes and motifs that were previously elaborated on in Mount’s past work, notably afromentioned Nights Out and 2011’s The English Riviera: Tracks like “Mick Slow” and “Summer Jam” feature Mount’s brassyy warbling synthesizers. Elsewhere, the bobbling bass lines that made The English Riviera so unbelievably groovy resurface on the more upbeat cuts from this album. The parallels go down to very specific production decisions, as in “My House”, where a funky chorus bass directly references a very similar line from “She Wants”. As skillfully as Mount employs his vast repertoire of trademark sounds, it is bound to attract unfavourable comparisons from long-time fans, who will rightfully claim that Metronomy, at this point, are stagnating sonically and creatively.

    In a way, Summer 08 explores two distinct sentiments that coincide with different phases in Mount’s life. One part of the album indulges in a blithe goofiness, as in opener “Back Together”, where Mount – perhaps jokingly – duets with himself in a dialogue about scheduling a date with a new-found love interest. He manages to impersonate quite a bit of variety in tones, both lyrically and in terms of singing: weepiness (“Miami Logic”), mockery (“I’ve got silver and signet ring / From night climbing and fine dining” , “Old Skool”), infatuation (”The way you taunt me / Must be wet softly” , ”16 Beat”). However, around centerpiece “Hang Me out to Dry”, a duet with Swedish singer Robyn, the album takes a turn and the atmosphere shifts noticeably, introducing a much more bitter-sweet and introspective note. Robyn and Mount shed light on the more mundane and unpleasant aspects of adolescent love – “Monday night, running late, getting you from your parents' place / In and out, to the show, trying to fix the radio”. When Mount sings “I remember first night out, let the dance now / Flower shaking in my hands now / Trying to give you something more than / The other ones who came before me” , the feelings of juvenile self-doubt he evokes not only contrast with the careless banter in the earlier tracks; for the first time, the sincerity in his voice seems genuine.    … Full Review »
  3. Muddsjr
    Aug 14, 2016
    8
    Summer 08 feels like Metronomy's most darkly complete, and complex album. The simplistic 80s sound and coy lyricism allow for more fascinationSummer 08 feels like Metronomy's most darkly complete, and complex album. The simplistic 80s sound and coy lyricism allow for more fascination to shine through as the music takes you to dim, melancholic atmospheres. It's their most well intentioned and convincing album yet.… Full Review »
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