Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 9
  2. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Tapestry of Webs makes the band's debut EP seem like forgotten practice demos. Across the board, the album displays acts of jazz, salsa and anti-post-pop (if that's a word), and it all leaves the listener coming back for more.
  2. Though it's a little perverse for the band to bury its explosive moments, it proves that there's more to Past Lives than rehashing the Blood Brothers' legacy. They're still finding their footing on Tapestry of Webs, but they're going interesting places.
  3. Alternative Press
    80
    Past Lives seem poised to avoid various aesthetic dead-ends and the subcultures that foment said traps. It's a trend for listeners to get behind. [Mar 2010, p.94]
  4. Past Lives are prog incarnate; yet dissection of their work here reveals a far simpler formula than what initially presents itself. The four are restricted to some degree by their make-up, with Henderson handling much of the multi-instrumentalist demands, but the ideas are solid.
  5. Tapestry of Webs is a different creature. Jordan Billie’s vocals can still process a scream as well as anyone, but there’s a newfound fondness for melody audible in these songs. When melodies do crop up, however, it’s less likely to inspire bliss than to accentuate the ominous mood sustained over these dozen songs. There’s a post-punk minimalism and a no-wave crash-and-burn spirit on display here.
  6. They show the beginnings of great ideas in almost every song, and a few get the full treatment and stay great all the way through. The good songs are very enjoyable, the rest of the album is, unfortunately, pretty forgettable.
  7. Tapestry of Webs is an encouraging, welcome surprise-- a clear sign that the musicians involved are pushing themselves and searching for something new.
  8. While there’s no denying that Tapestry of Webs sounds like the work of accomplished, seasoned musicians, it’s occasionally a bit too unassuming for its own good.
  9. With Tapestry of Webs, Past Lives prove how musicians spawned from relatively constrictive sonic bloodlines, like hardcore, can eventually produce something that's different, yet equally penetrating.

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