The Airborne Toxic Event - The Airborne Toxic Event
The Airborne Toxic Event Image
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 42 Ratings

  • Summary: This is the debut album for the Southern California rock quintet.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 11
  2. Negative: 1 out of 11
  1. You'll find an occasionally derivative album that's enthralled with guitar noise, overflowing with lit-mag lyrics, and unafraid to be ugly. It's also sewn through with an endearing passion that screams of potential.
  2. 80
    TATE's debut touches on Stooges garage rock, sultry blues, Strokesian pop, all swaddled in opulent Americana. [Mar 2009, p.87]
  3. 60
    On the album’s best moments, he pours his hopeless longing into sweaty, inebriated celebrations of love’s boundless optimism.
  4. The Airborne Toxic Event is an album that's almost insulting in its unoriginality.

See all 11 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 21
  2. Negative: 4 out of 21
  1. BradP
    10
    Just heard these guys- Can't believe how good they are! I think they are the Best Band this year.. Wouldn't be suprised if they were nominated for a Grammy this year!!! Sometime around Midnight, Gasoline and Innocence are all worthy of Number 1 hits. Collapse
  2. DylanA-C
    8
    TATE is a strong opening album, with catchy and inventive songs, interesting lyrics, and strong musicianship. It really bothers me how Pitchfork seems to be doing its best to drag this album down. I can understand all the other reviews on the site, but Pitchfork's...ah, well... 1. They did NOT steal the drumbeat from Arcade Fire's Neighborhood #1. Frankly, as much as I love Arcade Fire, that song embodies one fo the absolute most generic drum beat possible. Is Arcade Fire stealing from We Are Scientist, then? Are they stealing from the Arctic Monkeys? As a jazz drummer, I was so glad to hear some decent drumming in TATE...not notable for innovation, but not generic, and with enough improvisation to keep me interested and impressed. 2. Emotional vocals are hardly unique to Bright Eyes. 3. Neither is a distorted microphon unique to the Strokes. 4. Accusing TATE of being inspired by success rather than musical talent is based on nothing but angry speculation (and possibly displeasure at TATE's um...success) I could go on, but as all music inevitably borrows from others, I find it odd that Pitchfork accuses of TATE of not giving birth to their own sound...when, by combining certain characteristics of the bands that they "ripped off," they indeed to create their own sound. It is inspiration, not theft. I don't enjoy having to spend a review responding to another, but Pitchfork should not so easily asign a damning value to a decent up-and-coming band. Expand
  3. BobS.
    7
    Like a combination of Modest mouse and the killers, but without the musical genius of either. Strong lyrics, cool guitar riffs, and interesting.
  4. NatM.
    3
    Nothing terribly wrong with this album, but after a few listens really trying to get into it, there's nothing going for it either. I feel like there's really no heart to it. Airborne Toxic Event feel like a band going through the motions. Expand

See all 21 User Reviews