The Color Spectrum
by The Dear Hunter
Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
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  1. AllMusic
    Jun 14, 2011
    70
    Despite being from different albums, the songs all work together remarkably well, giving the album the kind of natural flow that one expects from an album, never giving away the fact that the songs are all from different EPs.
  2. PopMatters
    Sep 15, 2011
    80
    While it's unclear whether The Dear Hunter will finish the final three acts of its previous story, it serves us all well that a break was taken in the form of The Color Spectrum, an album that has set the bar this year for thoughtful, experimental music.
  3. Alternative Press
    Jun 9, 2011
    80
    Even though the delineation among colors at times seems a bit arbitrary and difficult to differentiate, The Color Spectrum stands up surprisingly well as a companion disc. [Jul 2011, p.111]
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  5. Sputnikmusic
    Feb 1, 2012
    80
    One of 2011's premier releases in alternative rock.
  6. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Jun 13, 2011
    89
    What's fascinating about The Color Spectrum (and easily comparable to a contemporary like The Alchemy Index) is how expansive the quality of the records are in their execution.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.8

Universal acclaim- based on 19 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 19
  3. Negative: 1 out of 19
  1. everlastall
    Mar 19, 2012
    10
    Awesomely ambitious. Of course you'll find you favorite eps of colors, but all of them sound great and fit within their respective genres andAwesomely ambitious. Of course you'll find you favorite eps of colors, but all of them sound great and fit within their respective genres and styles of music from progressive, rock, electric, acoustic and orchestral. There's something for everyone and for fans there's everything they've been looking for.… Full Review »
  2. knyn214
    Jul 11, 2011
    10
    This album is an absolute triumph. I was a tad apprehensive at first, expecting their departure from the overarching story lines and themesThis album is an absolute triumph. I was a tad apprehensive at first, expecting their departure from the overarching story lines and themes of their previous albums to be as scattered and shoddy as Casey's pre-Act 1 demo (Dear Ms. Leading), but I was far more than pleasantly surprised. Each song seems to me a small dose of audio-visual synesthesia, in that I can literally visualize the colors being played and sung by the Casey and his not-so-sunshine...y-band . Staying true to form, the album is a little on the over-dramatic side; but any playful, albeit hardcore, whimsy is off-set and more than made up for by the sheer brilliance of the musical, lyrical, and orchestral arrangements laid before and behind it. I cannot recommend this album to those people who have yet to stumble upon the Dear Hunter, for it would be a very bad idea to jump in here. The band has grown a lot since Casey started it as a side project while he was still an integral member of REOS, and witnessing the culmination of that metamorphosis and growth adds to the magical quality of this album. On it's own, this album is a work of immense talent and time; but contextualized properly, it is a revelation. Start from the beginning, but be not afraid of this epic album. Hopefully, the best is yet to come.… Full Review »
  3. sadpanda
    Jun 24, 2011
    10
    Unquestionably the album of the year. So much variety and so much talent on display here. My personal favorite is the Violet EP, a threaticalUnquestionably the album of the year. So much variety and so much talent on display here. My personal favorite is the Violet EP, a threatical masterpiece. Some songs are weaker than others, but overall I can't call this anything less than a classic, really.… Full Review »
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