The Harsh Light of Day - Fastball
The Harsh Light of Day Image
Metascore
64 out of 100

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

User Score
8.4 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 8 Ratings

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0 out of 10
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Spin Cycle
    80
    Their third release has no apparent monster single like "The Way," but the recording as a whole contains a higher number of strong songs. It rocks harder, and the band's previously overpowering influences--most notably Elvis Costello--are now beautifully integrated into a more developed and identifiable sound.
  2. All Music Guide
    60
    With each multi-layered cut, the trio shows pop songwriting skills not often seen in such cookie-cutter times -- especially in the particularly staid field of alt-rock.... this bold album takes you on an aural adventure of strings, guitars, and hooks paired with intelligent lyrics and taut instrumentation.
  3. Sonicnet
    60
    Traditionalist rock fans have got to be cheered by Fastball, a group plucky enough to take on teenage pop bands and rap-rock sensations with perky harmonies and piles of guitars. But in the end, songs like these shine brightest outside of the album context, as stand-alone songs coming out of the dashboard radio.
  4. HOB.com
    60
    [I]f anything this album is less rock than the last one, while the droves of extra instruments are used more as decoration than as tools to create broad soundscapes.... Ultimately this album might be a step forward for Fastball, but they end up in essentially the same place.

See all 11 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. JeffH
    10
    I think this album as a whole in better than All the Pain Money Can Buy. Funny how it fades away is one of the best songs I've heard. Whatever gets you one is a very nice finish to this seemless album. … Expand
  2. JeffH
    10
    I think this album as a whole in better than All the Pain Money Can Buy. Funny how it fades away is one of the best songs I've heard. Whatever gets you one is a very nice finish to this seemless album. … Expand
  3. JeffH
    10
    I think this album as a whole in better than All the Pain Money Can Buy. Funny how it fades away is one of the best songs I've heard. Whatever gets you one is a very nice finish to this seemless album. … Expand
  4. ColleenJ.
    9
    This is one of those albums that doesn't catch you immediately, like All The Pain Money Can Buy did. Instead, it requires the listener to go through the CD a few times, and by that time, one could be so hooked on it that they cannot stop listening to it for long periods of time. All in all, I find this to be a very good album, and I fully recommend listening to their previous two albums, as well as their new live record "Live at Jupiter Records."… Expand

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