The Less You Know, The Better Image
  • Summary: The fourth studio album for the hip hop producer/electronic artist features guest appearances by Afrikan Boy, Posdnuos, Talib Kweli, Tom Vek, and Yukimi Nagano of Little Dragons.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 25
  2. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Oct 14, 2011
    84
    [It] transcends sonic genres with a mature exploration of a global village too distracted to notice it's shorting itself.
  2. Nov 8, 2011
    60
    While Josh Davis has valiantly refused to photocopy his pioneering 1996 debut Endtroducing, this fourth album could use its mystery and cohesion. [Nov. 2011, p. 139]
  3. Nov 23, 2011
    60
    The Less you know is a rather ponderous return to form. [Dec 2011, p.81]

See all 25 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. 9
    For me The Less You Know The Better is one of the best album of 2011. Every song of the album are great specially Back to front..Stay the course...Sad and Lonely (very special a melancholic piano with the vintage female voice) and awesome I Gotta Rock...Scale it back with Little Dragon what a great song and very different ...Circular Logic!! Another great album by the greatest Dj Shadow!!! Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. 9
    What I love about Dj Shadow is that he acknowledges what's great in today's music while adding the innovation and experience he brings through his artistry. 'The Less You Know.." may take a few listens to truly appreciate it's brilliance and diversity. It's an emotional, atmospheric, relevant and on many tracks stays true to the Shadow most of his fans know. No, it isn't the 'Endtroducing' in any sense, so those looking for the classic's rebirth need look elsewhere. If you are in fact looking for something fresh and insightful that displays some of his best musicality to date, you owe it to yourself to buy it now. I'm so very happy that music like this still exists in the current tapestry of top 40 monotony. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. The patented blueprint is there, the form... doesn´t. A record that compensates the collection: 2 great initial, 2 unfulfilling last. Plain, generic beats, that maybe ´cause of the expensive cost for clearance sampling, pushed Josh to use nowadays souless tools. Only 1 of the 16 songs made me put extra attention thinkin this was the one for us that listened to him from the beginning, but nothing interesting happened at last. I hope the next will fullfill my need of memorable, epical, provocative songs that made a Dj Shadow album worth of remembering. To try: "I Gotta Rokk" , "Redeemed" Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

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