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Apr 6, 2016There is plenty here to suggest that West's magic has not entirely left him, but as a statement of art or true intent, this is a significant misstep from an artist with so much to praise.
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Apr 1, 2016There is much to be admired here, rather less to be enjoyed.
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The WireMar 22, 2016Pablo grips your attention through an attraction-repulsion effect: the attraction largely pertaining to the sonics, the repulsion manifesting almost entirely in the lyrics. [Apr 2016, p.52]
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Q MagazineMar 16, 2016Despite the embarrassment of riches, though, there's also a lot of plain old embarrassment. [May 2016, p.110]
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Feb 22, 2016West is consistently the weak link. The musical patchwork of The Life Of Pablo is frequently--but not always--diverting in its restlessness and detail, from the abruptness with which Price is faded out on 'Ultralight Beam' to the scrawling guitars that underpin 'Feedback', probably the most straightforwardly good song on the album.
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Feb 19, 2016Spirituality is more overt on The Life of Pablo than any of his previous sets, but it’s damn near impossible to decipher. Sure, The Life of Pablo‘s obscurities and eccentricities make it ripe for endless dissection by West’s fans and followers, but make no mistake: this albums is flawed, it’s problematic, and most of all, it’s no masterpiece.
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Feb 18, 2016The Life Of Pablo is bursting at the seams with ideas and talking points, from his mental health and destructive ego to the very fact that this album defines how useless the format is. As with every one of his records, you feel like this is only the tip of the iceberg.
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Feb 17, 2016West finds control on an album whose first half is uncharacteristically wild. The focus present on these tracks [Waves, FML, Real Friends, Wolves] are what is expected of West.... But the strength in these moments also highlight how rudderless the rest of Pablo often feels.
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Feb 15, 2016For a rapper who has excelled in redefining the artform, The Life Of Pablo is a sprawling, uneven and curiously unfinished sounding affair with a dearth of recognisable bangers. Much less than the sum of its parts when stacked against the grandiloquent orchestral sweep of 2010’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy or pared-back abrasive aural sculpture of predecessor Yeezus, it suggests West is merely human after all.
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Feb 15, 2016Sounds like a work in progress rather than a finished album.
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Feb 14, 2016While there are great lines and verses here, not least the funny, smart No More Parties in LA – which features Lamar – you’re occasionally struck by the sense that West doesn’t really have that much to say this time around, or at least not much that he hasn’t said before.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 1,797 out of 2238
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Mixed: 179 out of 2238
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Negative: 262 out of 2238
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Feb 12, 2016
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Feb 14, 2016
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Feb 16, 2016