- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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MojoTough to take in one sitting, The Outsider nevertheless boasts enough fine 'deep cuts' to be a keeper. [Sep 2006, p.98]
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The Outsider is a mix tape. The artful flow that defined Endtroducing and The Private Press has been eschewed in favor of individual tracks, and the album succeeds or fails along these lines.
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While the hyphy tracks might scare some people off, they are the record's undoubted highlights.
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While it’s a bit hit and miss, the sheer bullishness of this album is impressive.
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More often than not, even Shadow's most extreme sonic detours hit home.
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SpinSlinging new styles and innovating them are separate matters. [Oct 2006, p.100]
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UrbWhere Shadow ultimately sutmbles is on the britpop tip. [Oct 2006, p.116]
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Under The RadarDespite its lapses and awkward moments, The Outsider feels like the turntablist’s attempt to loosen up and venture away from a recognizable aural framework. [#15]
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This album should alienate virtually everyone who's ever been a Shadow fan.
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VibeOccasionally, the chemistry is thrilling... Mostly, though, Shadow picks collaborators allergic to subtlety. [Oct 2006, p.143]
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It’s hard to imagine anyone going for the whole album, because it doesn’t hold together. [18 Sep 2006]
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Paste MagazineHis work here seems scattered and gimmicky. [Oct 2006, p.75]
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New Musical Express (NME)Here, ultimately, the DJ remains resolutely in the background. ANd that was never the point. [16 Sep 2006, p.35]
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MagnetA draining listen due to its scatterbrained ideas and patchy sequencing. [#73, p.106]
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Shadow's head scratching choice of singers detract from the potency of his fluid beats.
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Distraught longtime fans can take comfort in the gothic ire of the Banner-fronted, Hurricane Katrina–lamenting “Seein’ Thangs” and the ambling blues-hop storytelling of Phonte Coleman on “Backstage Girl,” but little else can be salvaged from the wreckage of Shadow’s abruptly imploding talent.
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Problem is, the odd hodge-podge of tracks have no apparent connection to each other and certainly don't make for a coherent statement or even a decent mixtape.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 17 out of 46
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Mixed: 6 out of 46
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Negative: 23 out of 46
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ChoreoFDec 20, 2006
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Jan 3, 2021
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Aug 8, 2014