The Week That Was
by The Week That Was
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. AllMusic
    80
    The art never gets too over-indulgent and it never gets in the way of the songs.
  2. Alternative Press
    70
    For what looks to be a one-off, it's remarkably fleshed out and intricate. [Oct 2008, p.151]
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  3. Drowned In Sound
    90
    Executed with serious flair, it manages the rare feat of being both mentally stimulating and musically satisfying. It is, in every regard, one of the most daring albums you’ll hear this year.
  5. Mojo
    80
    In these crop-to-fit times, omnivorous, visionary pop is at a premium, and there's all the more reason to prize an omnivorous visionary pop record like the Week That Was. [Sep 2008, p.96]
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  6. New Musical Express (NME)
    80
    It’s one of the oddest beauties of the year so far.
  7. No Ripcord
    80
    It's heady, bleak stuff, certainly, but the sheer ambition and, bizarrely, hint of liberation with which it's performed make it one of the year's most perplexingly life-affirming releases.
  8. NOW Magazine
    80
    You’d think this might get messy, but the arrangements are so thoughtful that the result is sweeping and astonishing.
  9. Observer Music Monthly
    80
    Of all the 32-minute concept albums inspired by Paul Auster to come out of Sunderland this year, it's comfortably the best.
  10. Pitchfork
    82
    Never mind the retro-gazing moniker-- The Week That Was is a band you need to hear now.
  11. PopMatters
    70
    The results are unsurprisingly focused: From beginning to end, The Week That Was is executed with mathematical precision.
  12. The A.V. Club
    100
    The Week That Was leaves "indie rock" behind, hops right over hip marching-band music, and lands square between the lofty obelisks of high-art pop and New Music.
  13. The Guardian
    60
    This debut is one of moments and mystery.
  14. Uncut
    80
    Brewis constructs songs with architectural scale and precision--in its own prim, nostalgic, English way, it’s pretty dazzling stuff.
  15. Under The Radar
    70
    Bewis has brought the album to the brink in just eight tracks. [Fall 2008, p.85]
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Awards & Rankings

41
#41 Best Album of 2008

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 15 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 15
  3. Negative: 1 out of 15
  1. hydrawithears
    Nov 3, 2011
    8
    These guys must have listened to Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel a lot. Learn to Learn sounds like a b-side or a demo from The Dreaming thanks toThese guys must have listened to Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel a lot. Learn to Learn sounds like a b-side or a demo from The Dreaming thanks to some thundering drums that play the lead part. The Week That Was make sophisticated pop, equally good for brain and soul. What I mean is they are very British. The LP consists of just 8 songs yet there is plenty to absorb. The mentioned track is radical and the band do everything to keep up the good work. On The Good Life they create a fantastic atmosphere by synth line andâ… Full Review »
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