This Is a Photograph
by Kevin Morby
Metascore
87

Universal acclaim - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
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  1. New Musical Express (NME)
    May 11, 2022
    100
    Epic in sound and vision, its sprawling Americana and gritty rock’n’roll taking in the big themes.
  2. AllMusic
    May 13, 2022
    90
    One of the best chapters in an already impressive catalog; one that finds a new artistic depth as it faces some of life's eternal concerns.
  3. Uncut
    May 11, 2022
    90
    With This Is A Photograph, he offers the wisest and most assured rendering of the Middle American vision he’s been honing of late, one where Dylan-esque anti-singing narrates impassioned, earnest and earthen tales of family, place, love and heroes, and a crack band shakes the rafters. [Jun 2022, p.32]
  5. The Line of Best Fit
    May 11, 2022
    90
    This is one of those rare records that starts off strong and keeps getting better, more deep and resonant, with each track.
  6. Paste Magazine
    May 11, 2022
    82
    The progression of Morby’s most recent albums hinted at the true extent of his musical ideas, but that honeypot of talent and wisdom didn’t truly run over until now. Still, Photograph doesn’t overshadow his other work—rather, it honors it all.
  7. The Guardian
    Jan 3, 2023
    80
    These are beautifully elegiac songs, celebrating life’s transient joy, struggle, laughter and heartbreak, reflecting the fact that “sometimes the good die young, and sometimes they survive”.
  8. Rolling Stone
    May 16, 2022
    80
    The album hits its strongest points when Morby opens himself up to reckless abandon, stripping himself of the introspective pretenses of soul-searching and instead embracing the unpredictable chaos of life and all its imperfection.
  9. Mojo
    May 11, 2022
    80
    A record that feels warmer, wiser and less forced than any of his albums so far. [Jun 2022, p.88]
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  10. Beats Per Minute
    May 19, 2022
    76
    Even in his lost moments, like “A Random Act of Kindness” where he repeats “Out of time, out of money”, he searches out the hope while faced with setbacks and sorrow. It’s in these moments that Morby shines as that everyman – a role he has been crafted into through those various influences he holds up so high.
  11. Pitchfork
    May 18, 2022
    73
    This Is a Photograph succeeds not because of its nostalgic freight but in spite of it, and Morby’s dialogues with the living, not the dead, are when he speaks most clearly.
  12. Sputnikmusic
    May 18, 2022
    60
    This Is A Photograph is an album which aims for an impressively grand vision, but rarely hits the mark. In its less grandiose moments, though, it’s frequently successful, providing the listener with a number of lovely folk tunes.

Awards & Rankings

24
#24 Best Album of 2022

User Reviews

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User Score
8.3

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. Nietzschebot
    May 13, 2022
    10
    Heaths are very scary. Just ask Macbeth. This is a great album. It is definitely one of his best.
  2. Dmdobr02
    May 14, 2022
    10
    There are no skips on this album. It’s a thing of beauty. Kevin takes you on a journey from the first track to the last. You can tell he isThere are no skips on this album. It’s a thing of beauty. Kevin takes you on a journey from the first track to the last. You can tell he is deeply dialed in to deliver a masterpiece.… Full Review »
  3. All_ButTrU4
    May 13, 2022
    7
    Morby greatest record since the world weary "singing saw". It's a laborious undertaking that instead comes through as a understand grandMorby greatest record since the world weary "singing saw". It's a laborious undertaking that instead comes through as a understand grand statement. This is one of the year bests for sure.… Full Review »
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