Tiny Cities
by Sun Kil Moon
User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 24 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 24
  3. Negative: 4 out of 24

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  1. BrandonS
    Jan 7, 2006
    5
    I really expected more out of this CD from what I read on several websites. Albiet, I'm not much for slow moody melodies, I really thought I'd get a totally new perspective on my beloved Isaac Brock lyrics. Instead I got a lyrical rehashing over bland musical attempts. It felt like I was listening to a college student doing covers of their favorite bands with nothing more than I really expected more out of this CD from what I read on several websites. Albiet, I'm not much for slow moody melodies, I really thought I'd get a totally new perspective on my beloved Isaac Brock lyrics. Instead I got a lyrical rehashing over bland musical attempts. It felt like I was listening to a college student doing covers of their favorite bands with nothing more than an acoustic guitar and a mediocre monotone voice. The tracks that did justice to the originals, and possibly surpased Modest Mouse's art were "Dramamine" and "Convenient Parking." However, I'm going to argue that Modest Mouse CD's tend to have a reoccuring theme, as well as a sort of pattern or flow to them, and this album, by taking songs from every modest mouse CD, doesn't have the same organizational feel, asside from the common monotone throughout the entirety of it. It's worth a listen by any modest mouse fan, but for anyone else, I think it's best to stick to this band's original work.… Expand
  2. BenC
    Nov 13, 2005
    6
    This album cannot be compared to Ghosts of the Great Highway. It is not a Sun Kil Moon album- it is a Mark Kozelek album. It is more comparable to What's Next to the Moon, Mark's album of AC/DC covers, in that it's charm comes from the challenge of taking very disparate songs out of an artist's catalogue and molding them to create a cohesive sound. And Tiny Cities This album cannot be compared to Ghosts of the Great Highway. It is not a Sun Kil Moon album- it is a Mark Kozelek album. It is more comparable to What's Next to the Moon, Mark's album of AC/DC covers, in that it's charm comes from the challenge of taking very disparate songs out of an artist's catalogue and molding them to create a cohesive sound. And Tiny Cities definitely has a cohesive sound; although, because of this, many songs sound similar. You'll be impressed (and moved) if you know the Modest Mouse songs, but if not, then you're more than likely to be bored of the trite, similar sounding songs, especially since the CD lasts just over a half hour. If you've been a RHP and Sun Kil Moon fan for awhile, and come to expect masterfully crafted and varied albums, you might be a little disappointed.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
64

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 19
  3. Negative: 1 out of 19
  1. Billboard
    90
    Flecked at every turn with Kozelek's unique interpretive bent, "Tiny Cities" is a triumph.
  2. Stylus Magazine
    58
    Even with Kozelek's laudable work on this outing I feel that something more robust could have emerged had the roots been original.
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  3. Under The Radar
    70
    A large part... of a Mark Kozelek song is the arrangement.... In that sense, Tiny Cities is a collection of perfect Mark Kozelek songs. [#11, p.108]
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