Too Many Voices
by Andy Stott
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Tiny Mix Tapes
    Apr 25, 2016
    90
    Too Many Voices is an immersive experience that builds on the artists’ past without once holding them back.
  2. XLR8r
    Apr 22, 2016
    85
    Too Many Voices provides as many moments of disquiet, albeit a particularly exquisite form of disquiet, as it does of comfort.
  3. PopMatters
    Jul 27, 2016
    80
    Too Many Voices is everything but a claustrophobic piece of sonic art. On the contrary, this is Stott at his best, a composer whose futuristic music is well rooted in today’s world, one that is badly connected to material reality, without a locus, with an idea of time that is flexible, adaptable.
  5. The Wire
    Jul 18, 2016
    80
    These processes are slow, sometimes painful and on multiple scales, but with each track and each album, the producer is changing our understanding of sound, data, memory and our own bodies in musical space. [Jun 2016, p.56]
    All this publication's reviews
  6. Mojo
    May 24, 2016
    80
    Stott again collaborates with opera singer Alison Skidmore on decaying digital laments, warped twilight anthems and claustrophobic club bangers; stuttering songs of mourning for 21st century club culture. [Jul 2016, p.93]
    All this publication's reviews
  7. Spin
    Apr 22, 2016
    80
    Like his peers and predecessors, he utilized vocals to elevate his shuddering half-time low-end above mere physical and intellectual impact--and into the listener’s emotional realm. One listen into Stott’s roomy fourth LP, Too Many Voices, and it’s clear that’s exactly what he’s going for.
  8. AllMusic
    Apr 22, 2016
    80
    Odd as it seems, the majority of the track titles resemble those of an R&B release. That's far from the only feature in support of the notion that Too Many Voices is Stott's brightest and most open-hearted work.
  9. Exclaim
    Apr 22, 2016
    80
    Too Many Voices is a breath of fresh air for anyone who found Faith overwhelmingly claustrophobic.
  10. Consequence
    Apr 26, 2016
    75
    Much of his work lives in destruction and rebirth, and embracing that helps to make Too Many Voices his strongest record since his 2012 breakout, Luxury Problems.
  11. Resident Advisor
    Apr 25, 2016
    72
    Stott's latest marks a new stage on this journey into the pop unknown, but it feels like he's not quite there yet.
  12. Pitchfork
    Apr 25, 2016
    71
    There’s plenty of low and high end, but none of the gray in-between. It makes for an album that sounds more like backing tracks missing the singer and the song to complete them. If anything, Too Many Voices sounds like it has too few.

Awards & Rankings

91
#91 Best Album of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 25 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 25
  3. Negative: 3 out of 25
  1. jotaeseche
    May 7, 2016
    9
    He looses himself up with Too Many Voices and creates as many quiet as frenetic moments, making it his most diverse and eclectic album toHe looses himself up with Too Many Voices and creates as many quiet as frenetic moments, making it his most diverse and eclectic album to date. A wide range of influences/similarities can be noticed in this work (Ash Koosha, FKA Twigs, Ci An, Boots, The Haxan Cloak, Aphex Twin and even Madonna [on the first sounds of "First Night"]), and Alison Skidmore's vocals again prove to be an interesting element added to a wide array of truly high-quality music pieces.… Full Review »
  2. atmosphericrex
    May 6, 2016
    7
    Andy Stott's music is often defined by its dark textures and somber moods which evoke deep feelings of isolation and longing from theAndy Stott's music is often defined by its dark textures and somber moods which evoke deep feelings of isolation and longing from the listener. On "Too Many Voices" many of those textures are removed and the emotion is essentially nonexistent. It's a different album than was expected and wanted from Stott, but it does have a plethora of great moments and I often find myself returning to it. It's a departure, one that feels unnatural...but sometimes being artificial can be spectacular.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »