Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 25
  2. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Dec 10, 2012
    70
    As a rather short album, it impresses without feeling like a definitive statement from the group, but contains enough interesting ideas and beautiful moments, as well as a great demonstration of both experimentation and pop-sensibilities in equal measures, that it leaves one excited and intrigued about what Teengirl Fantasy might make in the future.
  2. Sep 14, 2012
    50
    A somewhat stunted, companion piece to their debut, all the more frustrating for their lack of real development.
  3. Sep 11, 2012
    70
    It's ultimately a solid enough album, but one that's difficult to love.
  4. Sep 7, 2012
    70
    Weiss and Takahashi lay out their visions in purely instrumental terms, and the production is sumptuous and beautifully tactile. This is what Teengirl Fantasy do best: They craft immaculate headphones music, full of enveloping small details.
  5. Aug 30, 2012
    66
    Coming up with interesting sounds isn't an issue for these guys, it's putting them together that is.
  6. Aug 28, 2012
    90
    Simply put, Tracer is a lovely, melodious, engaging work of electronic music that will play just as well in the bedroom as it will on the dance floor.
  7. Aug 24, 2012
    60
    Tracer glimmers with the CD-ROM gleam of early-90s intelligent techno.
  8. Aug 24, 2012
    60
    When Teengirl are on form, their music is a heady thing: house music sent delirious on a glut of ideas, or pop working to some half-known criteria. It's an unstable edifice, though, and too often the results fall flat.
  9. Aug 24, 2012
    70
    The result is a patchwork approach to nostalgia, cherry-picking sounds from dance music's collective memory and rearranging them into something that's more than the sum of its parts.
  10. Aug 23, 2012
    60
    Tracer is full of traces of melodies and snatches of ideas on its instrumental tracks, and they are ... interesting, if not wholly successful.
  11. Aug 23, 2012
    56
    Nick Weiss and Logan Takahashi sadly lack their forefathers' mastery for emotionalizing machine-made sound.
  12. Aug 23, 2012
    60
    Tracer certainly makes a good attempt at being a strong electronic album, and there is still plenty of content here for big fans of both EDM and IDM music to enjoy. Unfortunately, Teengirl Fantasy still needs to learn how to incorporate more of themselves into their music.
  13. Aug 21, 2012
    80
    Both of those songs ["I Feel Love" and "Smooth Operator"] inform the experimental ambience of Tracer, Teengirl Fantasy's sultry second album comprising of all original material.
  14. 70
    The only clanger is 'Do It'.... This aside, it's a nest of treasures.
  15. Aug 20, 2012
    80
    A surprisingly compact album, Tracer covers a lot of musical ground in under 40 minutes, and on the whole it feels like a love letter to electronica's formative days (or like an album they might have sampled from in the past).
  16. Aug 20, 2012
    80
    [Tracer] is more expansive and impressive than their previous output.
  17. Aug 20, 2012
    80
    Nick Weiss and Logan Takahashi's second coming finds the youngsters exploring a more symphonic sound.
  18. Aug 20, 2012
    80
    Tracer is an album executed with seriousness and intelligence, and although it is never outright contemplative, the record is never jubilant either.
  19. Aug 17, 2012
    60
    Both the Laurel Halo and Panda Bear collaborations are sadly somewhat dreary by comparison, making Tracer sag at its centre.
  20. Aug 16, 2012
    60
    A playful record full of pop textures, light nostalgia, and occasionally cartoon-ish dynamics that does a great job undermining many of the tropes of contemporary dance music.
  21. Uncut
    Aug 16, 2012
    50
    A glossy but incoherent neo-rave pastiche. [Sep 2012, p.87]
  22. Aug 16, 2012
    80
    Tracer is a complete LP that's unified yet fluid, providing a full club experience for those who choose not to leave their bedrooms.
  23. Aug 16, 2012
    80
    Overall, it's an ambitious and beautiful album.
  24. Aug 15, 2012
    80
    One of the most consistent EDM albums of the year, Tracer refuses to simply alternate between disco and electronica; it blends the two, and should prompt enough repeat listens to confirm Weiss and Takahashi's place alongside the pioneers they've collaborated with.
  25. Aug 15, 2012
    80
    Melodies that burrow under your skin and up-to-the-minute production make Tracer a record to savour.
User Score
tbd

No user score yet- Awaiting 2 more ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 2 out of 2
  1. Sep 12, 2012
    3
    How inspired they sound when they use vocal samples on the album '7AM', so aimless and uninspired are the songs on this album. TheHow inspired they sound when they use vocal samples on the album '7AM', so aimless and uninspired are the songs on this album. The collaborations with Panda Bear and Romanthony seemed promising, but the outcome is underwhelming. The vocal melody on the second track of Kelela is never in touch with the music. Their signature sound that worked so well on '7AM' seems to be the biggest obstacle for TF, as they try to be unpredictable in their song progression the music is incoherent and good ideas are sparse. When it does work, it becomes a nice piece of neo-electro, like the song Eternal. This is the only highlight on the album however, and they already released it on the their Motif single. Don't bother with this album and wait for the next one when their sound has matured. Full Review »