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Transparent Things
by
Transparent Things Image
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 11 Ratings

  • Summary: As their name suggests, Fujiya & Miyagi are an English trio who make German electronic rock. (OK, so maybe it doesn't suggest that.) 'Things' compiles some of the Brighton band's previously-released singles.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. Pitchfork
    83
    F&M's coy pose comes off as somehow original.
  2. Prefix Magazine
    80
    It comes as no surprise that Fujiya & Miyagi's sound recalls other neo-futurists.... But Fujiya & Miyagi is undeniably its own band, with peppy melodicism and upfront sense of humor.
  3. Almost Cool
    80
    Downright awesome in places.
  4. AllMusic
    80
    When F&M stick to simple dance melodies and wound-up instrumental grooves, they're as good as anyone else out there.
  5. cokemachineglow
    78
    It has its flaws, and it certainly isn’t some great reinvention of krautrock, but Transparent Things is an incredibly likeable album.
  6. PopMatters
    70
    It’s a little bit of a summer record, relaxed and unassuming, but for its patience and surprising originality, it rewards repeat listens.
  7. Dusted Magazine
    60
    The album's vocals exemplify the real problem here, which is that while the music is appealing and well-executed, everything feels perfectly coordinated and absolutely calculated.

See all 16 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. kelly
    Feb 6, 2007
    10
    Not Japanese; not German; not original; but somehow contagious as a virus.
  2. RyanC
    Jan 26, 2007
    10
    For fans of Can and Kraftwerk.
  4. ToddW
    Jan 26, 2007
    7
    Oh, this trio of witty Brits making like the Vapors and turning Japanese. David Best, Stephen Lewis, and Lee Adams cop Can and Neu! with a Oh, this trio of witty Brits making like the Vapors and turning Japanese. David Best, Stephen Lewis, and Lee Adams cop Can and Neu! with a healthy dose of Steroelab. It's a potent mix...if the lyrics weren't so inane. The beats and music on this album are both wondrous and fresh. The lyrics, on the other hand, read like something Genevieve could pen. (An inside aside.) I mean, who needs to be reminded ad nauseum that the ankle bone is connected to the shin bone, etc. Didn't we learn that in the first grade? Ankle Injuries pummels you with the name of the band, although to be kind it is set to an infectious beat. That pretty much sums up what you're going to hear on the rest of this offering. Ironically, the best songs are the instrumentals - Conductor 71 and Cassettesingle - which hints at the strength of the writing. For a first stab at a full-length, however, there's a lot here on which to hang one's hopes. Me, I want lyrics to match the intelligence of the music.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

82
#82 Best Album of 2007

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