Under The Skin - Lindsey Buckingham
Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 1 out of 15
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  1. Uncut
    100
    He concocts a series of dazzling interior epics with just a fingerpicked acoustic guitar and his echo-drenched voice. [Nov 2006, p.101]
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  2. The A.V. Club
    91
    His hushed voice and intricate acoustic guitar work fill the space with reflective songs that sound little like anything he's done before.
  3. All Music Guide
    90
    It is, thus far, his masterpiece, and as beautiful a pop record as can be made these days.
  4. Entertainment Weekly
    83
    It's the spartan-yet-gonzo sound of a guy remembering he can go his own way. [6 Oct 2006, p.70]
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  5. Stylus Magazine
    83
    As beguiling as much of Under the Skin is, these songs would benefit from the Mac’s supple, still-underrated rhythm section.
  6. Mojo
    80
    At times it's spellbinding. [Dec 2006, p.118]
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  7. The Guardian
    80
    As spacious as Buckingham's native California yet as fraught with unease, this is another gripping postcard from the edge of paradise.
  8. Slant Magazine
    80
    Under The Skin... washes over you like a summer breeze.
  9. The Boston Phoenix
    75
    Under the Skin’s tenderly whispered ruminations... are gripping little creations, full of weird acoustic-guitar riffs and uncomfortably intimate vocals and open revelations about the anxiety he feels in trying to reassert his creative identity at this late date.
  10. Blender
    70
    Gorgeously understated. [Nov 2006, p.138]
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  11. Q Magazine
    70
    Of the 11 tracks, five are lovely, three are makeweights and an equal number excellent. [Dec 2006, p.133]
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  12. Rolling Stone
    70
    With its skewed pop melodies, home-brewed sonic trickery and blazing fingerpicking, Under the Skin is a mesmerizing return to the side of Buckingham that birthed the proto-indie-pop strangeness of 1979's Tusk.
  13. Amazon.com
    70
    Strange, alluring, and disarming.
  14. PopMatters
    50
    There’s no denying that he has his own style, but a little more variety in execution might make Under the Skin a more enthralling and thus, listenable experience.
  15. NOW Magazine
    20
    Unfortunately, all the intricately picked little guitar figures don't make his raspy yelping sound any less like a wet cat stuck under a couch.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 30 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 22
  3. Negative: 2 out of 22
  1. baron
    10
    The cover of "I am waiting" is possibly teh best cover version i've heard. And the rest of the tracks are excellent too. The man is a genius.
  2. jonathan
    7
    The songs are very good, but I feel that it was a bad choice to have not re-recorded most of the songs. Most of the album was done at home by Buckingham on a digital recorder except for 2 songs. The 2 songs recorded in the real studio with Rob Cavallo sound much more fully realized than the rest of the album. The title track is a beautiful song but the click track running through the whole song ruins it for me and drives me nuts!… Full Review »
  3. JohnB
    9
    The true follow-up to Tusk!
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