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Walking On A Dream - Empire Of The Sun
Walking On A Dream Image
Metascore
61 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 26 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Summary: The debut album for the Australian band formed by The Sleepy Jackson's Luke Steele and Pnau's Nick Littlemore.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. BBC Music
    Dec 13, 2011
    80
    This is the sound of the Noughties – electro enough without being harsh, interesting without being over-cool, quirky without being weird. Empire Of The Sun have cracked the perfect blend of fond reflection and sexy new frontier frisson. If this is what the future sounds like, then it's going to be beautiful.
  2. The Quietus
    Dec 13, 2011
    60
    Is Walking On A Dream the sound of things to come then? Clearly not. Empire Of The Sun's grand ambitions are certainly worth applauding, but unfortunately they amount to nothing more than a cold and pale facsimile of the superior conquests of others who have trod these lands before.
  3. Sputnikmusic
    Dec 13, 2011
    60
    When they are on, they are very good, as their relaxing – yet strangely dance-worthy – grooves seem almost effortless. Yet, way too often, the duo simply bite off more than they can chew, meaning that when they are off, a 2nd listen almost seems like a chore.

See all 19 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. MistaDwarfjokes
    10
    Absolutely top album, full of banging tunes and rabid experimentalism aplenty. Recommended for all. And that includes the second half of the album - Country and Tiger By My Side being two of thier best tracks. Maybe give Without You and Tiger By My Side a miss, but everything else is simply sublime.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. brownallaround
    10
    If you can get past the singer's sinus-infected style of vocals, you'll find a quartet of songs on this album that are really outstanding pop gems: Standing On The Shore, Walking On A Dream, Half Mast, and We Are The People. Half Mast, in particular, just grabs you with its maudlin verses and driving beat, then pulls you in like a magnet with the head-swaying falsetto chorus. Had they stuck with that motif from start to finish, one would have been able to overlook the absolute goofiness of their Adam Ant meets Empire Strikes Back wardrobe and image. I don't know what the hell happened after the first third of the album, but whatever it was, it will require a serious intervention to break it. The most recent reviewer nailed it on the head: stick with the first four tracks and you'll have yourself a nice little EP of well-crafted synth-pop to enjoy at your leisure. The rest belongs in a bottom-fed pond of slimy scum where the ears of all known species should never get within earshot.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. BranchR
    5
    Their voices are horrible, and the intro to their single is piss poor. 'walking on a dream / how can i explain?' The singer spits it into the microphone. The visuals both on the cover and the music video are melodramatic. Although the costumes are GREAT, they do not justify the lack of talent shown here. After the intro, the song does get better, but why should some one have to ignore one part of the song? The whole piece is their vision, and the vision of empire of the sun...is not that great.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 9 User Reviews

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