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War Stories Image
Metascore
61

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

User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 43 Ratings

  • Summary: The electronic duo's new album includes guests such as Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Ian Astbury (The Cult), The Duke Spirit, and Autolux.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 19
  2. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. Some songs are intensely gripping, like the instrumental rave-up "Chemistry," which drives along like Mogwai never happened. Others are plain weird.
  2. If there’s a central problem with War Stories, it’s that at times it strays too close to rock orthodoxy and loses the offbeat stylistic flourishes that made Unkle such an exciting proposition to begin with.
  3. So, once again UNKLE have produced another good rather than great album that sounds ahead of the curve.
  4. 60
    Unfortunately, on the rest of War Stories, Lavelle plays it safe by sticking close to poppy electro-dance tunes.
  5. It's solid enough, but given the imagination they once possessed, it sounds like UNKLE are trying too hard.
  6. Under The Radar
    50
    A whole album featuring Astbury or Clark would be spectacular, but the remainder of War Stories sounds like paint-by-numbers remixes. [Summer 2007, p.85]
  7. Every track on this record grows into some such perfectly orchestrated climax, surging as a function of the production alone and with nary a hook or clever turn of phrase or structural complication in sight.

See all 19 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 24
  2. Negative: 2 out of 24
  1. MargieR
    Oct 29, 2007
    10
    Amazing! Just saw them @ the Echoplex in L.A , they were worth the wait, blending dance, electronica, Rock was their best move yet. Unkle Amazing! Just saw them @ the Echoplex in L.A , they were worth the wait, blending dance, electronica, Rock was their best move yet. Unkle rocks my world. Expand
  2. ManchesterS
    Jul 28, 2007
    10
    Brilliant--recruiting the monster musos from the Desert Rock Scene and adding it to the UNKLE mosaic! Lavelle in top form again. Best album Brilliant--recruiting the monster musos from the Desert Rock Scene and adding it to the UNKLE mosaic! Lavelle in top form again. Best album this year, followed by QOTSA. Surprised? Expand
  3. JasonH.
    Aug 26, 2007
    10
    Great. i just heard th full preview of all tracks from this album on their special site http://unkle-war-stories.com. the last track (when Great. i just heard th full preview of all tracks from this album on their special site http://unkle-war-stories.com. the last track (when things explode) and hidden track are the best to my opinion. Expand
  4. AdP.
    Oct 6, 2007
    9
    I've read a lot of reviews about this album that give it a warm to tepid rating complaining about Lavelle's departure from synth to I've read a lot of reviews about this album that give it a warm to tepid rating complaining about Lavelle's departure from synth to being to close to commercial rock. Um, thats the point! His experimenting with this genre works for me, the fact that he has lower ratings means his in front of the curve, as one critic put it. Notice the subtle deep links in the lyrics to the title. Some critics seem to be a bit closed minded, but what do you expect!. Also notice the contrast between the critics and the users rating, speaks for itself. Expand
  5. Nov 9, 2010
    9
    If you know anything about UNKLE and Lavelle, their music is all about experimenting. To me, all of UNKLE's albums are different, but not in aIf you know anything about UNKLE and Lavelle, their music is all about experimenting. To me, all of UNKLE's albums are different, but not in a bad way. In fact it's like the music is evolving. While I love this idea of experimenting with sound and coming closer to the rock (what is wrong with that?) with this album, I realize that some may not like the sound. This is a sound you either love and understand or hate. But listen to the album before taking the word of anyone's review and make your own decision. Expand
  6. JackB.
    Jul 17, 2007
    8
    Price you pay is a quality track
  7. JoeN.
    Aug 9, 2007
    2
    Uncle keep going on a journey I don't want to be on anymore... losing its cool, its luster, its quirkiness, its imagination, itsUncle keep going on a journey I don't want to be on anymore... losing its cool, its luster, its quirkiness, its imagination, its creativity...and becoming standard guitar rock that's not that exciting. just gloom and doom, and coldness. it used to be gloom and doom, and way COOLness. Expand

See all 24 User Reviews