• Record Label: Sony
  • Release Date: Oct 19, 2004
Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 15
  2. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Alternative Press
    100
    Fuse[s] the best parts of '60s rock and '90s rock without sounding dated (see Oasis) or contrived (paging Franz Ferdinand). [Jan 2005, p.113]
  2. Spin
    83
    They find a woolly warmth and loopy generosity few English art-rockers have stumbled upon since the first Beta Band record. [Dec 2004, p.124]
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    83
    Blithe blues boogies for the tumbleweeds set. [22 Oct 2004, p.95]
  4. A thoughtful and inventive debut album that is more accomplished and accessible than the first offering by [The Coral].
  5. Underpinning the entire record is a delightful pop sensibility that holds this rag-bag of ideas together.
  6. Under The Radar
    80
    The swampy British folk-funk tracks stand on their own, making for a cracking debut. [#8, p.113]
  7. Who Killed...the Zutons is an unexpectedly impressive start, consistently showcasing off the band's dynamic songwriting and penchant for weird, sprawling throwdowns.
  8. Inevitably, how they treat their dominant influences is what separates the Zutons from the Coral. While the Coral have yet to truly define their sound, The Zutons can bounce from funk, to zoot-suit swing (“Dirty Dancehall”) to alt-country (“Remember Me”) and yet have that tangible, original quality to their music that makes for an impressively cohesive debut album.
  9. They’re waay better than The Coral, exhibiting none of the tedious, skunk-smoke wackiness that characterises their labelmates.
  10. Blender
    70
    Weird, hook-filled, and irresistible. [Nov 2004, p.146]
  11. It's a fine debut that hints at a finer future - and for their determined attempts to twist something new out of retro influences, we salute them.
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 21 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 21
  2. Negative: 1 out of 21
  1. Nov 21, 2021
    9
    Great album and sounds especially the saxophone. Confusion and You Will You Won’t are my favourites.
  2. KimmyH
    Oct 30, 2007
    10
    This is my all-time favorite album.
  3. skelly2010
    May 2, 2007
    8
    I first encountered this band when they opened for Keane at a show i attended. They have long outlasted Keane in my music collection. A fine album.