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Work is a more subtle, subdued album than Shout Out Louds' previous LPs. It is also a far more consistent one, capturing the band maturing artistically.
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Work finds them owning their sound, and treating the nostalgic pangs they stir as a platform from which to express something sincere. The result is a record a little less giddy and more workmanlike than prior SOL albums.
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Work sometimes lacks variety, but the mostly unrelenting, feel-good rhythms and sweet vocals are sure to get your head bobbing.
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While Work doesn't feel emotionally engaging or really deviate from an amiable pace, it's still engaging enough to hold one's attention for most of the 41 minutes.
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Shout Out Louds have long been a case for the positives of going singles-only, and they probably keep that reputation here. But by a minor degree, Work is Shout Out Louds' finest album-length statement.
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While not all of Work is as infallible--album closer "Too Late, Too Slow" has a title that aptly sums itself up--it's still exciting to see Shout Out Louds breaking away from the Robert Smith adoration that was so present on previous efforts.?
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By eschewing the instrumental grandiosity and working into a clean cut sound of their own, Work moves you to great feelings of warmth and a feeling of great joy.