Your Queen Is A Reptile
by Sons of Kemet
  • Record Label: Impulse!
  • Release Date: Mar 30, 2018
Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
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  1. The Line of Best Fit
    Mar 28, 2018
    90
    The richness of the source material and the deftness of interplay of each member of the band ensures that Your Queen is a Reptile leaves you with a sense of having been a part of something truly special.
  2. Under The Radar
    May 10, 2018
    85
    An immaculately conceived record, the latest from Sons of Kemet is proof that British jazz is alive and well and, even beyond that, may be one of the best cultural tools we have in fighting the oppressive and deeply troubling political landscape that appears to be forming in the west, of late.
  3. Exclaim
    Apr 20, 2018
    80
    Your Queen Is A Reptile, is 55 minutes of ecstatic insurgency.
  5. Uncut
    Apr 19, 2018
    80
    Its distinctive musicianship leads to some powerful moments. [Jun 2018, p.35]
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  6. The Wire
    Apr 5, 2018
    80
    This is jazz that’s best heard at maximum volume. [Apr 2018, p.62]
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  7. musicOMH.com
    Apr 3, 2018
    80
    Throughout Your Queen Is A Reptile, thundering drum solos and rapid tempos are tempered by Caribbean beats and carefully constrained composition. The result is an highly listenable album with an audibly beating heart, which deserves to be played so loudly that the neighbours complain.
  8. Spin
    Apr 2, 2018
    80
    Kinetic and thrilling as the uptempo blasts are, where Your Queen shines is on the slower pieces, revealing that Hutchings can purr, murmur and wax lyrical as well.
  9. AllMusic
    Mar 30, 2018
    80
    Your Queen Is a Reptile is easily Sons of Kemet's most compelling outing. It offers inspired stylistic contrasts, canny improvisation, and killer charts. It's tight, furious, joyous, and inspirational.
  10. The Independent (UK)
    Mar 28, 2018
    80
    This album’s intricate, pressurised urgency keeps Sons of Kemet at that movement’s head.
  11. The New York Times
    Mar 28, 2018
    80
    As Mr. Hutchings spreads his wings, he is presenting an opportunity for listeners to fall in love with a sound that’s got the timeless assets of jazz--rebellion, collectivity, emotive abstraction--but doesn’t feel weighed down by its own past.
  12. Pitchfork
    Mar 30, 2018
    76
    Sons of Kemet are most effective when they transpose concept to instrument this way. But despite the group’s skill for conversing between genres and generations, words are Your Queen’s greatest weakness.
  13. Mojo
    Mar 28, 2018
    60
    A provocative, anti-establishment critique of the blind idolatry received by the British monarchy and finds each of the nine tracks paying homage to Hutchings' list of notable women that he believes are worthy alternative monarchs. [Apr 2018, p.87]
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 19 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 19
  3. Negative: 1 out of 19
  1. estarion
    Nov 6, 2019
    9
    An incredible musical deep dive into the history of blackness in the UK and the women who inspire communities of color.
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