Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)'s Scores

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For 811 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 86% higher than the average critic
  • 1% same as the average critic
  • 13% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 8.5 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 81
Highest review score: 100 Harmlessness
Lowest review score: 5 Fashionably Late
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 757 out of 811
  2. Mixed: 48 out of 811
  3. Negative: 6 out of 811
811 music reviews
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    • 61 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Love Notes/Letter Bombs
    They create sophisticated and charming indie/pop songs that occasionally have moments of calamity and moodiness. Their hooks are compelling, their lyrics often thoughtful, and because they explore the topic of love and heartache, they're bound to resonate with many who give the intimate, Love Notes / Letter Bombs thirty minutes of their time.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us
    For all its flaws, Beach Slang’s debut is a fun and absolutely engaging listen.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Stranger Than Fiction
    Whether or not it's as good as The Luca Brasi Story is irrelevant, though at this point the two are about even. The highs on Luca Brasi are higher and the lows are lower, but Stranger Than Fiction is a much more consistent listen.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 83 Critic Score
    Home Acres
    It's musically complex and ambitious, but flashes of powerpop shine through, making this Aloha's hookiest effort to date. Its pop aspect is more nocturnal than sunny, though, with its colors showing subtly vivid in the twilight.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Hollandaze
    Hollandaze is a compelling enough release on feel alone, an album that smartly incorporates a subtle sense of tension, preventing its gauzy textures from devolving into directionless bliss-outs.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Just Be Free
    Just Be Free is a wonderfully functional album, displaying Queen Freedia at her very best.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Bitter Clarity, Uncommon Grace
    It might take a moment to sink in, but the return of Verse to both touring and recording has reaped its most challenging disc to date--leaving us with something to cherish and consider in the process.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Scurrilous
    If I had to describe Scurrilous in one word, it would be indulgent, and that's not a bad thing. When you have this much talent, I want to hear it.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    We Do What We Want
    We Do What We Want is far from perfect – the track sequencing is awkward and doesn't feature the technicality of previous albums (this is where they really miss Shelton) – it is still unlike any other Emery release.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Centipede Hz
    When the band puts their best foot forward ("Monkey Riches," "Father Time," "Applesauce," "Mercury Man," and "Pulleys,") they sound like an outfit deserving of all the hype and praise bestowed upon them.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Strange Weekend
    All in all, it's a solid debut effort and one that never spares on electronic dramatics and an extensive array of far-ranging ideas.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Mockingbird Time
    The Jayhawks are still crafting music that should be emulated. And that in and of itself is why Mockingbird Time is worth its 50 minutes.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    BlackenedWhite
    While Goblin is a slow, 75-minute mental breakdown of Tyler, Blackenedwhite is a brisk, crisp, and energetic hip-hop record, clocking in at barely 30 minutes.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Congratulations
    They accomplished their mission. They made a record that doesn't have one radio hit, let alone a single and yet is stronger than their previous efforts.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    The Office of Future Plans
    There's much to like about Office of Future Plans, though I suspect its appeal beyond being a throwback to the golden age of angst-ridden but pop-sensible rock music may be rather limited.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 82 Critic Score
    Pyramid of the Sun
    Pyramid of the Sun not only remedies the sporadic deficiencies of Inventions for the New Season, it does proud the legacies of Jerry Fuchs and Manuel Gottsching; it also serves as both a challenge and heuristic experience for the alarmingly proliferating post-rock contingent.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Exmilitary
    Exmilitary is an abrasive and traumatic ordeal, rife with production that's on-point but completely jarring at the same time.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Harakiri
    So while the disc may not his best album, it is still one that makes you think and challenges you.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Shed
    Shed is the right album for those who don't want their pop-punk bands opting for breakdowns.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Here Before
    As far as comebacks go, you can't ask for much more than the sturdy set of vibrant pop songs The Feelies have bestowed upon us.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Taking Back Sunday
    Once you let it sink in that this isn't the same band from the early aughts, then you can start to appreciate Taking Back Sunday as a solid rock record – their best in 7 years.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    The Black Dirt Sessions
    While sticking to his A-game has served him well so far, it's worth noting that the songs themselves just aren't quite as resonant this time out, resulting in an album that's merely very good instead of incredible.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Closer to Closed
    It's nice to have a few good new tracks to add to the collection from one of the scene's finest.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Little Joy
    Much like the band's discography in general, Little Joy is new pair of shoes you have to comfortably break into. Best played as background for a while, you'll find yourself losing track of your tasks and picking out some beloved tracks and parts in time.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Nothing
    Nothing continues the trend of unique and fun music the N.E.R.D. name has become synonymous with.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Myth
    Myth seems like one of those albums that can really thrive in a post-critical world.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    My Devil In Your Eyes
    On their second go-around, the production is a lot cleaner and the transitions move a lot smoother.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    The Fire
    Overall The Fire is the essential Senses Fail record to own. Time and time again, Senses Fail proves that whatever doesn't kill only makes you stronger.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Spills Out
    Spills Out is a satisfying album that puts a unique spin on otherwise trite indie-pop touchstones and a marriage of dissonance and charm seamless enough that, at times, it's almost difficult to tell one from the other.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 81 Critic Score
    Astro Coast
    As you might imagine, it's yet another interpretation of classic surf-rock, but as crowded as this scene seems to have gotten lately, most of its practitioners do the style quite well. Surfer Blood are no exception, and their varied approach makes for an intriguing album.
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