AllMusic's Scores
- Music
For 17,266 reviews, this publication has graded:
-
64% higher than the average critic
-
5% same as the average critic
-
31% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 1.4 points higher than other critics.
(0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 74
Highest review score: | The Marshall Mathers LP | |
---|---|---|
Lowest review score: | Graffiti |
Score distribution:
-
Positive: 14,383 out of 17266
-
Mixed: 2,861 out of 17266
-
Negative: 22 out of 17266
17266
music
reviews
- By Date
- By Critic Score
-
- Critic Score
Whether it's highly relatable or a bit paint-by-numbers is up to the listener, although the blueprint here is an auspiciously well-tested one.- AllMusic
- Posted Jun 30, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Brought up on a steady diet of singles, Templeman has some trouble stringing together a substantive 14-track set and a number of the cuts simply coast along on groove and tone without much else to recommend them. Minus the filler and occasional bouts of clumsy wordplay, Mellow Moon does little to damage the young singer/songwriter's reputation and adds a clutch of well-made tracks to his growing canon.- AllMusic
- Posted May 26, 2022
- Read full review
-
- AllMusic
- Posted May 26, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The sound of Come Home the Kids Miss You is polished and ready for the massive level of worldwide commercial success Harlow has been building up to, but it's difficult to find much substance beneath the expensive sheen.- AllMusic
- Posted May 23, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The lack of variance in tempo across the hour-long sequence makes Heart on My Sleeve downright torpid at points. All upticks are welcome -- the one with an incongruous Kirk Franklin appearance included -- but slow and low is undeniably the singer's forte.- AllMusic
- Posted May 23, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The overall impression of Parks' second solo album is less a collection of tightly crafted songs than of a willowy chunk of music captured during its slow passage on the timeline. How appealing this is depends on one's proclivities, but there is enough ear candy here to hold the attention, at least for a little while.- AllMusic
- Posted May 20, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Like his other albums, the music is all very beautiful, if somewhat ephemeral. It's hard to pick out a memorable melody among these ten poignant missives, which tend to run together in a bittersweet blur.- AllMusic
- Posted Apr 27, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
In addition to often sleepy and forgettable production, Leray's flow leaves much to be desired and even guests like Nicki Minaj ("Blick Blick"), Fivio Foreign ("Mountains"), and H.E.R. ("Overthinking") can't save the day.- AllMusic
- Posted Apr 26, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The overall effect is mercurial and uneven, but also fun and hooky as well as potentially cathartic -- especially for anyone who is over it.- AllMusic
- Posted Apr 26, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
It's the first truly disappointing album that the band have released and the first where they sound like they are running out of gas instead of hitting on all cylinders.- AllMusic
- Posted Apr 22, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The energy and inspiration are there, but as the band attempt to write more accessible material, some of the uniqueness of their past work is compromised. Still, you can't say that the album is predictable, and even if not every song hits, the band's exuberance is undeniable.- AllMusic
- Posted Apr 1, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Mainstream Sellout feels mostly like a middling attempt to further cross over into pop-punk, this time lighter on ideas and cohesion.- AllMusic
- Posted Mar 25, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Alienating and cathartic at once, Island Family ends on the collage-like tech satire "Remote Control" for a shared cabin fever experience.- AllMusic
- Posted Mar 17, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
2 Chainz simply doesn't sound as inspired as he normally does, as this short set lacks the madcap wit and energy that flow throughout previous albums of much longer duration. A recharge and change of direction clearly seem necessary.- AllMusic
- Posted Mar 11, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
It's all in good fun, and there are some definite highlights, but Magazine 1 is more of a nostalgia exercise than a genuinely remarkable album.- AllMusic
- Posted Mar 10, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Bulat's melodic, folk-leaning tendencies as a songwriter lend themselves well to this kind of makeover, one that adds a touch of elegance to nuanced vocal performances, if rarely improving upon the original recordings.- AllMusic
- Posted Mar 4, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
It's hard to see why most of this album exists beyond letting Ashworth explore and recreate two kinds of music she obviously loves to distraction. Whether anyone should follow along on her quest is up to their tolerance for sift rock platitudes and hard rock cliches.- AllMusic
- Posted Feb 25, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The sense of low-key but heightened melodrama can be alluring thanks to the open-ended arrangements, yet much of Manticore unfolds at a crawl, so it feels much less visceral than previous Shovels & Rope albums even if it has a greater emotional range.- AllMusic
- Posted Feb 18, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
If formulaic in approach, cosmopolitan rhythms and trippy hooks vary, and any track or combination of tracks on the album is well-suited for front-of-house play or for a soundtrack to get the party started.- AllMusic
- Posted Feb 3, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Sees the group shift away from the more anthemic direction of their major hits ("Love Killa," "Gambler") to an airier, more vocally driven set of songs: strummed-funk tracks like "Tied to Your Body" and "Blow Your Mind" pull heavily from Justin Timberlake's early-2000s run, while others like "About Last Night" and "Better" slide toward the nostalgic disco yearnings expressed by their 2010s contemporaries.- AllMusic
- Posted Jan 31, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
DS4 is caught between the woozy, floating sounds of WUNNA and an older, heavier-hitting sound, yet nails neither.- AllMusic
- Posted Jan 31, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Still in command of strong technical skills and now rapping over instrumentals crafted with bigger budgets, Cordae falls short when he starts sounding a little too comfortably at home in the mainstream.- AllMusic
- Posted Jan 31, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
If Good to Be... sometimes is a little too cozy -- it's executed well and its unifying spirit is evident, but a cover of "Lean on Me" still feels a little overly familiar -- it's nevertheless a warm, welcoming album that's every bit as soothing and comforting as Keb' Mo' intended it to be.- AllMusic
- Posted Jan 31, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Although lovingly written and tightly arranged, Havasu's consistently midtempo plod and the bittersweet nature of its subject makes for a somewhat dreary listen.- AllMusic
- Posted Jan 27, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
This is a perfectly adequate Ross LP differentiated by its mix of collaborators more than anything else.- AllMusic
- Posted Jan 18, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
A mellow blend of low-key, late-night, left-field pop and yearning R&B, the release boasts a number of intriguing high-profile collaborator.- AllMusic
- Posted Jan 3, 2022
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The most compelling moments on McCartney III Imagined arrive when artists cut their own version of one of the album's tracks: Phoebe Bridgers finding the sweet, spectral pulse on "Seize the Day," Beck singing along to his funkified version of "Find My Way," and Josh Homme treating "Lavatory Lil" like a Desert Sessions jam. These moments help elevate McCartney III Imagined into something a little more than a curio.- AllMusic
- Posted Dec 22, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Keem is a necessary, forward-thinking presence in the rap zeitgeist -- but The Melodic Blue is a set of variables and experiments, not the game-changer he's capable of producing.- AllMusic
- Posted Dec 22, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Disc one is essentially a standard Alicia Keys LP, while the second disc is an album of remixes plus two more new songs. ... The latter half's new songs are two of the album's higher-profile collaborations: a tentative-sounding missed opportunity with Khalid and Lucky Daye, and an intoxicated duet with Swae Lee where Tyrone Davis' coasting 1979 hit "In the Mood" does most of the work.- AllMusic
- Posted Dec 22, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
It's honestly admirable that the Melvins were willing to take a big risk with an album like Five Legged Dog, but the finished product fails more than it succeeds.- AllMusic
- Posted Dec 20, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
While tracks like the hard-hitting "How You King?" and "Fraud" do a decent job at showcasing his New York City-honed flow, unfortunately, for Montana's cause, the real draws on the album still include a famous friend or two.- AllMusic
- Posted Dec 15, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The energy throughout the album is so steady and positive that, even at a low volume, it can have a pacifying effect on the soul.- AllMusic
- Posted Dec 10, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Like nearly all of Calix's music, absent origin is complex and challenging, but it reflects an unmistakably unique perspective on the world.- AllMusic
- Posted Dec 9, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Windflowers is a wonder of detailed production and easy elegance, though it also suffers from a sameness in tone that dulls its overall impact. It's certainly comfortable, and maybe that was Efterklang's intent, but they are at their best when throwing in the occasional left-turn or sonic shake-up.- AllMusic
- Posted Nov 19, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
It's too relaxed, too casual to be considered major. Its low-key nature is also the appeal of Willie Nelson Family -- it's the sound of an informal jam session by one of the best musical families in America, so it's easy to enjoy even if it feels decidedly minor.- AllMusic
- Posted Nov 19, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Even when the bagpipes show up on "Welcome Tae Glasgae," Motorheart is all riffs and falsetto screams designed to forget reality and dream of crowds packed with headbanging, beer-soaked hedonists singing along to the same songs.- AllMusic
- Posted Nov 18, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
While Imposter doesn't get the blood pumping as much as 2015's Angels & Ghosts, fans in need of a soundtrack for brooding will find this to be an ideal outlet.- AllMusic
- Posted Nov 16, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The polish and punch of latter-day Dan remain, but things are indeed different. Becker's tart presence is missed, Fagen's voice is wispy, and the smooth professionalism does indeed seem as if it was designed to feel at home at venues like the Mohegan Sun casino.- AllMusic
- Posted Nov 11, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The sacred has always sat comfortably with the profane in Rod Stewart's art, and he's holding true to that on The Tears of Hercules, an album that's alternately baffling, absurd, sweet, and endearing.- AllMusic
- Posted Nov 11, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
With a more engaging set of songs, Barnett might easily transpose herself into the mode of introspective singer/songwriter, but alas, Things Take Time, Take Time just feels a little too dull.- AllMusic
- Posted Nov 11, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Conviction is always evident in her soothing voice, even when it's modulated to a jarring extent or sounds somewhat garbled.- AllMusic
- Posted Nov 5, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Throughout it all, Carlos Santana plays vibrant, vigorous guitar and he sounds as engaged playing with Corey Glover or Kirk Hammett as he does a posthumous Chick Corea. That these diverse strands don't quite get threaded together is OK: as a collection of moments, Blessings and Miracles does the job.- AllMusic
- Posted Nov 1, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The record is at its best when it's close to an old-fashioned duet album.- AllMusic
- Posted Nov 1, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Given its mercurial disposition and fleeting playing time -- nothing here reaches the three-minute mark -- Lily We Need to Talk Now ultimately feels like a sampler, if one that whets the appetite for more.- AllMusic
- Posted Oct 29, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
At a scant four tracks, The Roadside EP hardly marks a major release from the veteran artist, but in lead single "Bitter Taste," he presents one of his better late-career offerings. ... The other two cuts, "Rita Hayworth" and "U Don't Have to Kiss Me Like That," are well-executed, if forgettable tracks that harken back to the singer's '80s heyday.- AllMusic
- Posted Oct 18, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
It's no masterpiece, but it's decidedly not the most cringeworthy Ministry release, either, and it's much easier to appreciate the band's creativity this time around.- AllMusic
- Posted Oct 13, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
This isn't a record where the songs and arrangements are at the forefront, it's an album that's all about the show and spectacle. Its pleasures are slightly fleeting but they're pleasures all the same.- AllMusic
- Posted Oct 7, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
There are great moments here, particularly a spare, powerful reworking of Talking Heads' "Listening Wind," and the participants never sound less than sincere, but coming from a band whose heritage includes "Ghost Town," "Doesn't Make It Alright," and "It's Up To You," Protest Songs 1924-2012 never quite reaches its potential.- AllMusic
- Posted Oct 1, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Both acts channel traditional folk music's power to express extreme desire, sorrow, and emptiness, occasionally driving the bitterness home by pushing the decibels into the red.- AllMusic
- Posted Sep 30, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The Metallica Blacklist is fantastic for cherry-picking tracks from your favorite artists or listening in on the more outlandish interpretations of metal classics, but taken as a whole, it's daunting to the point of making even the highlights difficult to appreciate.- AllMusic
- Posted Sep 28, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Aisles is a bit of a one-trick pony, but a cool one that seems prime for themed dinner parties and TV sync placement.- AllMusic
- Posted Sep 27, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Like many artists who have stripped away the noise and rough edges from their sound, what's left over isn't as interesting as it could be, and it's hard not to imagine that the songs on Cool would be better off with a layer of liberally applied grungy fuzz coating them.- AllMusic
- Posted Sep 10, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
As it stands now, the album is an overlong, undercooked, and cliched listen that will no doubt appeal to the Drake fans who can't get enough of him, but will leave anyone looking for something new sadly out of luck.- AllMusic
- Posted Sep 7, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Donda isn't without its highlights, but taken as a whole, it's both confused and confusing.- AllMusic
- Posted Sep 2, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The follow-up delves into dysfunctional relationships, death, and despair with a more polished yet still hooky, jagged indie rock co-produced by De Souza and Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee).- AllMusic
- Posted Aug 26, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
If you're riding and vibing with Lorde, this bright shapelessness is superb mood music. If you're not riding her wave, Solar Power can seem elusive, even cloying, as it circles and sways with a smile.- AllMusic
- Posted Aug 26, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Stylistically in line with The Baby, Scout serves as an understated addendum that packs a sentimental punch.- AllMusic
- Posted Aug 18, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
It's not a buried gem or a return to form but a snapshot of an excellent musician having a pretty good run in the studio.- AllMusic
- Posted Aug 2, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
While this is a loving tribute to Frank Navetta (who died in 2008), if you were hoping for more of the subtle but genuine forward growth the band has shown on later-day albums like Cool to Be You and Hypercaffium Spazzinate, what you get instead is a journey into the past, with all the good and bad that phrase implies.- AllMusic
- Posted Jul 27, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
While Ty Dolla $ign's street gospel support on the title song is a fine match, H.E.R. more often is too accommodating, most so on the Lil Baby meeting "Find a Way," where she drops de rigueur references to her bag, haters, and one of rap's most popular luxury cars. On a more discreet level, however, "Bloody Waters" -- a heady Kaytranada production tricked out with a delectable Thundercat bassline -- is a brilliant sequel of sorts to her Academy Award-winning "Fight for You."- AllMusic
- Posted Jul 9, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Unlike their first two albums, which landed high on the breeziness scale, Mirror II is a tougher listen. It's clear that the band want to grow and expand their musical horizons but less clear that they are able to do that successfully. That being said, ultimately there is enough craft to the songwriting, energetic verve in the performances, and painful truth in the lyrics that the album is worth listening to, and the band is worth sticking with if only to see where they go from here.- AllMusic
- Posted Jul 9, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Levine and company aren't the focus here, they're the connective tissue on a softly amorphous album that sounds entirely like latter-day Maroon 5 without ever quite seeming to belong to them.- AllMusic
- Posted Jun 30, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
At only 23 years old, she already has four albums to her credit and while her talent is obvious, a touch more vulnerability wouldn't hurt.- AllMusic
- Posted Jun 25, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Preacher's Sigh & Potion sounds a bit jarring at first, but it makes more sense considering Dear's family background, and it does have a kind of rootsy, lived-in charm the more time one spends with it. Even if the songs don't always work, at least they feel like earnest personal expressions rather than forced, miscalculated "who is this even for?" hybrids.- AllMusic
- Posted Jun 25, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Baptize hits hard early on with a trio of nosebleed section-aimed sonic missiles: the pummeling title cut and its equally unrelenting successors "Save Us" and "Underrated." Therein lies the rub. What follows is no better or worse, just largely the same, with Saller delivering post-hardcore banalities with gusto and the band peppering those surface-level maxims with blazing riffage and fist-pumping gang vocals, ad nauseam.- AllMusic
- Posted Jun 22, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
A solid collection, but the shadow cast over the project by DMX's death highlights some of the inconsistencies and adds a heaviness and sense of unfinishedness that's palpable throughout.- AllMusic
- Posted Jun 3, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The songwriter goes on to defy social etiquette with more of her direct lyrics about sex, desire, and self-loathing on songs with titles sure to offend or at least embarrass a few parents. Ulven tests the line between potential catch phrases and potential cringes on more than a couple occasions here.- AllMusic
- Posted May 26, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The customary meeting with dancehall stars, "Where You Come From," closes out the set in fine style, but doesn't prevent the album from contending for Khaled's most disposable project.- AllMusic
- Posted May 26, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Taken together, The Power of Rocks is a pleasantly puckish jumble -- which in this case may well mean mission accomplished.- AllMusic
- Posted May 19, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The set employs the unique, off-beat flow preferred by the Michigan underground, which Yachty adopts well enough on tracks like "Concrete Goonies" and "Final Form."- AllMusic
- Posted May 11, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
As always, his saving grace is his expert control of his voice and good musical taste, qualities that prevent Latest Record Project, Vol. 1 from being as sour as its creator.- AllMusic
- Posted May 7, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Mostly, Let the Bad Times Roll sounds like what it is: the work of middle-aged punk lifers who don't change their style, sound, or perspective.- AllMusic
- Posted Apr 23, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Compared to Dekadrone, BN9Drone doesn't quite lift off, staying closer to the ground for its duration, and at 64 minutes (including a false ending), it simply goes on for roughly twice as long as it needs to. A shorter dose of it can be effective, however.- AllMusic
- Posted Apr 23, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Swift largely re-creates the arrangements and feel of the original 2008 album, yet her voice and phrasing has aged, giving the music a hint of bittersweet gravity. That said, it's only a hint; Fearless (Taylor's Version) serves the purpose of offering new versions that could be substituted for the originals for licensing purposes. It's to Swift's credit that the album is an absorbing (if long) listen anyway.- AllMusic
- Posted Apr 15, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
If In Another World doesn't quite feel like a classic Cheap Trick, blame that on the group's dogged adherence to their old blueprint; they follow it so closely that they don't allow room for adventure, mistake, or fashion. Maybe that means the album doesn't quite seem fresh, but it does hit its marks in a reliable, satisfying manner.- AllMusic
- Posted Apr 15, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Lovato's frankness is disarming, forcing a listener to reckon with the depths of the singer's distinction, yet the album works best when it veers toward lighter territory, letting the slick R&B rhythms and sugared hooks carry Lovato's emoting.- AllMusic
- Posted Apr 15, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
More Geddy Lee than Robert Plant, Josh Kiszka commands attention then alienates; his wail is the weak link in a group who is getting better at their period-accurate cosplay.- AllMusic
- Posted Apr 15, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
What's striking about the compilation is how a roster as diverse as Eric Clapton, Shaggy, Mary J. Blige, Annie Lennox, Herbie Hancock, Sam Moore, and Julio Iglesias doesn't sound especially eclectic; when the common denominator is Sting, all the guests adapt to his particular ways.- AllMusic
- Posted Mar 19, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Consistency is a virtue in this case: maybe Starr does little more than deliver what he promises, but he does deliver, and that reliability is a comfort in times of uncertainty.- AllMusic
- Posted Mar 19, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
It's hard to tell what Smerz are going for on this perplexing mess of an album, but there's clearly a lot of potential to their ambitious fusion of modern classical, R&B, and experimental club styles -- they just haven't made their vision clear yet.- AllMusic
- Posted Mar 16, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
If the format doesn't seem as fresh as it did back in 2016, when Full Circle was the first record released from the sessions, that's only due to it being the fourth in a series of albums. On its own merits, Still Woman Enough is strong and vibrant, a testament to Lynn's enduring gifts and place in the firmament of 20th century country music.- AllMusic
- Posted Mar 15, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The melodies go exactly where you want them to, as do the emotional beats, resulting in a lovely travelogue that avoids steering down any seasonal roads, and in doing so quickly fades from memory.- AllMusic
- Posted Feb 25, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Detroit Stories is stuck in a confusing limbo somewhere between tribute to Detroit and another album of the kind of campy, theatrical, radio-geared hard rock Cooper has been turning in since Hey Stoopid. Never quite committing to either concept, Detroit Stories ends up feeling like a handful of solid covers of classic Detroit tunes with some Alice Cooper extras thrown in at random.- AllMusic
- Posted Feb 24, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
While the individual songs may not be as fun on average as those of its predecessor, Lines Redacted does drive home the feeling of dissatisfaction while, like a Ramones under the influence, locking into an admirably irreverent, distinctive persona.- AllMusic
- Posted Feb 11, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Ultimately landing like a skill set in progress more than an artist fully formed, Super Monster is nevertheless sweet and full of winsome promise.- AllMusic
- Posted Feb 11, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The Third Chimpanzee unmistakably feels like a side project. It's intriguing to hear what sounds and moods he can create outside of the context of his band, but even compared to the more fully realized MG, the EP merely sounds tentative. However, it's worth noting that the striking cover art was painted by Pockets Warhol, a capuchin monkey, which is fascinating.- AllMusic
- Posted Feb 1, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
In sum, those who had trouble with To the Bone, Wilson's well-executed homage to the progressive pop of Kate Bush, Tears for Fears, and Peter Gabriel, may have even more with this. Most fans, however, especially more recent ones, shouldn't find The Future Bites an inconsistent entry in Wilson's catalog, but an arguably minor one that steps sideways instead of forward.- AllMusic
- Posted Feb 1, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
While a bit muddled and confusing, the album certainly invites the audience to listen attentively and figure out their own interpretations.- AllMusic
- Posted Jan 29, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
If emotionally unresolved, Ongoing Dispute does deliver on engaging hooks and rousing choruses, at least until that wistful outro, "Friends on Ice," which closes the album in a wash of chiming guitars and circular thought.- AllMusic
- Posted Jan 22, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
This is a warm, low-key affair, a record about family bonds and togetherness that gets by on its gentle, endearing vibes.- AllMusic
- Posted Jan 20, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
This is a relaxed, generous affair, an album where the featured star and his guests defer not just to each other but to the songs they are singing.- AllMusic
- Posted Jan 20, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
A few of the pieces are a bit more abstract, such as the meditative "Illuminations," the title cut to Devadip Carlos Santana and Turiya Alice Coltrane's 1974 collaboration (which remains strangely overlooked within both legends' catalogs), or the performance art avant-disco of Justine & the Victorian Punks' "Still You," a 1979 Peter Gordon production. Otherwise, the group tend to focus on relaxed yet sophisticated pop with a bit of a funk tinge to it.- AllMusic
- Posted Jan 12, 2021
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Not quite as malevolent as the title indicates, it's a little more openhearted than Faiyaz's earlier output, but it does contain flashes of the cynical outlook and more of the remorseless (if sensitively delivered) slow jams for which he's known.- AllMusic
- Posted Dec 23, 2020
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Arriving the same year as the quasi-concept LP Migration Stories, Think of Spring, with its lo-fi esthetic and ambling gait, is compelling at times but feels more like a lark than a passion project.- AllMusic
- Posted Dec 10, 2020
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
His cadence and phrasing often recall those of Petty, so initially it's not hard to imagine these tunes as a collection of writing demos for his departed friends, but spend more time with Wreckless Abandon, and it becomes clear how Campbell's taste and aesthetic meshed with Petty so thoroughly, he can write a pretty good Heartbreakers record on his own.- AllMusic
- Posted Dec 1, 2020
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
There's some ambling charm to Greendale, but Return to Greendale won't convert doubters. Instead, it'll play well to the album's fans, as this sounds like a leaner, muscular version of the studio set.- AllMusic
- Posted Nov 19, 2020
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Four or five less tracks and a little less time spent extrapolating on the end of the world would have made for a far more engaging listen, even taking into consideration how rare new material from Busta Rhymes can be in this phase of his work.- AllMusic
- Posted Nov 5, 2020
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The faintly cosmopolitan dance-pop grooves and finely measured ballads offer few unexpected turns. They're set apart more by a lack of gospel and soul, consequently rendering Love Goes plain by Smith's standard -- unfortunate for an artist whose instrument is anything but that.- AllMusic
- Posted Nov 5, 2020
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
Such an intense, sustained focus does mean Positions succeeds in sounding sexy but it doesn't do much outside of that: apart from the title track, few songs stand out as individual songs, the rhythm and productions are all painted in shades of grey, and Grande disappears into the setting of her own design.- AllMusic
- Posted Nov 5, 2020
- Read full review
-
- Critic Score
The desperation in her voice is accentuated by her close-fisted strums on (usually) an acoustic guitar, a combination that underscores how this is music made of and for isolation.- AllMusic
- Posted Oct 19, 2020
- Read full review