Alternative Press' Scores
- Music
For 3,071 reviews, this publication has graded:
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64% higher than the average critic
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3% same as the average critic
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33% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0.5 points higher than other critics.
(0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 73
| Highest review score: | Major/Minor | |
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| Lowest review score: | Results May Vary |
Score distribution:
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Positive: 2,331 out of 3071
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Mixed: 695 out of 3071
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Negative: 45 out of 3071
3071
music
reviews
- By Date
- By Critic Score
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- Critic Score
By making a record that solely lives up to the standards they've set themselves, Rancid have maintained their dedication to the punk ethos with a resonance that will shine longer than the dozen rewrites of "Ruby Soho" some fans want from them. [Jul 2009, p.121]- Alternative Press
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Overall, this collision of dirty loops and polished pop is Information you need. [Dec 2006, p.198]- Alternative Press
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This disc is more fun than leafing through a schizophrenic's case history and twice as loud--and this reviwer can't wait for the sequel. [Oct 2008, p.158]- Alternative Press
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Architects somehow increase the ferocity with hit-and-run instrumentation to highlight Sam Carter, the genre's strongest clean vocalist and screamer. [Jun 2016, p.100]- Alternative Press
Posted May 26, 2016 -
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The group's ability to layer long, melodic arcs over squibs of dissonance has never been more surgical or soulful. [May 2011, p.92]- Alternative Press
Posted Apr 22, 2011 -
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The closest punk has come to the dread of Robert Johnson, the mischief of Bessie Smith or the joy of Mahalia Jackson. [Jun 2003, p.94]- Alternative Press
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Rather than suffering from the absence of Technicolor mania, Point instead revels in its nuances and depth, emanating a maturity and cohesion that Fantasma lacked. [Feb 2002, p.68]- Alternative Press
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Oracle sees Kittie moving from novelty status to bone-crushing legitimacy. [Jan 2002, p.86]- Alternative Press
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His brilliant mash-up of dancehall, techno, booty bass and stomping glam is a guaranteed floor-filler, whether you're laughing or not. [Jun 2003, p.109]- Alternative Press
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Ex Models make the cleanest and most non-metal racket you're likely to find. [Jul 2003, p.113]- Alternative Press
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Posted May 3, 2013 -
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Typical electronic fare mixed with a captivating rock sensibility. [Jul 2005, p.186]- Alternative Press
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More fun than most of the original NYC no-wave bands to which the Seconds pay tribute. [May 2006, p.178]- Alternative Press
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Because their energy matches their vision, they've managed to make the best record of their career thus far. [Jun 2007, p.148]- Alternative Press
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Thanks to such marked songwriting growth, Wolf's Law cements the Joy Formidable as a ferocious rock act and as a band with plenty to say. [Feb 2013, p.89]- Alternative Press
Posted Jan 9, 2013 -
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Regardless of one's opinion on music that drawls, Changing Horses is worth your attention. [Mar 2009, p.106]- Alternative Press
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The chops are there, the gimmck is there, and hopefully, the fanbase will be there, too. [Apr 2009, p.135]- Alternative Press
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Ultimately, this is a forceful, headlong album with no ballads or restful interludes among its 10 tracks. [May 2014, p.91]- Alternative Press
Posted Jun 12, 2014 -
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Sound[s] like the work of a band once again coming into their own. [Feb 2006, p.128]- Alternative Press
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It's clear that the Trail Of Dead we once knew no longer exists. [Jan 2007, p.139]- Alternative Press
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Together Fire and Water form one of the most breathtaking albums of the year. [Nov 2007, p.166]- Alternative Press
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Common Existence cements Thursday as not only the forefathers of the scene, but also the reigning kings. [Mar 2009, p.102]- Alternative Press
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Always harmonious and sometimes frantic, the songs on R.E.V.O. have an uplifting feel--perfect for a band who encourage people to listen to the music and forget their problems.- Alternative Press
- Posted Mar 28, 2013
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A welcome return to form in which [Corgan] plays rock music not out of obligation, but out of celebration. [March 2003, p.83]- Alternative Press
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Taken in one healthy, heroic dose, Typical System feels like a dazzling glimpse into the future of underground rock. [Jul 2014, p.102]- Alternative Press
Posted Jun 26, 2014 -
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Most of Valende's songs have that creepy nursery-rhyme thing that people who read too much Lewis Carroll would call "whimsy." [Mar 2005, p.132]- Alternative Press
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Going "conventional" may be the strangest move the Residents have ever made. [May 2005, p.178]- Alternative Press
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For the most part, the album eschews the elaborate orchestration that defined his solo debut in lieu of atmospheric--and expansive--rock songs. [Nov 2006, p.186]- Alternative Press
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LOTP cram tons of stylistic inversions into 43 minutes. We had no idea attention deficit disorder could sound this majestic. [Feb 2009, p.102]- Alternative Press
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The album as a whole is multifaceted and full of variety, but always locked tight into a sound Yukon Blonde have perfected: punchy pop, straight up. [Apr 2012, p.99]- Alternative Press
Posted Mar 30, 2012 -
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Bazooka!!!'s distillation of rock history roars with irresistible energy and zest, making the album an unabashed delight. [Oct 2003, p.138]- Alternative Press
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There's something simple and true about The Rhumb Line--and Ra Ra Riot--that draws you back to both again and again. [Sep 2008, p.150]- Alternative Press
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Understated but never anemic, Sunny Border Blue's tales of love, family and growth succeed largely due to Hersh's masterful acoustic guitar. [#154, p.81]- Alternative Press
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The album provides further evidence of Drozd's remarkable artistic growth since he took on a more active songwriting role starting with The Soft Bulletin. [Sep 2014, p.106]- Alternative Press
Posted Aug 18, 2014 -
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[Dalek] have harnessed their noise fetish into a sound that's more sedate, but just as unnerving. [Apr 2007, p.194]- Alternative Press
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"Piano Mantra" is ambitious, but he pulls it all off in an epic way--which could be said for MCII as a whole. [Jun 2013, p.92]- Alternative Press
Posted May 2, 2013 -
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On any other Walkmen album, just the hooky brilliance of the title track could be enough to declare this set a success, but there's never been one quite like this before.- Alternative Press
- Posted Jun 1, 2012
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Everything that has made Boysetsfire an essential hardcore band since they formed in the mid-’90s fits into the right spots on this new album.- Alternative Press
- Posted Jun 11, 2013
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They drench Great Divide in both attitude and dirty fuzz, making for a record that draws from timeless arena rock while sounding fresh and new. [Sep 2014, p.110]- Alternative Press
Posted Aug 18, 2014 -
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The haze is fairly one-dimensional, but it's an engrossing path of melancholia. [Oct 2014, p.102]- Alternative Press
Posted Sep 22, 2014 -
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On Small Craft, the 62-year-old Eno has provided both sonic career overview, as well as an engaging experience for listeners wanting something both familiar and new. [Dec 2010, p.111]- Alternative Press
Posted Oct 29, 2010 -
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It crushes with more speed, weirdness and sheer sonic weight than "Hope For Men" and the band's punkier debut, 2005's "Shallow." [Sep 2009, p.108]- Alternative Press
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Ultimately, To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere is a small triumph not just in its existence but also in its execution. Second chances don't normally sound this sweet.- Alternative Press
- Posted May 26, 2016
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Even without a high-profile knob-twiddler [Walla] this would have sounded like their version of Husker Du's Metal Circus--a document of grace on the way to greatness. [Jul 2004, p.138]- Alternative Press
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The first five tracks just feel like the opening act for the stripped-down, twangy acoustic trilogy that closes out the album. [May 2005, p.172]- Alternative Press
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Posted Oct 6, 2014 -
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While he certainly has the ability to rage in a Mel-Gibson-esque blow-me-while -I-burn-the-house-down style, Cave brings enough grace and reticence to the songs, making the proceedings even more sinister. [Oct 2010, p.113]- Alternative Press
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Posted Mar 19, 2013 -
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Your Majesty comes off as less gooey and precocious than your average Vagrant Records paramour. [May 2002, p.78]- Alternative Press
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Moves from intense free jazz to gamelan to Boredoms-like (Ger)manic trance rock to fusionoid Tortoise-style meanderings-as played by psilocybin-gobbling aliens. [Feb 2004, p.93]- Alternative Press
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Everything from the swirly, '90s guitars to the harmony-laced background vocals just scream a band gazing far beyond their genre trappings. [Jul 2014, p.102]- Alternative Press
Posted Jun 4, 2014 -
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In short, Mythologiesis reverent to past creative innovations, while creating a few of its own. [Dec 2015, p.104]- Alternative Press
Posted Nov 2, 2015 -
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When stripped back to basics the Brains are as brilliantly brutal as ever. [Dec 2012, p.88]- Alternative Press
Posted Nov 21, 2012 -
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Les Savy Fav received high marks before, but this album proves this oft-comical band are no joke. [Oct 2010, p.116]- Alternative Press
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Their take on Delta blues and twisted folk is continually spot-on, going down equally well with a bad breakup or a cold beer with pals. [Nov 2007, p.172]- Alternative Press
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Pole's organic, vibrant music suggests he's busted out of his creative doldrums with gusto. [Aug 2003, p.110]- Alternative Press
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For those who like their sweetness a little sour. [Jul 2011, p.110]- Alternative Press
Posted Jul 14, 2011 -
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The allure is, as ever, the trio's use of the stereo field, and their ability to pump some breathing room into these otherwise sticky and humid tunes. [Dec 2015, p.106]- Alternative Press
Posted Nov 2, 2015 -
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Shredding is more notable for its urgency and energy. Oh Superchunk! It's so good to have you back. [Oct 2010, p.117]- Alternative Press
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Alongside Barthel's sweet kiss-off in "Mouthful Of Diamonds," Carter's tortured lead vocals on "You Are The Ocean" keep the rest of Eyelid Movies brimming with palpable sexual tension until the closing credits. There had better be a sequel. [Mar 2010, p.95]- Alternative Press
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While Turner's penchant for experimentation is impressive, his ability to juxtapose all of these genres without losing his sense of identity is ultimately what makes England Keep My Bones such a grand success. [Jul 2011, p.108]- Alternative Press
Posted Jun 7, 2011 -
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Filled with laid-back, intelligent electronica equally suited to dancing and chilling, Production ultimately succeeds through its deft combination of strikingly disparate elements. [#153, p.79]- Alternative Press
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This set [is] their best yet. Every member's in fine form here. [Nov 2016, p.88]- Alternative Press
Posted Oct 10, 2016 -
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While The Campire Headphase sounds slightly defalted compared to [earlier] discs, it stlll has many charms. [Jan 2006, p.144]- Alternative Press
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The moments of stylistic diversity, as well as the lack of trendhopping (read: no dubstep) makes the continued evolution of Blaqk Audio worth following.- Alternative Press
- Posted Oct 2, 2012
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Practically seamless in execution, the worldly Sound Kapital reaches its peak with the anthemic "Repatriated," an upbeat track ready for dance floors from Brooklyn to Bangkok. [Jul 2011, p.110]- Alternative Press
Posted Jun 20, 2011 -
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Joyce Manor successfully break through the quintessential sound of both pop and punk to beautifully curate a 10-track album that is a little weird, unabashedly intimate and all too relatable. [Nov 2016, p.90]- Alternative Press
Posted Oct 10, 2016 -
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Okereke's voice, whether against an early-90s down-tempo club beat or a rattling guitar, is ever-evolving and worth many listens. [Nov 2014, p.90]- Alternative Press
Posted Oct 7, 2014 -
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While Fantasy Empire does sound more crisp [recording in a proper studio] as a result, their music hasn't lost its raw energy. [Apr 2015, p.93]- Alternative Press
Posted Mar 13, 2015 -
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The majority of this disc expertly locates that elusive bull's eye between art and accessibility. [Nov 2009, p.106]- Alternative Press
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[It] has a charm that transcends your typical noise-splunk band. [Mar 2007, p.145]- Alternative Press
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Nada Surf's blend of melancholy, anxiety and child-like optimism is fully intact on their first collection of original material in four years. [Feb 2012, p.84]- Alternative Press
Posted Jan 18, 2012 -
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While many of their contemporaries remain content with the particular style that brought them to the dance, Deftones never feared exploring new avenues to advance their sound; Gore represents their latest evolution.- Alternative Press
- Posted Apr 6, 2016
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Where the Postelles excel over Hammond's band is in how sublimely relaxed they sound.- Alternative Press
Posted Dec 14, 2010 -
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The band may have taken their time, but the finished product more than justifies the wait. [Mar 2014, p.89]- Alternative Press
Posted Mar 11, 2014 -
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The Rev is still peddling a buoyant mix of rockabilly, surf and cow-punk aimed at covering life's sinful little pleasures. [Apr 2002, p.98]- Alternative Press
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Not as overtly catchy (or cheesy) as Discovery, Human After All nonetheless is a hilariously cold and mechanical work that makes Kraftwerk sound like Curtis Mayfield. [May 2005, p.138]- Alternative Press
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The best Shannon And The Clams record to date. [Jun 2013, p.98]- Alternative Press
Posted May 22, 2013 -
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Gone for the most part are the skittering disco-punk rhythms and fully engorged urgency that drove their material. Instead, you have a slower, more methodical approach that lets these pop gems blossom out in thin ribbons.- Alternative Press
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It may take a few spins to fully appreciate French Kicks' nuances, but those who give them time will be greatly rewarded. [Jul 2002, p.81]- Alternative Press
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Most of Neighborhood Watch is uncompromising proof that hip-hoppers, like rockers, can move units and still stay true. [May 2004, p.106]- Alternative Press
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This is a farewell album, but the band are going out at full strength. [Jun 2014, p.104]- Alternative Press
Posted Jun 12, 2014 -
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It's proof that there's plenty of life left in its creators. [Aug 2017, p.83]- Alternative Press
Posted Jul 14, 2017 -
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Generally speaking, though, White Silence finds Cave In at the heaviest point of their career since 1998's Until Your Heart Stops--and easily at their noisiest and most experimental.- Alternative Press
- Posted May 24, 2011
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