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
This is metalcore comfort food from two veterans, and little more. [Feb 2011, p.90]- Alternative Press
Posted Mar 1, 2011 -
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The hooks aren't quite as memorable as last time, and Elvis Baskette's production at times make the band sound like faceless radio rock--but the disc ultimately might soon find TFT making good on their arena-rock aspirations. [Jul 2011, p.112]- Alternative Press
Posted Aug 10, 2011 -
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A sobering reminder of how frustrating it can be when a talented group become tethered to their established aesthetic. [Feb 2007, p.118]- Alternative Press
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It's the type of record you rock before bedtime, and that by no means is an insult. [Jul 2007, p.184]- Alternative Press
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The songs have the urgency and vitriol we've come to expect from the band, but there's one major problem: the spit shine production. [Jul 2004, p.128]- Alternative Press
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It's a decent disc that'll simultaneously satisfy your cravings for pop music and the avant-garde. [Dec 2008, p.153]- Alternative Press
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He seems hell-bent on sabotaging his amiable, acoustic-guitar-based songs with the sort of distortion and static that drive most engineers up the soundproofed wall. [Jan 2005, p.114]- Alternative Press
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More power to those who can do it, but from this perspective, it's nearly impossible to enjoy Man Man's Six Demon Bag while sober. [Apr 2006, p.222]- Alternative Press
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The music you'd imagine might play as you ascend to heaven--or the soundtrack to the WB's next teen drama. [Aug 2004, p.118]- Alternative Press
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While dissonant noise is the main component of the duo's slacker shoegaze, hidden beneath those layers of distortion are some moments of melody. [Jul 2014, p.102]- Alternative Press
Posted Jun 20, 2014 -
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Being lacks enough urgency to sustain nearly 38 full-throttle minutes and becomes an analogy for the unvarying capitalization on its record sleeve.- Alternative Press
- Posted Jul 26, 2012
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It makes for a fairly entertaining show if you're willing to put down your hot wings for a second to sep outside to watch. [Nov 2008, p.162]- Alternative Press
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God Says No is the sound of a band heading toward the charts, full-speed.... This is a disappointing record for longitme fans; maybe new ears will dig it. [#153, p.81]- Alternative Press
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The two sides of their musical personality aren't in balance, but it doesn't make this album any less fun or rocking. [Feb 2014, p.92]- Alternative Press
Posted Jan 27, 2014 -
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Although a bit more of that energy [on tracks like "Your Head Got Misplaced" and "Sick And Impatient"] would've been welcome, Youth is still a lush, inventive listen great for headphones--just not stage-diving.[Jul 2013, p.96]- Alternative Press
Posted Jul 30, 2013 -
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It's uncomplicated, catchy fun, the equivalent of 21st-century hair metal-and that's meant as a compliment.- Alternative Press
- Posted Jan 18, 2012
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The net effect is unsettling distance, not pointed commentary. [Apor 2009, p.134]- Alternative Press
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Raditude seems intent on establishing itself as a now album, sacrificing any sort of cohesive vibe for a pop-friendly disc designed for car stereos to be turned to 11.- Alternative Press
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Admittedly, this kinder, gentler Half Japanese lack the shambling brilliance of earlier incarnations, but, hey, we all lose a step with age. [#155, p.76]- Alternative Press
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Sonic Nurse is better than 90 percent of new rock, but with younger combos like Lightning Bolt and Liars stealing their thunder, these well-meaning vets come off as old and in the way. [Jul 2004, p.134]- Alternative Press
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Like Creeper's previous albums, Take Back The Universe is a delicate piece of criss-crossing jangles and loose-limbed riffs, but the shimmery sprawl never coalesces into anything concrete. [#154, p.73]- Alternative Press
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On the whole, the songs are more tuneful and airy and less spastic than previous riot-on-the-stage efforts. [Mar 2007, p.143]- Alternative Press
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An ambitious record that pays skillful tribute to teachers like Pink Floyd, but shows off its ambition too much. [Nov 2001, p.94]- Alternative Press
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Costello clutters many fine compositions with kitchen-sink arrangements and cacophonous production that bring into focus how sorely missed estranged Attractions bassist Bruce Thomas is throughout. [Jun 2002, p.75]- Alternative Press
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brakesbrakesbrakes are as eclectic (musically) and clever (lyrically) as ever on their third album. [June 2009, p.98]- Alternative Press
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On The Constant, SOTY have shown they've mastered their current sound. Here's hoping for a little more experimentation next time. [Mar 2010, p.95]- Alternative Press
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With shorter songs and more restrained production it lacks the epic quality of its predecessor, and overall it is weaker for it.- Alternative Press
- Posted May 22, 2013
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The subject matter may be a bit heavy, but the beats keep it bouncing along. [Jul 2001, p.73]- Alternative Press
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Electrified certainly isn't the most original album you'll hear this year, but crunchy pop like this doesn't have to work very hard to impress the indie set. [Jul 2005, p.176]- Alternative Press
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Has an infectious energy that keeps things from growing stale. [May 2002, p.84]- Alternative Press
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III/IV is the director's cut of a moment in Ryan Adams' all-too-prolific career. It adds dimension in some areas, but may be too much information for causal fans of the singer/songwriter.- Alternative Press
- Posted Dec 21, 2010
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The feeling isn't sucked out yet, but the focus is. [Sep 2002, p.92]- Alternative Press
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Sometimes it works, other times it just sounds bitter and gratuitous. [Jul 2013, p.96]- Alternative Press
Posted Jun 18, 2013 -
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The Postelles flash moments of this talent, but often come off as a pedestrian version of a banal sound.- Alternative Press
- Posted Apr 24, 2013
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Rather than try and move these songs into new territory, everyone involved seem hellbent on remaking Lewis into something closer to Sheryl Crow or Shania Twain. It’s a weird place for her to be in, yet one that she looks to be acclimating to quite easily.- Alternative Press
- Posted Aug 1, 2014
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If you’ve long hoped for a more mainstream direction and always wanted to hear just how sweet a singer Krauss is, Bitter Rivals could be your favorite Sleigh Bells yet. But if you’re wishing they could’ve evolved in a way that didn’t involve quite so many ballads and especially not at the expense of what made Sleigh Bells so great, this might not be as essential as you presumed it would be.- Alternative Press
- Posted Oct 7, 2013
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Unsound falters on ragged tune such as "Sectionals In Mourning" and "Semi-Pseudo-Sort-Of-Plan;" these songs feel far too much like half-finished rehearsal takes that could use some tightening. [Aug 2012, p.92]- Alternative Press
Posted Jul 3, 2012 -
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Much of the album is comprised of moiody, softly undulating numbers whose beauty is offset by a frictioness drift which prevents them from truly taking hold. [Dec 2009, p.108]- Alternative Press
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While the album has bright spots, overall it feels a bit dull and without the spark that made 1998's "Midwestern Songs Of The Americas" so fresh and exciting. [Dec 2008, p.132]- Alternative Press
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In place of Morcheeba's poetic brooding is a poppy, chorus-hook-chorus songwriting style that will probably irk a lot of their fans.... From the sounds of it, Morcheeba are going for the teen-pop market... [#146, p.104]- Alternative Press
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The album's best moment is "You've Got So Far To Go," which is straightforward without sacrificing nuance or energy. If only the rest of Damnesia could have been on that same wavelength. [Aug 2011, p.112]- Alternative Press
Posted Jul 8, 2011 -
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May be the weirdest record Malkmus has made since Pavement's Wowee Zowee. [Jul 2005, p.174]- Alternative Press
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Somewhat mirthless and at times downright android-sexy, The Eraser is what many Radiohead fans have come to expect from Yorke in recent years. [Sep 2006, p.228]- Alternative Press
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There's nothing that leaps out as brilliant, just like there's not a single example of the band trying something genuinely risky and new, and falling on their collective face.- Alternative Press
- Posted Dec 7, 2012
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Unfortunately, the band overcompensate for all the testosterone with modern-rock romps like "Some Say" and with bland ballads like "Slipping Away." [Dec 2004, p.142]- Alternative Press
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Like a football running back, it's when the band put their heads down and sprint straight ahead that they score. [mar 2009, p.113]- Alternative Press
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The trouble is, not much sets this new album apart from their career benchmarks, like 2002's Nothing or 1998's Chaosphere.- Alternative Press
- Posted Mar 26, 2012
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A confident and bold album... [but] it unfortunately expends so much energy being spooky and otherworldly that most of the anticipated enchanting beauty is nowhere to be found. [Sep 2005, p.156]- Alternative Press
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Posted Dec 14, 2011 -
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The simple, muscular rock and folk are matched in directness by lyrics that keep returning to troubled relationships, and risk the occasional awkward line to make their point. [May 2009, p.121]- Alternative Press
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My Morning Jacket no longer sound like a band of curious adventurers perpetually at odds with their former selves, and consequently deliver an album that plays like a sort of kid-in-a-candy-shop, take-a-little-of-everything thrill ride. Predictably, results vary.- Alternative Press
- Posted Dec 14, 2011
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Unlike more polished bands with little to say after two releases, the Walkmen sound like they're gradually striding into some big shoes. [Mar 2004, p.106]- Alternative Press
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They're playing a style of politicized pop-punk with snotty vocals that's too similar to a vastly superior band. [Aug 2011, p.114]- Alternative Press
Posted Aug 4, 2011 -
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Although it sounds pristine, Youth often drifts along aimlessly, mostly because of shapeless songwriting that stresses atmosphere and sound sculpting over structure. [Jan 2014, p.95]- Alternative Press
Posted Jan 21, 2014 -
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Stag for the most part rocks with biting fierceness and vibrant energy. [#155, p.81]- Alternative Press
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Unsurprisingly, he's at his best when he's melding heartfelt lyrics with otherworldly noise. [Sep 2006, p.230]- Alternative Press
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There's enough classic songcraft here to ensure Forgetting isn't forgotten. [Mar 2012, p.97]- Alternative Press
Posted Feb 13, 2012 -
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It's not for a lack of experimentation on Collet's part that Rat foregoes any sort of bar raing. It's still a solid forging of '70s-rock gruff. [Apr 2010, p.122]- Alternative Press
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The only thing missing is Gibbard's unique voice--well, that, and the solid songwriting that made the Postal Service's Give Up a classic, rather than just a pleasant listen. [Mar 2005, p.122]- Alternative Press
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Mountaintops is still well-crafted (if overwrought), but lacks the punch that'll make you sit up and take notice. [Oct 2011, p.109]- Alternative Press
Posted Sep 13, 2011 -
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In Many ways, No Age have successfully distilled the pop essence of early-90s Sonic Youth: no mean feat, just not as memorable as last time. [Oct 2010, p.116]- Alternative Press
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Momento Mori is a good album, with the awesome 'Set Apart This Dream' and 'Again' shining with their anthemic choruses and deft use of pop melody. The tragedy is that it could have been great. [Dec 2009, p.108]- Alternative Press
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Most of the songs... aren't nearly as interesting as the album's title, offering only random snippets of truly engaging music. [Sep 2005, p.156]- Alternative Press
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It all combines for an enjoyable listen... provided you block out the lyrics. [#146, p.102]- Alternative Press
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There's nothing about Robert Sledge and Darren Jessee's performance on Life that will make you realize you're listening to Ben Folds Five. Still, a few songs are gems. [Oct 2012, p.84]- Alternative Press
Posted Sep 18, 2012 -
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Their uncalculated sound puts them a step above their shamelessly careerist peers like the Von Bondies. [Jul 2005, p.182]- Alternative Press
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The pieces don't always fit comfortably together, but the picture remains remarkable. [Jul 2013, p.102]- Alternative Press
Posted Jun 25, 2013 -
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Cruel World's glitchy electronic sound, reminiscent of his solo work on Anticon, sometimes makes it hard to tell there's a band involved. [Aug 2011, p.122]- Alternative Press
Posted Jul 27, 2011 -
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One can only wonder how Sinners Never Sleep would have fared had it been more consistent. [Nov 2011, p.98]- Alternative Press
Posted Nov 15, 2011 -
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If you're confused and bewildered by Power, you're probably not alone. [Dec 2004, p.146]- Alternative Press
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The anthems still have Morrissey and Marr in their DNA, but they pout more than they roar. [Sep 2014, p.108]- Alternative Press
Posted Aug 19, 2014 -
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Li(f)e's musical concept is great, but he's been better on the mic. [Jun 2010, p.105]- Alternative Press
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Instead of cleverness, the polished songs indulge here sentimental broken heart. Bandmate M. Ward is mostly content to stay out of the way vocally, but he builds up a castle of retro-instrumental heartbreak for Deschanel. [Jun 2013, p.102]- Alternative Press
Posted May 3, 2013 -
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Granted, the Offspring have always dabbled in lyrical goofiness, but on Splinter, this approach seeps into the music as well. [Jan 2004, p.93]- Alternative Press
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The riff-roaring arena anthems "Racon Eyes" and "The Firebird" are among the most infectious tracks Priestess have ever written. Elsewhere, the band's retro-fuzz machinations don't fare so well. [Mar 2010, p.98]- Alternative Press
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Without the usual suspects, The Slow Wonder just seems like a well-produced demo of songs he's readying for Electric Version's follow-up. [Aug 2004, p.116]- Alternative Press
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The tunes are instantly likeable.... What's missing are the immediate hooks that today's competitors from Katy Perry to Marina And The Diamonds, use to claim Madonna's now-vacant throne. [Jul 2014, p.98]- Alternative Press
Posted Jul 25, 2014 -
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Distractingly crowded soundscapes throb like an all-night rave, leaving you too exhausted and battered to pay attention to the words, a major deficiency for a hip-hop album.- Alternative Press
- Posted Dec 8, 2011
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Pleasant as the diversity is, the finished products are what you'd get from any modern tribute album. [Sep 2012, p.94]- Alternative Press
Posted Aug 9, 2012 -
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Sleep Forever is a fine album, but you get the sense that if the band focused on their pop sensibilities as much as they do their more seemingly aesthetic inclinations, it would have been a great album.- Alternative Press
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Dumb Luck is likely to appeal more to the indie-rock crowd than electronica purists. [Jun 2007, p.161]- Alternative Press
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The album is a success because it shows sophistication and growth. [Apr 2014, p.94]- Alternative Press
Posted Apr 18, 2014 -
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There are hints of something fresh on There's Nothing Wrong With Me. [Dec 2014, p.106]- Alternative Press
Posted Nov 12, 2014 -
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The result is a record that is frequently too busy. [Feb 2015, p.90]- Alternative Press
Posted Jan 6, 2015 -
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Crystal Castles is gloriously danceable and hopelessly chic. But really, it's... hearing only...judging is... you know? [Apr 2008, p.162]- Alternative Press
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They’re ultimately relatable and endearing enough, even though the most jaded of listeners will still roll their eyes at the smarmy nostalgia (“Too Young To Feel This Old”) and new-era YOLO sentimentality.- Alternative Press
- Posted Feb 6, 2014
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The best songs... are the ones heavily influened by the Posies' Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer. [#154, p.98]- Alternative Press
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Contributions from Chuck D... and Dan The Automator... elicit[s] enough blips on the heart monitor to keep the album from flatlining. [Dec 2004, p.158]- Alternative Press
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For a bunch of comedians, the Electric Six sure are talented musicians. [Dec 2006, p.189]- Alternative Press
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The only thing glossier than the production on these high-school hallway-gossip tracks is the shimmery snottiness that permeates [their] lyrics. [Aug 2003, p.106]- Alternative Press
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It all boils down to the simple question of which songs grab you, so there are certainly reasons to give Appeal a whirl and decide for yourself. [Nov 2008, p.151]- Alternative Press