American Songwriter's Scores
- Music
For 1,814 reviews, this publication has graded:
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50% higher than the average critic
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5% same as the average critic
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45% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0.8 points higher than other critics.
(0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 74
Highest review score: | Rockstar | |
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Lowest review score: | Dancing Backward in High Heels |
Score distribution:
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Positive: 1,458 out of 1814
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Mixed: 352 out of 1814
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Negative: 4 out of 1814
1814
music
reviews
- By Date
- By Critic Score
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- Critic Score
The best moments on Faster find a reasonable niche between Fish pushing her boundaries and including enough roots music to keep earlier followers from abandoning ship.- American Songwriter
- Posted Oct 18, 2021
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- Critic Score
Admirable though the attempt may be, I’ll Be Your Mirror too often misses its mark.- American Songwriter
- Posted Sep 30, 2021
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The fact that all the songs segue seamlessly together adds to the intrigue, while at the same time reducing the entire album to a series of hazy soundscapes that mostly come across as a bit of a blur.- American Songwriter
- Posted Sep 13, 2021
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For all of his disparity, he still holds to some basic pop precepts and a style and stance that find him staying within the realms of a giddy musical motif. There’s little not to like, and those that appreciate abject originality plied from a generally left-of-center persona ought to find K Bay a mostly pleasing proposition.- American Songwriter
- Posted Sep 9, 2021
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There are no musical revelations but recreating the groove of the terrific In Yo’ Face! The History of Funk series of sadly out of print compilations from Rhino is harder than it sounds.- American Songwriter
- Posted Jul 29, 2021
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Everything on the appropriately titled Romantic Images goes down smooth with any edges polished to a fine sheen. Those familiar with the music of Tennis will naturally gravitate to this collaboration.- American Songwriter
- Posted Jul 23, 2021
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Faithfull simply shares her dry recitations with poise and proficiency.- American Songwriter
- Posted Jul 1, 2021
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It’s all quite exquisite, gorgeous, charming… and a little bland. Each selection confines to the group’s established low key vibe. But that gets monotonous after a while, even as instruments drift in and out of the mix and tracks such as “Song of the Bell” and “I Lie Awake” up the energy and guitar reverb to include delicate, slightly edgy psychedelics.- American Songwriter
- Posted Jun 25, 2021
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The heightened level of fury and overall frustration about the state of society is admirable. Some might say there is not enough of it in today’s music. But that needs to be balanced with songs which beckon you back for another listen, an aspect of the confrontational No Gods No Monsters that too often falls short.- American Songwriter
- Posted Jun 8, 2021
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Blackberry Smoke continues to deliver with the assurance and dependability that their fans have come to expect. At this point, their chief priority seems centered on maintaining their dixie designs.- American Songwriter
- Posted May 26, 2021
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This commercial shift seems a deliberate way to attract a larger audience, sell more albums and raise her star profile. In doing so, it often, but not always, dissipates much of what made her talents so distinctive to begin with.- American Songwriter
- Posted Apr 23, 2021
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Okay, Ringo hasn’t made his masterpiece, but then again, a guilty pleasure can be worth savoring in itself. As most of his Starr-struck admirers generally conclude, it can be rewarding to zoom in albeit momentarily, rather than opting to completely tune out.- American Songwriter
- Posted Mar 19, 2021
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Sun June defines its enigmatic, shadowy sonic borders but never pushes beyond them, which causes the disc to occasionally lapse into tedious uniformity as it progresses.- American Songwriter
- Posted Feb 5, 2021
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Matthew Sweet is a journeyman musician whose impressive resume speaks for itself. On the nearly solo Catspaw though, his insistence on being a one-man-band, seemingly dismissing input for songs and especially production, would benefit from other objective ears.- American Songwriter
- Posted Jan 15, 2021
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Though it’s by no means essential, McCartney 3 will likely still win over legions of compulsive Macca collectors.- American Songwriter
- Posted Dec 18, 2020
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Despite, or perhaps because of, the scattershot musical smorgasbord, Calexico delivers a fitfully enjoyable album, one with enough artistically entertaining moments to make it worthwhile, even if its overall approach is more unfocused than festive.- American Songwriter
- Posted Dec 2, 2020
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Campbell seems reluctant to imbue a significant imprint of his own. It leaves little that hasn’t been rehashed dozens of times before. That makes Wreckless Abandon nowhere neither as daring or distinctive as its title otherwise implies.- American Songwriter
- Posted Dec 1, 2020
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It might also be argued that Hey Clockface is Costello’s attempt to redefine himself as a more mature performer, one cognizant of the fact that he has an aging audience seeking subtlety and sentiment. Indeed, as the title suggests, time is ticking away, ensuring relevance becomes more a priority than rambunctiousness.- American Songwriter
- Posted Nov 6, 2020
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Even completists might quibble with the fact that several of these bonus tracks appear to overlap those on the previous edition. The fact that two additional covers are included — a loose cover of “Money,” expanded from the 40th anniversary extra, and an extended read of “Rock Me Baby,” each well in keeping with the blues motif that encompassed the album overall — may be cause for persuasion, although certainly not on their own- American Songwriter
- Posted Nov 5, 2020
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Travis is to be commended for keeping the faith and coming up with another batch of quality songs that, if not their best stuff, isn’t far from it. But like the album’s unimaginative title, there’s little that pushes any of the band’s established boundaries into new and fresh sonic areas.- American Songwriter
- Posted Oct 7, 2020
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The Ascension, Stevens’ eighth studio album over all, and the follow-up to his highly lauded outing Carrie & Lowell, diminishes the accessibility factor in favor of a more amorphous imprint, one that finds all manner of effects and an ever-constant shift in sounds that drift through practically every selection.- American Songwriter
- Posted Oct 2, 2020
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Simmons makes little attempt to vary her template. Eventually, despite the pleasant pastiche, the music all starts to sound the same. Absent any real shift in tone or tempo, the overall impact tends to be somewhat muted.- American Songwriter
- Posted Sep 21, 2020
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A mixed bag, although one that those who have loved Tea for the Tillerman since it came out might appreciate. Perhaps not surprisingly, the new one doesn’t exude the magic that made Stevens a worldwide star five decades ago. Those who haven’t heard it should start there.- American Songwriter
- Posted Sep 17, 2020
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While there are dreary aspects to much of What Is There, the general vibe, and slick, meaty production, is one of a moderately hopeful future.- American Songwriter
- Posted Sep 11, 2020
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Perhaps the input of a full band or an outside producer would have curtailed some of Scott’s more impulsive, if well-meaning, tendencies and made this a more cohesive experience. They may not work, but give him credit for trying.- American Songwriter
- Posted Aug 20, 2020
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While her singing remains strong and she is emoting about issues close to her, these tracks would benefit from more musical muscle. Regardless, even if Total Freedom isn’t her finest work, it’s encouraging that Edwards has returned to releasing new material and doing what she does best.- American Songwriter
- Posted Aug 10, 2020
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Fortunately, there is some respite with “June 21” and “The Aphorist,” both of which allow the raucous proceedings to take a brief pause. Yet even there the turgid trappings aren’t entirely abandoned. There’s a clear sense of foreboding imbued in each of these offerings and the darkness and doom continue to linger throughout.- American Songwriter
- Posted Jul 15, 2020
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While The Lemonade Stand offers mostly familiar fare, it also makes for a genuinely tasty treat as well.- American Songwriter
- Posted Jun 30, 2020
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Consistency doesn’t count for much, but that may indeed be the point. Juice is a refreshing reminder that it’s better to sound a bit unhinged than to always be so common and consistent. For their part, Born Ruffians serve up all of spontaneity their spirited style allows.- American Songwriter
- Posted Apr 21, 2020
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Hunt is at his most exciting when he fuses the past and the present (“Let It Down” truly shines bright) into ambitious creations that hint at even greater promise ─ but his second offering is largely a mixed bag.- American Songwriter
- Posted Apr 3, 2020
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