American Songwriter's Scores
- Music
For 1,812 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: 1,456 out of 1812
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Mixed: 352 out of 1812
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Negative: 4 out of 1812
1812
music
reviews
- By Date
- By Critic Score
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- Critic Score
For the all the bang of "Saturday Sun," "Elephants," with its slow-paced piano, closes out Intriguer, drowsily, though perhaps fittingly so.- American Songwriter
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- Critic Score
This is far from conventional rock, but it's rock as viewed through Cale's dark shades and skewed outsider sensibility and as such, one of his more successful and consistent outings.- American Songwriter
- Posted Dec 5, 2012
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- Critic Score
Maybe Jagbags would be better if it were tighter, but you’d lose the crucial impression of a man whose primary mission is now to entertain himself.- American Songwriter
- Posted Jan 9, 2014
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- Critic Score
It’s tough and grimy but you have to wonder how many others are out there bashing out similarly trashy rock who haven’t gotten Booker’s breaks- American Songwriter
- Posted Aug 21, 2014
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This Is The Kit are content to dwell in more solitary spaces, but given the ethereal arrangements and Rhy’s carefully considered input, Careful Of Your Keepers emerges as an affecting effort, with layer after layer of melody and mystique. Not surprisingly, This Is The Kit ensures all the pieces fit together fine.- American Songwriter
- Posted Sep 5, 2023
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Not surprisingly, these Orwellian soundscapes don’t make for a particularly easy listen. ... It’s that collusion between sonics and strife that makes The Invisible Light radiate so remarkably.- American Songwriter
- Posted Aug 31, 2022
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A closing cover of Sam Phillips’ plaintive and rarely heard ballad “Where is Love Now” shows the group knows how to dig for a great song, even if the originals that dominate this disc aren’t immediately as accessible. This isn’t the band’s finest (half) hour, yet it’s great to have them back.- American Songwriter
- Posted Apr 8, 2014
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Ke$ha didn't really set the bar for intellectual heft too high on her debut, Animal, so it seems like hair-splitting to mention that even with guilty pleasures like "Cannibal" and, uh, "C U Next Tuesday," Cannibal seems to be skimping on the cleverness.- American Songwriter
- Posted Dec 8, 2010
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Eight tracks straight of gut-punching, emotive arena rock can be exhausting--especially when it leans so heavily on emo aesthetics.- American Songwriter
- Posted Apr 2, 2014
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None of these improve on Russell’s superlative, often raw and profound recordings. Perhaps if fans of these artists are inspired to dig into his albums, that’s a worthwhile outcome for this well-intentioned, yet frustratingly inconsistent collection.- American Songwriter
- Posted Sep 8, 2023
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It’s hard to imagine that after a few spins, most won’t file this with Williams’ other similarly styled albums that, even with his distinctively wacked-out approach, are starting to sound routine, if not flat out lazy.- American Songwriter
- Posted Jun 6, 2016
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- Critic Score
This rampant musical eclecticism is fun and keeps things from getting boring but it’s also occasionally too scattershot, even though most of the players remain the same throughout.- American Songwriter
- Posted Apr 30, 2014
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If this sounds like something of a scattered mess, it is, but it’s a charming one and well worth a go-round for the more adventurous listener willing to let themselves take a wild and wooly trek back in history.- American Songwriter
- Posted Jul 31, 2013
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Arched and anthemic, it’s pumped and primed with drama, mood, mystery, and intrigue. It’s a sound that’s strikingly similar to his old ‘80s contemporaries—Echo and the Bunnymen, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, and the like.- American Songwriter
- Posted Feb 28, 2022
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- Critic Score
It's clearly a labor of love but should also help Walker's tunes (and extensive career) get discovered by Snider's younger, hipper fan base.- American Songwriter
- Posted Jun 20, 2012
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- Critic Score
Golden Suits’ debut brims with great ingredients, but leaves us more excited about Nicolaus’ next effort.- American Songwriter
- Posted Aug 19, 2013
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- Critic Score
The harder they aim for radio, the more rewarding the result. Beneath the irony and compact cool, Cake is still a great little pop band.- American Songwriter
- Posted Jan 19, 2011
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Everything is wrapped up in a breathless half hour and except for titles that aren’t quite as controversial as the immortal “I’m Not a Sicko, There’s a Plate in My Head,” this makes similar groups such as the veteran Fleshtones sound like Taylor Swift.- American Songwriter
- Posted Jun 7, 2013
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These acoustic performances are laid back but sizzle with the soul of the blues.- American Songwriter
- Posted Jul 23, 2012
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- Critic Score
On Delta Spirit the record, the band capitalizes on its hard-fought inertia by presenting their cleanest and most sonically homogenous record to date.- American Songwriter
- Posted Mar 13, 2012
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We’re treated to a combination of short, instrumental segments and lyrically-driven, radical, long jams that sound familiar, yet unpredictable enough to demand further listening- American Songwriter
- Posted Nov 6, 2014
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Even with the slight stench of commercialism tainting this release, and some sub-par material Good Times! exudes enough, well, good times to capture what made the Monkees so much better than their teeny-bopper peers and maintained a dedicated fan base for five decades. If this is their final recorded bow, at least they’ll go out in style.- American Songwriter
- Posted May 31, 2016
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Ultimately, Crash My Party is melodiously rewarding despite its sporadic lyrical missteps.- American Songwriter
- Posted Aug 15, 2013
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Science or not, Widespread Panic's eleventh offering shows that after all this time, they've got something figured out.- American Songwriter
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It's warmly, immaculately recorded, featuring a wealth of tasty cocktail pop atmosphere perfect for sipping wine on the couch late at night or reclining with a book in a bay window on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It's fine, it's dandy, and it's completely inessential.- American Songwriter
- Posted Feb 13, 2012
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Unless you are a White fanatic, the few hard to find selections generally aren’t compelling enough to purchase lots of songs easy to obtain. That makes this an interesting but hardly essential stop-gap release until White’s next official project.- American Songwriter
- Posted Sep 9, 2016
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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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There's an undeniably unsettled, even creepy gothic quality to her noir approach that takes hold early and gradually ratchets up as the eleven tunes gently tangle and unwind.- American Songwriter
- Posted Jun 15, 2012
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- American Songwriter
- Posted Jun 16, 2014
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- Critic Score
Even though a handful of tunes seem forced, for the most part, Rateliff’s material and the brassy, bossy attack work well enough together to suggest this was a savvy career move, both artistically and commercially. Next time, if the songs mesh better with the arrangements, he might have a classic on his hands.- American Songwriter
- Posted Sep 2, 2015
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