Clash Music's Scores

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For 3,873 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 57% higher than the average critic
  • 5% same as the average critic
  • 38% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 1.3 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 74
Highest review score: 100 Dead Man's Pop [Box Set]
Lowest review score: 10 Wake Up!
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,243 out of 3873
  2. Mixed: 601 out of 3873
  3. Negative: 29 out of 3873
3873 music reviews
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    • 78 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Deep Down Happy
    It’s a fairly middle-of-the-road indie record. It could do with a little more depth, a little more humanity.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    The Bonny
    The first half of the album is particularly monotonous, with the one-man band fervently spewing similar hooks that show very little dynamism and only serve a purpose to maintain a foot tapping rhythm.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    A Billion Heartbeats
    'A Billion Heartbeats' perhaps lacks the cutting perspective or lyricism of classic protest records, while managing to present the revolutionary spirit of old in a modern context.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Harkin
    It’s an accomplished album, but it feels like a debut and there is nothing here that gives any kind of excitement or majorly distinguishing feature that comes with time.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Blame It on Baby
    Unlike the release of his second studio album, KIRK released last year, a major fraction of 'Blame It On Baby' lacks effort and even originality.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible
    Enter Shikari have the tools and drive to create something potentially mind-blowing, it’s just that they fell well short of the mark on this occasion.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    3.15.20
    ‘42.26’ - unmasked as the previously released ‘Feels Like Summer’ - and ‘47.48’ (which features his son Legend Glover) are the only other enjoyable tracks on the project. The other songs seem to fade and ultimately becomes background noise with no proper substance compared to Donald Glover’s other projects. Lacking the strong narrative thrust so apparent on his past albums, the project is incredibly disappointing.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Ricky Music
    For all its crystallised pop production, ’Ricky Music’, can’t help but feel flat. More concerned with evoking a feeling and mood rather than say anything explicit about the sadness, confusion and joy that Maine has experienced in the creation of the record beyond broad stereotypes of sadness.
    • 57 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Changes
    The main problem with ‘Changes’ is that it isn’t exciting or dynamic and suffers from dragging in places. Part of this is down to the lack of variation on the album.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Supervision
    As an exercise in reclaiming control, in setting out her stall, it is a definite success, a hand-made pop exercise in an era dominated by algorithmic marketing plans. As a listening experience, though, it’s somewhat limited and frustratingly repetitive, ultimately paling next to La Roux’s previous heights.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Funeral
    ‘Funeral’ is a mixed bag, and feels more like 24 tracks Lil Wayne had lying around than a coherent project. It’s a shame, because there’s a very good album somewhere in the 24 tracks on offer, but it’s weighed down by a lot of filler.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    R.Y.C.
    Compared to the previous self-titled record the features here are in sharp contrast, with less of a hip-hop emphasis. That doesn't mean they're not interesting, though.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Sexorcism
    Candy’s uncompromising approach has been a breath of fresh air when providing guest verses in the past, but a whole album of pornographic paeans will leave you feeling limp.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Lahs
    LAHS is the sound of a band in transition. A record where the sunshine is too few and far between. They’ll surely be back on track before long, but for now, we’re going to have to look elsewhere for that aural vitamin D.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Metal Galaxy
    While the album is as subtle as a brick to the face, there is an impressive mix of styles represented on the band’s third outing, making this their most versatile listen.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Free
    On an album centring around concepts of storytelling and reflection, Iggy Pop’s voice remains phenomenal. It always will. However, an underwhelming feeling lingers throughout 'Free', one which is hard to ignore.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    No Man's Land
    It is an interesting concept -that could have become a beacon for the perspectives of (male) feminists in music- that failed because it was executed poorly a few too many times.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The S.L.P.
    THE S.L.P is safe. It’s the untainted evidence of a missed opportunity. Frankly, someone of Serge’s caliber could have plunged deeper into the void of sonic exploration. There’s always a next time.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Ginger
    GINGER is new ground for Brockhampton, and a gentle nudge to others, urging them to go on their own paths of rediscovery and explore their roots. Thing is, we might need a bit more than a gentle nudge.
    • 39 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    In My Defense
    Additions such as Kash Doll and Juicy J are perfect on paper, but beyond justifying their individual presence in the rap realm, do little to save a project which unfortunately suffers from the sophomore slump.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Para Mi
    Impressive, but there are misses as well as hits here. Sometimes Cuco’s vocals and lyrics don’t match up to his sonic atmospheres.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Big Day
    There are strong highlights across the set, despite this, the failure to be concise forms part of the force's biggest downfalls.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Live from the Artists Den
    Soundgarden moved admirably forward with a strong new L.P, and while the performances missed some of the vitality of their youth, they still were able to invoke a tone and vibe all of their own.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Islands
    Some of the tracks are so light and delicate, you worry they might blow away in the breeze. But the pace occasionally picks up, as on ‘Highway Blue’ which whistles along on a jaunty groove, while a punchy horn section on ‘Good Ol Night’ adds further colour.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Let's Rock
    With a low-fi high-five feel, The Black Keys appear to gentrify the rock’n’roll rodeo with an album of carefully poised tunes adhering to the rock-pop formula they spent their golden years trying to avoid.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Madame X
    Madame X isn’t just an album (if it is that at all) – it’s an opera, or a comedy of errors. It’ll make you feel confusion, frustration, happiness and maybe joy, but it will definitely make you feel.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    In Plain Sight
    Not without its faults, In Plain Sight sees Honeyblood explore new avenues and break-out of any box they were previously placed in, with a genre-less collection of honest, futuristic-sounding songs.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Third Avenue
    Third Avenue feels like a transitional project for Fredo, from his grittier street mixtapes to hopefully something more expansive. His inability to escape from his street-focused comfort zone is sometimes frustrating, especially when the project improves after he opens up later on in the album. But he gives us glimpses of a great project further down the line.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Map of the Soul: Persona
    A valiant and partly successful attempt from K-pop’s biggest band to move forward in their music. While they undeniably remain a success, the recycled sonics and multiple references to past music makes it hard for old listeners to let go of past glory and for the new to connect with their current music.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Odd One Out
    At times this record appears confused and lackluster but its solid moments show GIRLI’s capability at being a rebellious and riotous pop star--qualities that were so prominent on her early singles.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Dusty Notes
    Dusty Notes is an easy listen, but a Meat Puppets album shouldn’t be easy--it should be a hot mess. Somewhere along the way the Kirkwood brothers lost the ramshackle charm that made them everyone’s favourite musician’s favourite musician.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Cosmic Wind
    Cosmic Wind still manages to set a mood, languorous and lush, perfect on a capital’s rooftop, cocktail in hand, the last sunrays hitting perfectly. But you can all too easily imagine this slotting into some Spotify algorithm, a mood playlist titled “Summer Vibezz”.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Health
    The lush arrangements highlight his sophistication as a songwriter--‘Impossible’ comes on like ABBA gone synthwave--if sometimes verging towards the saccharine with repeated exposure. Yet this latest collection finds C Duncan in rude health.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Side Effects
    Whilst for the most part this jam-session approach results in captivating instrumentals and intriguing points of sonic experimentation, at times it can become rather muddled, confusing and drawn-out.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    It's Real
    In these trying times, it’d benefit from being a whole lot more confrontational.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Tip Of The Sphere
    This album is a black-belt in terms of song writing and instrumentation... but when McCombs’ lyrics can’t match up, Tip Of The Sphere sounds like it’s limping.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Careful You
    Whilst her lyrical ability is still under question, there’s no doubting her ability to arrange a band and alter the mood and meanings of some undying classics.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Ripples
    A deeply mixed return, then, and perhaps not advisable as your first entry point to his solo work. We all know that Ian Brown can make waves; today he has chosen to make Ripples.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Why You So Crazy
    Why You So Crazy? is a mixed bag, but the scales are tipped too far towards the underwhelming. Too much is poorly executed and feels incomplete, with an air of self-indulgence.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Internationally Unknown
    Collaboration with Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, huh? Sounds right up plenty of people’s streets. But that “sweet spot” (in the main) seems to boil down to some cheesy scratching in amongst the ska pop (see ‘My Name Is Rat Boy’) and Jamie T-style vocals. But all is not lost. The keys of ‘Follow Your Heart’ are dreamy and unexpected.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Amo
    This album captures an occasionally combustible but largely uncomfortable sound of a previously fearless and pioneering band caught in a crisis of confidence, overriding their own musical instincts to pursue an idealised version of themselves they picture in their own heads.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Future Hndrxx Presents: The WIZRD
    The world of hip-hop and rap is changing and, while Future’s pattern works well, it becomes slightly repetitive with every listen.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Outer Peace
    The moments of nu-disco are superb, yet are weighed down by the sometimes-cringey segments of auto-crooning.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Diagrams
    Though its DIY production takes some getting used to, it’s an interesting insight into where Smith is as a songwriter today.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    FM!
    As it stands FM! is little more than a placeholder--an interesting but self-indulgent sketch from an artist who could be creating masterpieces.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    No Tourists
    No Tourists is unlikely to win The Prodigy any new fans but it’s unlikely to upset any existing ones. And really, if rave-influenced industrial dance is your thing, these old heads are still a cut above anyone else out there.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Natural Rebel
    It feels staid, played out, and more than a little boring; despite Ashcroft’s pleas for energy, it feels absolutely zonked out, the wire-thin production helmed by the songwriter himself.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Love Is Magic
    Flawed but unbowed, it is a fascinating but frustrating listen.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Young Romance
    Sadly, this lack of innovation seriously dampens those moments of electronic beauty.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    For Ever
    Album stand-outs ‘Heavy, California’ and ‘Happy Man’ would have slotted into the last LP seamlessly and, considered as a whole, For Ever feels like an opportunity missed.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Language
    MNEK absolutely knows his way around a pop banger, and it’s his expansive, polished production on more upbeat moments that saves Language from falling flat with cliché lyrics and the dreary lament of slower tracks.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Fixed Ideals
    Whilst sonically Fixed Ideals can vary in its impact, Lande Hekt’s lyrics tell a relatable story in a crafty way, carrying the record all the way through.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Let's Go Sunshine
    Let’s Go Sunshine is a solid album, though not groundbreaking. It is clear that The Kooks have tried to deviate from their established sound in a way that doesn’t completely alienate older fans, and rightly so.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Tangerine Reef
    This might not be as immediate and catchy as previous Animal Collective releases, possibly due to Panda Bear’s absence, but its one of their most transfixing and beguiling.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Thank You for Today
    Whilst adhering to a pretty well-worn formula with the usual rousing emotion ebbs and flows, Gibbard’s ability to paint such vivid imagery with his carefully considered approach to lyricism does warrant revisiting, despite some moments proving patchy than others.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Lighting Matches
    Lighting Matches isn’t a bad album, but sadly it doesn't excel either.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Move Through the Dawn
    Move Through The Dawn is an album sadly bereft of impact, from its lacklustre cover onwards.
    • 57 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Nova
    RL Grime seemingly wants to keep everyone happy and while that approach will almost certainly find success in the clubs or the fields of Coachella it often hinders rather than helps his studio efforts.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    BDL Bipolar
    BDL Bipolar will give Narstie’s fanbase plenty to enjoy, and while the juxtaposition of staid instrumentals with subversive lyrics is jarring, he remains a gifted MC, worth hearing out.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    44/876
    44/876 is like a hilarious fever dream somehow brought to life. Not entirely awful.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Be More Kind
    Turner’s inconsistent seventh LP may not compare with the likes of ‘Love Ire & Song’ and ‘Poetry Of The Deed’ but a willingness to experiment paired with a deceptively simple message make it a decent, if unremarkable addition to his stellar back catalogue.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Isaac Gracie
    There’s still plenty to admire here, especially Gracie’s emotionally raw, brittle vocals and despite the record’s shortcomings, this remains a solid, entertaining debut from an exciting new talent.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Speak Your Mind
    The highlights on this project are the glimpses of musical experimentation, but unfortunately the album doesn’t have enough of these to really shine.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Three/Three
    The Doom-helmed ‘Lil Mufukuz’ and Phat Kat’s ‘Bubble Up’ show the Dabrye-plus-MC chemistry at its best, but if there was ever a criticism of the previous entries in this trilogy, it was that Dabrye struggled when it came to trimming the tracklist. ... The same is unfortunately the case here too.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Geography
    For the most part, regrettably, Geography only showcases a producer out of his depth behind the mic.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Nihilistic Glamour Shots
    It’s not that Nihilistic Glamour Shots is some objectively terrible record, but it’s certainly not a great one. The music isn’t minimal, it’s mundane, a songwriting stodge that seems content to play in its own filth.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Francis Trouble
    Call this a mismatch, a contradiction, if you want, but only he can fully acknowledge this seriousness, this complexity. And if this is a ‘coming-to-terms-with’-type record, it does suggest he is starting that process, even if--musically--the progression remains somewhat tender.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Lo Moon
    It is impossible to deny the craftsmanship with which the trio have sculpted the opening salvo of 'This Is It' and 'Loveless'. ... Sadly his talent for building epic, emotive crescendos does not overshadow his shortcomings as a lyricist.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Improvisations
    With the obvious potential fully realised, 'Improvisations’ could have become an instant cult classic, but in this raw, rushed and unfinished form it is hardly anything more than a collectible item for curious die-hard fans.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Violence
    Rather than a coherent and recognisable new sound, it seems as though all manner of ideas are being thrown at the wall to see what sticks.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Marble Skies
    In its entirety Marble Skies is a mixed bag that showcases the multitude of genres Django Django can draw upon, but it lacks cohesion.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Uncle, Duke & The Chief
    Trading the band’s raggle-taggle instrumentation for vintage echo, Mac DeMarco slick and C86 crunch only oversaturates this occasionally loveable, mostly feeble effort.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Loma
    Loma is an interesting concoction, but one that doesn't always necessarily gel. It's undoubtedly a lovingly produced set of tracks, filled with an almost tangible level of texture, but the songs often don't match their treatment.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Man of the Woods
    For all its best intentions, Man of the Woods often feels rushed, occasionally underproduced and at times, unfinished. Lacking the effortless polish of previous releases, it troughs more than peaks and ends up floundering in its own ambition.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Bloody Lovely
    Tracks like ‘Feeling Good, Feeling Great’, ‘High’ and ‘Guillotine’ feel soulless and lack the gusto that DZ Deathrays have shown through their live shows and previous releases. Albeit brief, there are glimmers in which the duo capture the visceral and angsty essence of their past through the tribal ‘Back _ Forth’ and closer ‘Witchcraft Pt. II’.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Semicircle
    Overall, whilst Semicircle does contain obvious flaws, this chapter of The Go! Team is here to have a good time and hopes you are too. And who can knock them for that?
    • 56 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Time Is Now
    The Time Is Now hangs together relatively well, and achieves what it sets out to do.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Say Less
    While the album is undeniably well produced and generally well performed, unfortunately Woods' fails in his first attempt to stand out from the crowd.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Material Control
    Was it worth that wait? That’s open to debate, but it’s definitely not an album you listen to and wish they hadn’t bothered.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Revelations
    While Bailey’s true-to-self, organic approach on Revelations should be celebrated, the record serves more as a transition than a defining peg in Bailey’s young career.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Anthology: Movie Themes 1974-1998
    All this does is reassert the effortless, enduring power of those original pieces; find the originals and save your pennies for the forthcoming Carpenter tour.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    reputation
    Swift’s unencumbered analysis of the tectonic shifts within her personal and public life are equal parts razor sharp and self-indulgent. But as a pop album, Reputation is never revolutionary, the adrenalin rush heady but ultimately short-lived.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Low in High School
    Low In High School feels confused, misplaced, and tedious.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    World Wide Funk
    There's nothing that innovative or thought-provoking, but that's hardly the point. It’s freaky, it’s naughty, it’ll get your head nodding.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    7 Nights [Mixtape]
    Krept and Konan end up sounding like features on their own songs.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    It's Alright Between Us as It Is
    This latest from Lindstrøm weighs to heavy on the pedestrian side. Sure, the whole package is professionally crafted and confidently gets you drifting away from your day-to-day woes, but what we really need is for Chewie to punch it into hyperspace.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Glasshouse
    An album that suffers from feeling just too assured.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Saga Continues
    At its best, The Saga Continues captures some of the old Wu magic but unfortunately these moments are few and far between.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Pinewood Smile
    It’s just sad to hear the spark of reinvention that ignited their last powder keg of an album confined to a handful of tracks on a largely mediocre album. They can do better. They have done better. They will do better again.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Colors
    There are plenty of hooks and the pace rarely relents, but it’s hard to ever imagine Colors ever being in anyone’s top five favourite Beck albums.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Fabriclive 94
    There is a defining (and high-definition) period where the mix becomes less interactive, a little noodlier, and more prey to a mass observing sway.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    As You Were
    Over-produced but under-written, the combined cast of co-writers and producers have failed to knit together a cohesive whole. Plenty of these songs are pleasant enough, but there’s very little to mark an artist in their prime.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Wonderful Wonderful
    Aside from a few big hitters, Wonderful Wonderful has too many middle-of-the-road moments. ‘Life Itself’, ‘The Rut’, and ‘Have All The Songs Been Written’ are barely distinguishable, and instantly forgettable.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Concrete and Gold
    While there’s nothing that will diminish their legacy or standing in rock music, there’s very little material that pushes the band forward either.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    CCCLX
    CCCLX is fantastic as a momentary escape from the lights and sounds of the mad world we’re living in, but once you’ve holstered the pastel pink desert eagle and left the booth, you’re left with only a handful of killer moments that might entice you to return.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    A Moment Apart
    While A Moment Apart has the foundations of a great album, ODESZA fall slightly short of the mark.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Althaea
    Even if the laid-back and relaxed atmospherics are endearing, there’s plenty of room to push the musical perimeters which the London duo fail to take advantage of.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Native Invader
    With such weighty subject matter, and with some own personal trauma influencing the record, it’s sadly lacking in bite or overall attack.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Art in the Age of Automation
    By focussing in on softer deployments of electronics and more subtle processing, and staying resolutely in an ambient soundworld, Art In The Age Of Automation does feel comparatively safe; well turned-out and nicely polished, but generally risk-free in execution.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Tribe
    The real issue with the album though, more than any other, is its length (and the inconsistency that this brings with it). Few albums ever benefit from being 17 tracks long, particularly when there are obvious candidates for exclusion. And without wanting to sound too dismissive of the aforementioned chart ambitions, it’s here that sacrifices could have been made for the benefit of a more coherent and engaging record.
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