Exclaim's Scores

  • Music
For 4,922 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 58% higher than the average critic
  • 4% same as the average critic
  • 38% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 2.1 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 75
Highest review score: 100 The Ascension
Lowest review score: 10 Excuse My French
Score distribution:
4922 music reviews
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    While listening to Phèdre, one can do nothing but feel helpless in the face of nearly perfect pop experimentalism.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Iradelphic is great stream-of-consciousness art.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    De Vermis Mysteriis is a bloody, hard-fought triumph.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Don't call it a full-fledged De La Soul record--call it an enjoyable diversion until the full crew come back proper.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Torture is classic Corpse. No complaints.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Spooky Action At A Distance is a sprawling pop album beaming with the kind of confidence none of us, likely even Pundt, expected. Some surprises are worth waiting six years for.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Seeds strikes the perfect balance, as Madlib's thickly layered funk and soul samples and cabinet rocking beats pair with Muldrow's gloriously off-kilter vocals and free-form song structures to make this her most satisfying release to date.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Both Lights fails to hold together because of its numerous failed lines of attack, which undermine the goodness.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Despite suffering from flatness, the album is an enjoyable enough romp and in its almost naïve purity, it is endearing.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    While her debut featured plenty of catchy tunes, Sees the Light captures Goodman in a far more confident mode, showcasing her wit and personality.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    This isn't poppier than anything they've done over the past decade or so, but few individual songs stick out like good pop songs should.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The balance between abstract, synthetic noise and soothing, organic timbres is remarkable; it literally feels good to hear, like a conscious meditation.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    This album demonstrates that Yukon Blonde can transition and adapt to a change in sound efficiently and damn well.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Sadly, Relapse sounds like an uninspired band ripping off, and attempting to sound like, classic Ministry.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Here, Unsane deliver the goods with efficiency and reliability.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The album brings the dead back to life with the best kind of dark thrash, which is dripping with West coast hardcore aggression.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    It has the type of energy that invades, penetrates and carries the listener forward; it's the perfect balance of seduction and strength.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Zeus avoid indulgent jamming, filler material or ill-advised experiments. Just 14 blissful tunes, rich with influences.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Ghosts is the thinking electronic music fan's subtler and more paranoid alternative to Amon Tobin's brick-smashing A/V opus, ISAM.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    As a finale, The Wilderness serves as a perfect summation of the project, confirming the Junkies' core musical principles, as well as a sign that they are sure to carry them into the future.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Although their sound has been copied Ad infinitum, with Koloss, Meshuggah prove that they still do it best.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    While the rest of Nothing's Gonna Change sometimes falls prey to sheer navel-gazing, overall it displays some clear signs of maturity in someone who remains more determined than ever to carry on his father's legacy.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Like its predecessor, the new disc delivers a nice mixture of lighter fare with heavier songs acting as an anchor, though Happy To You has a distinctly animated glow.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    If The OF Tape Vol. 2 proves one thing it's that Odd Future aren't just a product of the Internet hype machine.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The results sound predictably off-the-cuff, and several tracks like "Jaw Dropper" and "I've Got Money On My Mind" sound like little more than microphone level checks. But when Williams decides to say something meaningful, as on "Dirt," "A Good Day To Feel Bad" and the title track, his sage-like delivery is as devastating as ever.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    It's apparent that these newcomers certainly have their ears wide open, reimagining everything they rebroadcast.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Their albums just get better and increasingly fun to listen, and Blood for the Master confirms that.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The 14 songs clock in at only 34 minutes, so Killing Time never overstays its welcome, giving you that caffeine-type pick-me-up so few indie pop albums offer these days.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    In roughly 26 hypnotic minutes, Eternal Turn of the Wheel creates a swirling vortex of eerie imagery, like dark earth spirits rising and taking possession of musical tech, infiltrating the modern world.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    With a sound as good as this, it's clear Xerxes aren't simply riding the wave, but making some of their own.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    On Hive Mind, Ital delivers a refreshing approach to instrumental electronics, with equal disinterest for both the club and headphone scenes, pissing off Internet purists in the process.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Like past releases, [4Eva N A Day] breathes a warm, nostalgic haze steeped in Southern soul and the country rap of UGK and Outkast.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Hyperdub resident dabbles in funk, grime, experimental, R&B and soul, a mélange of styles that effortlessly coexist.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Mixed Emotions is just the painstakingly crafted, mood-driven long-player we've been waiting for from this immensely talented duo.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    It's business as usual for the Wedding Present, but in the best possible way.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    A modest five-song EP, from its pared-down arrangements to its monochromatic album cover, Silent Hour/Golden Mile is a surprisingly cohesive release that begs for repeat spins.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Airy, vaguely psychedelic and meaningful, Beyond the Times is a gorgeous exhibition from a thoughtful, voracious artist relishing a whole new outlet.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Beaus$Eros yields some positive results while laying the foundation for some interesting future projects.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    In a Dim Light turns out to be a frustrating listen; it's an adventurous outing by a band that plainly need to sharpen their craft.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    What this trio from Philadelphia, PA are offering, in spite of their rough-hewn hipster image, is nothing new and can be traced back to Barenaked Ladies through Simon & Garfunkel, Crosby, Stills & Nash and even the Kingston Trio.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    New Multitudes shows, just as Mermaid Avenue did in 1998, that Woody Guthrie's work remains a living entity with a limitless capacity to inspire.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    It's tempting to label Beard, Wives, Denim as a tossed off side-project that doesn't stray too far from its more famous parent band. But Pond have something more to offer and both fans and detractors of Tame Impala should give this a listen.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Willner is clearly letting his time in Germany shape his sound, which isn't a bad thing and it's nice to see another, mellower side to his work.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The band are more interesting when they expand their sound.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The truth is Trust are masters of delivery and flawless executioners, proving to be much better mechanics than designers.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Open Your Heart's greatest triumph is its ability to hearken back without feeling retro.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The album's ten dirty bass, hydraulically placed rhythms come off like a more focused, implicit version of the Minnesota-born laptopper's previous work.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Cursive have delivered a highly stylized album with a vivid conceptual storyline that keeps old fans listening while giving new listeners a chance to experience the progression the band have experienced over the last decade.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Though the stouter vocals have given the band more confidence for moments of melodic bombast, occasionally they sound out of place.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Straightforward and simple, A Eulogy for the Damned isn't a work of great musical genius, but is refreshing in its bravado and simplicity.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    A lack of variation in tempos and tones gives a sense of redundancy, yet the pace of the album, with all of its gosh-darn hooks, carries it through to the end.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    A marriage of vocal house, disco and pop, it's an immediately accessible album with several decent dance floor stompers.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The vocal delivery throughout (care of guitarist Woody Weatherman and bassist Mike Dean) is pretty weak, especially compared to Pepper's attention-commanding style, and that, combined with a somewhat jarring mix of fast punk, smothering, Sabbath-ian metal and good-ol'-boy Southern rock, just whets the appetite for the return of Pepper and the big rock.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Reign of Terror builds on the success of Treats without breaking from it, establishing Krauss and Miller as masters of their craft.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    With their traditional sound mixing well with some new elements, Utilitarian marks the next chapter in Napalm Death's impressive career.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    There's no doubt the songwriting is there--but the LP's best tracks ("All Our Wonder" and Old Haunts") share the lo-fi production that was a boon to the atmospheric beauty of their EP.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Spread over 12 songs, Del Rey becomes so ordinary, even bland, that no amount of little girl vocals or pouting can save her.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    This is a release worth snapping up on vinyl when it finally comes out.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    As songs pulse and glow bright in the most dynamic of ways, it's almost bittersweet to see Mouse on Mars sounding so comfortable delivering house music, losing a bit of their identity with each passing beat.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The End of That has more outstanding moments than La La Land, but whether those highlights are enough to neutralize Plants and Animals' weakness for occasionally derivative kitsch depends on how much their fans are willing to overlook.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Temple Beautiful is the sound of a mature rock'n'roller continuing to reach for new heights.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Personality comes off as expert techno done in a peculiarly conservative manner, an unadorned but sturdy tugboat floating amongst dubstep's rising tsunami.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    To the casual listener, it may sound like a shadow of their greatest work, but fans will find it rewarding.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    For a stopgap collaboration, Underrated Silence sits comfortably with some of Schnauss's best work.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The music contains all of the trembling beauty fans have come to expect from Alcest, combined with a sense of vitality and wanderlust.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The record is their most musically ambitious to date, while still maintaining the unrelenting, thrash-influenced Southern heavy metal they do best.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    With a fine balance of clean singing between Scabbia and Ferro, atop the technicality of strings and beats, there's something for everyone.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Apart from the uprated production, there's not a great deal to offer to listeners.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Never in recorded history has there been an album of such audible variety, distinctive fidelity and lyrical intensity.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Walker is an exceptional blues artist at a time when there are few left, but on Hellfire, despite its volume, he comes off as frustratingly average.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    It's a raucous, vibrant, but well structured musical approach that brings along recognized artists (like current lead singer Corey Glover and local rap legends Mystikal and Mannie Fresh) for the ride.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The profound sadness imbued in Mr. M, something that hasn't necessarily been as apparent on previous Lambchop albums, lends a consistency that produces a satisfying meditative effect.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    It's clear that White's bravery in baring his soul has resulted in a quiet masterpiece.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The record still meanders around a bit too much, in the way instrumental music can, not quite sure where it's heading when it should be soaring. When it does soar though, it hits some pretty giddy heights.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Plumb is a rich, complex album, with the songs spilling over into each other.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    It's unburdened by obligatory connections to what's come before and as a result, has a renewed amount of energy.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The fact that it's both artistically bugged out and immediately rewarding is just the icing on the cake.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Sinéad O'Connor's eighth full-length album, and her first in five years, is a revelation.
    • 93 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    On their new full-length, much-anticipated Epitaph debut On The Impossible Past, they exceed expectations once again.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    It's a wide landscape that Tindersticks illuminate with a palette of both vivid and muted colours.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Though not the punchy, great leap forward it could have been, Rose finally proves that she's far more than just a part of her former groups.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Windy & Carl deliver yet another significant and sublime release that's perfect for late night listening.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    This record collects the works of Austrian composer Franz Schubert and morphs them into a gloomy meditation on the sure, comforting absurdity of existence.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Their brand of quirky indie pop runs throughout, but the slower numbers are as effective as the upbeat tunes.
    • 57 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Far from essential, Hotel Sessions is a glimpse of a once great songwriter in mid-process.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    They're still more than capable of cranking up the guitars and making the kind of caustic, spiky noise that's been their trademark for more than 30 years, especially live.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Reenergizing the band after a lackluster sophomore effort, the move [of switching guitars for synthesizers] has led to an atmospheric, assured and largely compelling record.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Six Cups is a "fun" record, sounding less serious in melody and experimentation than Lindstrøm's previous work, but it was undoubtedly crafted with the intentions of being taken equally seriously
    • 75 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    There's enough here to keep fans happy and even win a few more over in the process, but it's another mixed bag from a band that are easier to like than love.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Though a touch disjointed, at times, The Search Engine is a trip.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Suitably cinematic, percussion-heavy and mostly instrumental, it's enjoyable as a standalone album, but it will be interesting to see how it works alongside the film.