New Musical Express (NME)'s Scores

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For 6,010 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 55% higher than the average critic
  • 4% same as the average critic
  • 41% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 1.9 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 71
Highest review score: 100 to hell with it [Mixtape]
Lowest review score: 0 Maroon
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4,231 out of 6010
  2. Mixed: 1,626 out of 6010
  3. Negative: 153 out of 6010
6010 music reviews
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    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Expressions
    They’ve taken finest pop moments of the ’70s and laid them out with all the retro flair of a fondue set.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Yes, I'm A Witch
    An oddball pleasure.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Stuck On Nothing
    The reality is Free Energy sound like ’90s rock berks Terrorvision. It’s not all woe--‘Bad Stuff’ is like an FM rock Pavement--but it makes us worry that Murphy might be losing his edge.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Superabundance
    At their best the Young Knives can write as good a pop song as anyone in the country, but this is a disappointing second effort ironically weighed down by the English eccentricities that once helped them stand out from the pack.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Year Zero
    This is just one long squelchy fart of a soundscape that Reznor himself admits is probably too long. It's certainly too unremitting.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Marigold
    It doesn’t sound like the work of a band who might inspire legions of fans (among them, apparently, Kristen Stewart) to get tattooed with their logo, but these world-weary yet radio-friendly ballads imply the band might achieve longevity after all. Three chords and the truth never gets old, and ‘Marigold’ vividly paints the knottiness of adulthood.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Rare
    Blips aside, ‘Rare’ is a beautifully confident return from one of pop’s most underrated stars, and a quietly defiant wrestling back of the narrative surrounding her.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Depression Cherry
    It’s difficult to share the singer's awe when the musical backdrop sounds so tired.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Macaroni
    A gloopy cheese-feast of sprightly psychedelic pop, served with a dollop of wanton James Brown funk on the side.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    N.O.W. Is the Time
    The cream of their output is undeniable--the Air-like stringed beauty of ‘Les Nuits’, gut-wobbling soul wailer ‘I Am You’ and early singles ‘Dextrous’ and ‘Aftermath’--but there’s an awful lot of so-so wallpaper here, especially for a Best Of.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    False Alarm
    Two Door’s fourth effort is far from a wall-to-wall success, but for a band who could so easily continue to tread their affable, well-worn path around arenas and festival main stages without a sideward step (as many of their indie contemporaries have and will continue to do), the risks and experimentation here are very welcome.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Independence Day
    Throughout the album, Fredo doesn’t necessarily get as deep or introspective as audiences may demand. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does create superfluous tracks across the project.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Sunburn
    ‘Sunburn’ still acts as a love letter to the place he was raised in, however, allowing Fike to return home not only to the relentless humid state but to himself.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Fool's Gold
    Fool’s Gold might mine a rich vein, but they rarely forge anything more than mere tourist trinkets.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Together Through Life
    Together Through Life sounds loose and informal, and you get the impression that its creator had a lot of fun making it. A shame, then, that it’s not quite as much fun to listen to.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Wait to Pleasure
    Despite some misfires--notably 'Blue Neck Riviera', which features a strange programmed hip-hop beat and a Diiv-style jangle accompanied by some semi-rapped verses--it's an admirable listen.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Animal Joy
    It's not as unified as previous records, but with fewer meanders towards the mainstream and more of the electronic adventures of last year's freebie 'Shearwater Is Enron', Animal Joy may herald a bold new incarnation.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Attack & Release
    There’s a fine line between blues authenticity and pub-rock tedium and, accordingly, Attack & Release often falls victim to parody.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Secret Migration
    If there's a problem, it's that... it all sounds rather familiar and comfortable. [22 Jan 2005, p.51]
    • New Musical Express (NME)
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Official Body
    Shopping’s sound is minimal, and almost every song kicks off with a Spaghetti Western guitar riff before being met by a steady beat and chanting vocals by various members.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    To Find Me Gone
    Cabic's alt.blues vocals sometimes sound disinterested, but they merely act as a device for the music to take over the listener. [1 Jul 2006, p.36]
    • New Musical Express (NME)
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Silence
    As a platform for Taylor’s softer side, ‘Silence’ is a success, but it’s not the sound of him firing on every single cylinder.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Sidetracked
    Nothing especially groundbreaking here compared with compilations such as the Kitsuné Maison series, but listenable nonetheless.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Ores & Minerals
    On Ores and Minerals, they ditch the giddy sounds of their early material and adopt a broader palette.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Beauty & Ruin
    The nostalgic nods become wearier in the second half, but Beauty & Ruin is strong enough to add weight to the argument that alternative rock belongs to Bob Mould; everyone else is just borrowing it.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Rock and Roll Animals
    It’s a bit nuts, but the ominous, shimmering psychedelia of standout tracks ‘Three Frendz’ and ‘Angel Of The North’ elevate the album beyond a quirky, Watership Down-esque curiosity.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Changephobia
    The multi-talented musician’s downfall is sometimes that he wraps melodies in so many layers that it barely has a chance to breathe. ... Whatever the flaws in some elements of ‘Changephobia’, Rostam can be proud of creating an album that showcases his talent as a producer and is truly unique.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT
    Ultimately this record lacks the genuinely interesting shifts that have punctuated Swift’s career so far, from the lyrical excellence on her superior breakup album ‘Red’ to ‘1989’’s pivot to high-octane pop.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Off-Season
    Non-conforming, ‘The Off-Season’ is a little bit off in places and its steadiness can be one-note, but it’s still a strong piece technically. You might not play this album every day, but it would still be a strong record for J. Cole to end on.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Melanie C
    There are some misfires here and there. ‘Escape’, which details trying to get away from the never-ending plod of everyday life, is so understated that it fails to make an impression. ‘Here I Am’, meanwhile, has the opposite problem – overcooking itself at points into OTT theatrics. Those missteps aside, ‘Melanie C’ is an invigorating, uplifting record.
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