No Ripcord's Scores
- Music
For 2,726 reviews, this publication has graded:
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43% higher than the average critic
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3% same as the average critic
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54% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 2.8 points lower than other critics.
(0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 70
Score distribution:
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Positive: 1,899 out of 2726
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Mixed: 751 out of 2726
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Negative: 76 out of 2726
2726
music
reviews
- By Date
- By Critic Score
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- Critic Score
Bloom is a little over 21-minutes of relentless noise pool of percussion and clatter that’s somehow relaxed by the gently pressed piano keys that methodically pierce its surface, a contrast that rests the mind over the length of this track when it might otherwise induce anxiety.- No Ripcord
- Posted Apr 20, 2020
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While there are moments that feel less remarkable (the insignificant Hasdallen Lights or the groovy but repetitive Asteroid Blues), Heavens to a Tortured Mind succeeds when it’s mostly focused on creating a sensual yet serious mood throughout.- No Ripcord
- Posted Apr 15, 2020
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- Critic Score
Some of the arrangements stick, and some of them don't, but it's always enjoyable to hear where his open-ended narratives take you.- No Ripcord
- Posted Apr 8, 2020
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For the most part, Code Orange leans upon evocative writing that pairs heaviness to thoughtful lyricism. While there are a handful of phrases that feel sloppy or obvious (“The digital knife's edge that cuts us all” on In Fear, or Cold.Metal.Place’s “The fire burns down our 3D world”), Code Orange’s self-seriousness almost entirely works because of how badass they are.- No Ripcord
- Posted Apr 6, 2020
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The further you get, the sharper the writing becomes and the more introspective and unique the album feels.- No Ripcord
- Posted Apr 3, 2020
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Given that Uneasy Laughter is guitar-centric first and foremost, both Saving Face and What Separates Us benefit from having muscular riffs that help offset its huge synth lines and Solomon's tenuous vocal range. Which is Moaning's greatest strength, but can be a weakness too, as they haven't been fully able to add more personality to their vulnerable, dark romanticism.- No Ripcord
- Posted Mar 24, 2020
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Margolin's bare-faced humanity is what's at the core of Every Bad, heightening the complicated feelings inherent in every one of us. Still, don't feel fooled into thinking that Porridge Radio's music is simple in terms of character and dynamic range. Whether they intend to or not, their tuneful, guitar-driven songcraft practically obliterates the left-of-center indie that's softened the genre into dreamy, pillowy mush.- No Ripcord
- Posted Mar 16, 2020
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Ultimately an excellent record. Where the message is muddied, thankfully the music is often, simply put, beautiful.- No Ripcord
- Posted Mar 16, 2020
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Swimmer and a few other songs hint at what could have been, only to have the other half of the album play it safe. If only more of Tennis' songs took risks on unexpected palettes of emotion and drew from more complex poetic wells, then they might provide us with something special. Instead, they've created another enjoyable, if a bit rote and predictable album, like a relationship drifting into comfortable and boring domestic habits.- No Ripcord
- Posted Mar 13, 2020
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It’s a heavy, at times uncomfortable listen, but one that feels intensely relatable. It finds strength in the somber and the morose by paining it in bright colors and wonderful riff work. Once you’re drawn in, you won’t want to turn away, no matter how dark the journey becomes.- No Ripcord
- Posted Mar 9, 2020
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Man Alive! fleshes out Krule’s song crafting abilities to make for a slightly more cohesive and concise listening experience, albeit, one that remains perplexing—and still has a killer bite.- No Ripcord
- Posted Mar 5, 2020
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There is no doubt that it takes several cycles through the album for things to start to click. That’s if you find yourself willing to give in to the album’s concepts and approach.- No Ripcord
- Posted Mar 5, 2020
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Snaith's gradual evolution is more than evident in Suddenly, a reflective and also outgoing mood piece that shares insight into what he's learned in the six years he's been away since 2014's Our Love.- No Ripcord
- Posted Mar 2, 2020
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It's in how she alters her ghostly, choral-like voice that she's able to elevate her entire environment.- No Ripcord
- Posted Feb 24, 2020
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It's only after several listens that the album's wholeness clarifies. Because the tracks tend to be downtempo, reflective, and downright sleepy, it takes time and patience to realize Bejar is working like a good storyteller.- No Ripcord
- Posted Feb 20, 2020
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At 58 minutes, it does run a little long—and I probably would’ve cut songs like On Track or the two-minute flatliner Glimmer. But every time I’ve started this album since it clicked with me, I’ve finished it. Isn’t that the most you can ask of any record?- No Ripcord
- Posted Feb 19, 2020
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You only need to read through the song titles to get a sense of it all, but the carefully constructed builds of tracks like Wish We Had More Time and This Is Where It Ends make spending time with sorrow hard to resist.- No Ripcord
- Posted Feb 18, 2020
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Hard to call this a debut in the hands of such accomplished musicians, but the sublime far outweighs the average here and gives hope for further chapters- No Ripcord
- Posted Feb 18, 2020
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It's a heavy theme to handle, but thankfully (or perhaps to its chagrin), most of these topics go unnoticed if you submit to its simple guitar-pop pleasures.- No Ripcord
- Posted Feb 18, 2020
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Centered around their view of how we all connect, there's a familiarity in how the trio naturally links themes of nature and spirituality around the human condition—but it's the first time in quite some time where it feels like they're genuinely reaching beyond their loyal fanbase.- No Ripcord
- Posted Feb 18, 2020
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Even if Perdida does have a good amount of hammy lyrics and dull, strummy adult-pop, it's still the best music they've written since 2001's Shangri-La Dee Da. And, in many ways, is proof of why they deserve a fair shot at keeping the Stone Temple Pilots name active.- No Ripcord
- Posted Feb 10, 2020
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The Unraveling finds Hood and Cooley as fiery as they’ve ever been. If American Band proved that the Drive-By Truckers still had plenty left to say, The Unraveling shows that they can allow themselves a bit of fun in the studio while getting their message across.- No Ripcord
- Posted Feb 3, 2020
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Even at his most open, there's still this sense that his character-driven songs wouldn't exist without revealing the backstory of his Canadian roots. His sentiments are more palpable and poignant, but his approach is as casual as always.- No Ripcord
- Posted Jan 27, 2020
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It's a moving, eclectic return that longtime fans will admire—and find themselves surprised to discover them for the first time.- No Ripcord
- Posted Dec 13, 2019
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- Critic Score
If you hear ten seconds of any given song then you've heard its entirety, yet you haven't experienced the song. It's that sort of an album.- No Ripcord
- Posted Dec 9, 2019
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I can’t say enough nice things about Tunes 2011-2019; there’s too much to love about this damn thing. I especially recommend it to those who aren’t very familiar with Burial and are looking for something other than Untrue to sink their teeth into. It’s a monumental snapshot of the “second act” of his career, and should be on all electronic music connoisseurs' Christmas wish lists. Prepare to get lost.- No Ripcord
- Posted Dec 9, 2019
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A group of veteran musicians who are committed to their craft, carrying themselves with stylish grace one crushing ballad at a time.- No Ripcord
- Posted Dec 6, 2019
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She heads into more accessible waters —on tracks like Down on Me and Confessions, Davis softens her pop-meets-classical mishmash with a mellifluous inflection that gives clarity to her self-empowering message. And like a memoir of sorts, she goes through stories that range from her birth to the present day.- No Ripcord
- Posted Dec 6, 2019
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Cotillions does have its fair share of bloat, though—at 17 tracks and clocking in over an hour, its instrumental parallels can often feel redundant once it concludes. Nevertheless, his recent "unplugged" projects suggest he’s found fulfillment carving his own path rather than overthinking how to capture the spirit of our times.- No Ripcord
- Posted Dec 6, 2019
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It’s still hard to truly get Leonard Cohen right, and Thanks for the Dance sadly sounds like an easy approximation of his sound.- No Ripcord
- Posted Dec 2, 2019
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