The A.V. Club's Scores

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For 4,544 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 64% higher than the average critic
  • 2% same as the average critic
  • 34% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 1.5 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 74
Highest review score: 100 The Life Of Pablo
Lowest review score: 0 Graffiti
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,663 out of 4544
  2. Mixed: 771 out of 4544
  3. Negative: 110 out of 4544
4544 music reviews
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    • 66 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Octahedron
    This is a band that excels when its sing-alongs double as freak-outs; on Octahedron, they’ve largely ditched the chaos in lieu of an admirable, albeit unsatisfying, experiment in being quiet.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    nyc ghosts & flowers
    But the album as a whole--which, at eight songs in 42 minutes, barely exceeds EP length--is woefully uneven, with producer Jim O'Rourke indulging the band in some truly ill-conceived whims.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Lotus
    Aguilera has always been an unstoppable force when she pours her heart and soul into her music-and not as adept at dumbing down her voice or lyrics for the sake of lightweight tunes or prevailing trends. Unfortunately, by focusing on the latter route, Lotus becomes disappointingly faceless.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Too Young to Be in Love
    At times offering an interesting deconstruction of classic love-song tropes via a gay lens, Too Young To Be In Love is long on attitude and short on memorable melodies.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    I Can't Stop
    It has all the makings of a classic album, but the ingredients don't quite mix right.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Living Things
    Shinoda and Bennington's brotherly chemistry remains undiminished, but what troubles is how little they've matured lyrically.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Is Is [EP]
    Yeah Yeah Yeahs doesn't inspire much patience on the Is Is EP; instead, it rewards it with frustrating hints.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Until The End Of Time
    Nothing here quite matches the sheer awfulness of its title track and first single, which inexplicably samples Mr. Mister's "Broken Wings," but the album is uneven throughout, perhaps inevitably, given its two-hours-plus length.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Coco Beware
    As pleasantly promising as CoCo Beware is, Caveman has yet to move past that phase, or to fully harness the alluring darkness at its heart.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Finally Famous
    The long-delayed debut struggles for identity.
    • 52 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Teenage Dream
    Unfortunately, the fun peaks around the time that Snoop Dogg officially hands over his thug-life card during the previously released "California Gurls," a slice of sunny disco-pop perfection that suggested Teenage Dream just might trump 2008's spotty but enjoyable One Of The Boys. Instead, Perry returned with lots of ho-hum ballads and lackluster radio fodder as limp as the discarded lover in the dis track "Circle The Drain."
    • 65 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    The Search
    With everything it has going for it, it should be a lot better than it is.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    In Heaven
    Most of In Heaven, however, lacks tension, build, or direction.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    A New Testament
    For all its talk of hearts and affection, A New Testament barely has a pulse.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    The Remix
    Most of the time, The Remix settles for simply putting Gaga's slim catalog to faster and more blaring use.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Which Side Are You On?
    The problem with DiFranco's current work is not the fading anger of her youth. Instead, it's her inability to sound engaged in the current events she sings about.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    You Are All I See
    You Are All I See is the debut album from Active Child, the band that Los Angeles singer-songwriter Pat Grossi has steadily built around his sweeping harp, pining falsetto, and shuddering beats.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Screws Get Loose
    Sadly, Screws Get Loose is a serious step backward, ditching the anarchic honky-tonk of old in favor of ho-hum, girly surf pop in the vein of the Dum Dum Girls and Vivian Girls.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Living On The Other Side
    They live up to their unfortunate name--plodding along, doing the work they need to do and getting no further.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino
    The album feels unmoored and even plodding due to a lack of structure.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Fist Of God
    'Heartbreaker' is a great song--musical, dance-y, poppy, and interesting--that puts the other artists-in-residence to shame. All the rest is jogging music.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    The Heat
    Malin's strained whine makes his earnest lyrics sound more pretentious than they probably are.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Last 2 Walk
    But for all the intricacy on display in the production, the vocals just aren't there.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Rolling Papers
    Like Snoop, Khalifa raps extensively, even obsessively about marijuana; unlike Snoop, Khalifa never seems to be having much fun.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Bangarang [EP]
    Bangarang is the work of an entertainer still insecure in his ability to hold his audience's attention without resorting to loud gimmicks.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    North
    Bereft of melody and short on memorable lyrics (a Costello first), North is background music in the least appealing sense: Brought to the fore, it falls to pieces.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Grand Romantic
    Grand Romantic often feels so preoccupied with grandiose gestures that it loses sight of the little details that in the past have made Ruess’ music so memorable.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    The Monsanto Years
    It’s a collection of songs that winds up sounding like it could have been a series of blog posts or even tweets.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Hush
    Time and time again, songs begin promisingly only to disappear into themselves, or emerge with a striking bridge in the middle of nothing.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    In a World Like This
    The group's musical personality feels somewhat whitewashed; many of In A World Like This' songs are indistinguishable from ones by OneRepublic, The Wanted, or The Script.
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