The Boston Phoenix's Scores
- Music
For 1,091 reviews, this publication has graded:
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63% higher than the average critic
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3% same as the average critic
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34% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 1.2 points higher than other critics.
(0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 74
Highest review score: | Pink | |
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Lowest review score: | Last of a Dyin' Breed |
Score distribution:
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Positive: 956 out of 1091
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Mixed: 88 out of 1091
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Negative: 47 out of 1091
1091
music
reviews
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- Critic Score
In the M83 universe, emotion comes before logic, and for all 72 fascinating minutes, Gonzalez has you in the palm of his sweaty hand.- The Boston Phoenix
- Posted Oct 12, 2011
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It's taken Isbell three albums to find his comfortable post-Truckers solo-artist groove, and on Here We Rest, he settles in quite nicely.- The Boston Phoenix
- Posted Apr 12, 2011
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- Critic Score
It delivers on the promise of Louden Up, with infectious beats and a kitchen-sink approach.- The Boston Phoenix
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This is the longest the band has had the same lineup, which adds to the overall tightness from start to finish.- The Boston Phoenix
- Posted May 21, 2012
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From moment to moment, Never's oddball quality can be a blessing, but it becomes more of a curse when the moment passes and there's little besides disparate pieces to hold onto.- The Boston Phoenix
- Posted Jul 18, 2012
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- Critic Score
Real Emotional Trash, with its long, winding guitar solos, extended jams, and emphasis on shifting psychedelic guitar textures, is as retro an album as Malkmus has ever recorded.- The Boston Phoenix
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The duo can't possibly keep up this kind of frivolous pace, and several of the 15 tracks are just (and I apologize for using the term) chillwave jams--but nearly all are expertly crafted, and hedged with mirthy dance flavor.- The Boston Phoenix
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Albarn's work here with visual director Jamie Hewlett and a rotating cast of collaborators--Dan the Automator, Danger Mouse, Lou Reed, Snoop, etc.--is as remarkable as their 2001 debut selling six million records.- The Boston Phoenix
- Posted Nov 28, 2011
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Down There harnesses the core duality upon which the AC empire is built: a warm and pure pop æsthetic folded harmoniously into layers of murky swirls and drips.- The Boston Phoenix
- Posted Oct 27, 2010
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Smart Flesh won't just set many a lonely heart aflutter - it will stick around in the morning to make breakfast.- The Boston Phoenix
- Posted Feb 23, 2011
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Chrome Dreams II is effective despite the sonic clash because, on both the new material and the leftovers, the loud ('Spirit Road') and the soft (the soul ballad 'Ever After'), it’s unified by its call to give props to spirit and humanity, a sentiment that, whatever it’s wrapped in, never gets old.- The Boston Phoenix
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The keyboards that colored his swan dive into dance music before he re-embraced rock with 2005’s Body of Song are simply another subtle layer of muscle for this sinewy disc.- The Boston Phoenix
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The spirited chants and intricate beats give Fool’s Gold unity, and the precision is inviting. They never break from their tight sound with a boldly original gesture, but there’s no need to risk spoiling this fun set of songs.- The Boston Phoenix
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Balam Acab have crafted a fully fleshed-out record, with enticing dimension and its own subtle meanings.- The Boston Phoenix
- Posted Sep 27, 2011
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After years of Boston's repping itself on the national stage with scally caps and mime make-up, the promising prospect of a blog-stoking, pant-tightening, fresh-making outfit like the Pit feels long overdue. The good news is, it sounds only slightly so.- The Boston Phoenix
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- The Boston Phoenix
- Posted Mar 6, 2013
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- Critic Score
The great news is that even the bad news is good news: Alabama Shakes have a hell of a lot of growing to do, but even their slightest tunes pack a punch.- The Boston Phoenix
- Posted Apr 10, 2012
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Although rooted in history, this album’s themes and passion are timeless.- The Boston Phoenix
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Wilco (The Album) finds the band looser and more assertive than they were on their two previous efforts.- The Boston Phoenix
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- The Boston Phoenix
- Posted May 27, 2011
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- Critic Score
Musically, the septet are as colorful as ever, only more resonant and with fewer xylophones--plus a newfound emphasis on rhythmic muscle.- The Boston Phoenix
- Posted Nov 16, 2011
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It's more like the album we should all discover after they've broken through with their second or third long-player, when we'll all be a lot more forgiving.- The Boston Phoenix
- Posted Jan 7, 2011
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Mascis's unique talents have ossified into a signature, so discerning any difference between this set of tunes and, say, his solo albums of the early oughts or latter-day Dinosaur Jr. albums is tough work. If, to you, that means more awesome Mascis crunchwork, then be psyched, because this record slays, the rocking is sloppy-yet-tight, and nothing on here would sound like a drag if tossed into a setlist amongst older classics.- The Boston Phoenix
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- Critic Score
There are times when Upper Air could be some clandestine jam session in the wilderness.- The Boston Phoenix
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- The Boston Phoenix
- Posted Jul 19, 2012
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- The Boston Phoenix
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The result is as baleful and forlorn as most dance pop is swishy and effervescent.- The Boston Phoenix
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Jay dawns that ever-frustrating mush-mouth flow throughout the LP's duration, and only sounds awake when his bars are bookended by Kanye.- The Boston Phoenix
- Posted Aug 12, 2011
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The smart, funny, fanclub chants herein, each as catchy as Willie Mays in the ’54 Fall Classic, are gemlike tributes to the characters who’ve made that diamond shine, from Satchel Paige to Fernando Valenzuela.- The Boston Phoenix
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- Critic Score
Their wail-and-bash raison d'etre continues to bring more intense, absurd listening pleasure than any other noise band on the planet.- The Boston Phoenix
- Posted Jan 17, 2012
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