A Fine Mess [EP]
by Interpol
  • Record Label: Matador
  • Release Date: May 17, 2019
User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 18 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 18
  3. Negative: 1 out of 18
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  1. sguy157
    Jul 26, 2019
    4
    I consider myself a fan of Interpol. And when I say fan, I don't mean I'm one of those people who only likes the first two albums and thinks everything else is trash - I actually like a good amount of their later work as well. I'm not trying to come off as a hater, and if you like this EP, then good! It's never my intention to make people feel bad for liking things.

    Anyway, if it wasn't    I consider myself a fan of Interpol. And when I say fan, I don't mean I'm one of those people who only likes the first two albums and thinks everything else is trash - I actually like a good amount of their later work as well. I'm not trying to come off as a hater, and if you like this EP, then good! It's never my intention to make people feel bad for liking things.

    Anyway, if it wasn't clear yet, I was not fond of this EP. I don't think that it's insultingly bad or anything, but it just feels so phoned in to me. There are points on this thing were it just feels messy...and not in a way that feels purposeful, such as in lo-fi music or garage rock. And don't get me wrong, I love a lot of projects that sound rough around the edges. But in those cases, that raw sound is driven by vibrant creative energy, something which I unfortunately find this EP to be lacking. Over the years, people have said that Interpol is one of those bands that captured lightning in a bottle with their first record, and then would spend the rest of their career trying to recreate that one jolt of excitement. That was never me - I always felt that Interpol still had the potential to put out another stellar project. But at this point, this EP has managed to make me a fell worried. I'm still not giving up hope yet (some would call me naive), and I still love Interpol. The good news is that this EP is pretty similar to Marauder, so if you thoroughly enjoyed that album then you will probably like this as well. For everyone else, however, that same reaction will likely not be elicited.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. AllMusic
    Jun 11, 2019
    60
    A Fine Mess is quintessentially Interpol, almost to a fault. While it's a little undercooked compared to the songs that appeared on Marauder, the EP may still please fans wanting more of that album's vibe.
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  2. Pitchfork
    May 22, 2019
    56
    Interpol might still be an exceptional act, but it’s a chore to have to squint this hard to see it.
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  3. Under The Radar
    May 20, 2019
    60
    There's no other unifying theme at work here; no great banner to be found overhead. A Fine Mess is just that--scattered outtakes from producer Dave Fridmann's (The Flaming Lips) stellar work with the band from the previous year.
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