Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 26
  2. Negative: 1 out of 26
  1. It’s the band’s throatiest, most pressing and urgent release to date.
  2. This is not an easy record to absorb. The band’s rough-hewn production is tinny and sonically chaotic, but underneath the surface noise lurks one of the finest records of the year.
  3. Filter
    84
    The band has seized upon that sloshy saunter that we love and turned it into an elaborate dance. [#20, p.94]
  4. A set of rousing, sharply focused, late-night pleas and barroom romps that take the group well beyond its garage roots.
  5. An album that's more like the Walkmen's concerts than the meticulously crafted sound of their other albums.
  6. The songs are still full of lush guitars and dense, clattering percussion, but offer the added bonus of being more grandiose and emotional.
  7. Alternative Press
    80
    A Hundred Miles Off is nearly 100-percent on. [Jul 2006, p.204]
  8. Despite all the palpable influences, the Walkmen have made this album their own.
  9. The Walkmen haven't changed much since B&A... but they've honed their nervy talent chiseling lines of post-punk history.
  10. The Walkmen careen through 12 songs that frequently devolve into sound-swallowing echo and boozy bellow, until the whole album becomes one long, moody abstraction.
  11. The concentrated unity of form and content that elevated sterling sophomore effort Bows & Arrows has been replaced by a footloose approach to songwriting and style that fails to mesh.
  12. Overall, A Hundred Miles Off is less intense than one may expect; there is no "The Rat" on this record.
  13. While this most recent release does not equal the shimmering weight of Bows and Arrows, it has more than enough potency to stand on its own.
  14. Reveal[s] an unexpectedly lilting and rootsy side to its sound and a growing facility for evocative storytelling lyrics.
  15. Mojo
    70
    Give it time and you'll be rewarded. [Oct 2006, p.102]
  16. Uncut
    70
    Although A Hundred Miles Off doesn't always score a bullseye, its vibrancy and colour win through. [Oct 2006, p.133]
  17. Despite occasional flashes of inspiration, much of the record blends together into a whole that is somehow much less than the sum of its parts; the ingredients are colorful, but the end result is disappointingly dull.
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 40 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 40
  2. Negative: 0 out of 40
  1. JanV.
    Jul 25, 2007
    5
    It's okay and would be passable without some of the standout tracks on the previous efforts. NOTHING on this album can touch the genius It's okay and would be passable without some of the standout tracks on the previous efforts. NOTHING on this album can touch the genius of My Old Man or New Year's Eve... I would say "nice try", but with what they've done before I don't think this is worthy. The best thing I can say is it's better than Pussy Cats. Full Review »
  2. Caroline
    Dec 21, 2006
    5
    A huge disappointment. This album is messy, rambling, and lacks the characteristic charm of The Walkmen.
  3. mattr.
    Aug 13, 2006
    9
    Like a lot of others have said, the album gets better after repeated listens. The criticism really is surprising, given that it holds up well Like a lot of others have said, the album gets better after repeated listens. The criticism really is surprising, given that it holds up well in comparison to the previous albums. Full Review »