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Answers Image
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews What's this?

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  • Summary: The New York-based but Chicago-sounding post-rock outfit (think Isotope 217 or Tortoise) founded by Sasha Frere-Jones offers 13 new tracks on their first LP since 1998, and their first with new bassist (one of two) Erik Sanko of Skeleton Key.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. Answers has a heavy downtown spirit, with standard instruments played in a unique fashion, and an aggressive interplay that's nearly antagonistic.
  2. Answers is a document of how good instrumentals can be written without walls clearly delineating where the verse ends and the chorus begins.
  3. Sparse without feeling empty, clear without being awkwardly straightforward, Ui can remind even the most jaded of guitar gods that what Mingus (or Mike Watt or Peter Hook) did wasn't a fluke-- the bass doesn't have to be supplementary.
  4. An excellent instrumental rock disc with plenty of things thrown in the mix to keep things interesting.
  5. Magnet
    70
    The problem with Answers is the grooves are slathered in all that useless skill. [#60, p.119]
  6. The Wire
    60
    At their worst, Ui thrash like run of the mill math-rockers, basses turned to 11 and meandering loudly.... What rescues them is a burgeoning melodic sensibility. [#233, p.71]