Black Pumas
by Black Pumas
  • Record Label: ATO
  • Release Date: Jun 21, 2019
User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 23 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 23
  3. Negative: 2 out of 23
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  1. hellokittypie
    Sep 3, 2020
    10
    Black Pumas, thanks for this incredible and inspiring record, I can feel every letter and melody of every second. One of the best jobs done in 2019, you can take us to another universe of empowerment. A magnificent blend of soul, funk and blues.
  2. lulabymusic
    Sep 13, 2019
    10
     ____ "Black Pumas" is a very rich, musically aggressive (in a good way) record in the best traditions of this direction. "Fire", "Colors", "Black Moon Rising", "Oct 33" with its string part - bright, catchy tracks that will not leave indifferent any music lover.
    Burton's voice surprisingly successfully fits into the composition, glides in the music stream and gives some special flavor.     ____ "Black Pumas" is a very rich, musically aggressive (in a good way) record in the best traditions of this direction. "Fire", "Colors", "Black Moon Rising", "Oct 33" with its string part - bright, catchy tracks that will not leave indifferent any music lover.
    Burton's voice surprisingly successfully fits into the composition, glides in the music stream and gives some special flavor.
    I will say that this is a fairly high bar for all artists of this genre. Aesthetics and style at the highest level.    … Expand
  3. clem666
    Apr 15, 2022
    8
    Great soul, highly soothing and agreeable. Terrific riffs, amazing production and patterns. Lyrics could have been a bit more deep and creative but the material is definitely here. Short and striking album ! Still waiting for their next effort to come.
    The start of the project is particularly shocking and puts us in the universe they create, but the second third tends to be less    Great soul, highly soothing and agreeable. Terrific riffs, amazing production and patterns. Lyrics could have been a bit more deep and creative but the material is definitely here. Short and striking album ! Still waiting for their next effort to come.
    The start of the project is particularly shocking and puts us in the universe they create, but the second third tends to be less surprising, less notable. Fortunately the very end sees a burst of creativity and allows the album to conclude itself in very good terms. Another flaw to me was the lack of a 'second reading': once you have listened to 'Black Pumas' several times, the magic eventually fades away, or at least diminishes quite strongly.
    Very peaceful though. I should go back to it in a few months and hope the magic comes back.    … Expand
  4. Chinasky93
    Jul 31, 2019
    10
    Great combination of soul, funk and blues!
    Memorable choruses, and such a great voice!
    Beautiful stuff

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Q Magazine
    Jul 2, 2019
    80
    Transcends its hackneyed backstory on account of its sheer quality. [Aug 2019, p.108]
  2. Pitchfork
    Jul 1, 2019
    70
    Burton sings about interior voyages and the tracks were usually constructed by no more than two musicians; it’s music made at home, for home listening. That’s all well and good, since the duo has considerable skill, but this existential lonerism underscores a chasm between the pair and their influences. Unlike the icons of the era they find so inspiring, Black Pumas rarely look outside of themselves.
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  3. AllMusic
    Jun 28, 2019
    60
    A substantial portion of the album is either reverential or referential to a degree that it can sound more like an exercise in homage or a licensing tactic than a distinctive work.
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