Blemish
by David Sylvian
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6

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  1. georgedim
    Jun 1, 2004
    10
    masterpiece
  2. RobR
    Feb 18, 2005
    4
    It's his weakest recording to date. Far too self indulgent - something which comes about because he's working with much less contribution from other musicians than normal. He's at his strongest when guiding a cohort of great musicians, as demonstrated on Secrets of the Beehive, Dead Bees on a Cake, Gone to Earth ..... in fact, ALL his other 'solo' efforts.
  3. SimonT
    Aug 21, 2005
    10
    It's sad, and odd, that even some admirers of Sylvian have struggled with this record, which, for me, far from being weak or indulgent, is emphatically his masterpiece. Blemish has revitalised my long-held, but recently waning interest in the man because it is so much more vivid, bold and focussed than anything that precedes it - and especially when compared with the tasteful bloat It's sad, and odd, that even some admirers of Sylvian have struggled with this record, which, for me, far from being weak or indulgent, is emphatically his masterpiece. Blemish has revitalised my long-held, but recently waning interest in the man because it is so much more vivid, bold and focussed than anything that precedes it - and especially when compared with the tasteful bloat of Dead Bees On A Cake. It's not uncommon for an artist with a 20 year career to claim that a record is a re-invention or a revitalisation, but rare for it to be true. With Blemish, Sylvian has publicly made no such claims, but they would be entirely justified. I've lived with this record for a year or more now, and love it more than ever.… Expand
  4. ToilingMidget
    Dec 12, 2003
    9
    Radical fragility from Herr Sylvian. Frequently beautiful. Something like Bjork's 'Vespertine', written from a man coming to terms with the finite nature of existence, (musically) directed by Andrei Tarkovsky.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. Stylus Magazine
    67
    Blemish is not sadness or happiness; it is strange observation and relapse.
    Read full review
  2. Mojo
    70
    Much sparser and looser than we are used to from David Sylvian. [Sep 2003, p.101]
  3. Uncut
    80
    An extremely moving and potentially radical record. [Sep 2003, p.99]
See all critic reviews »