• Record Label: Anticon
  • Release Date: Apr 24, 2007
Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 14
  2. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. [It] would be a shame for you to miss.
  2. Filter
    84
    No explanation needed--it's just great. [#25, p.96]
  3. Thee More Shallows' pop fans might yearn for more mellifluous melodies - their hip hop heads for more doctored beats - but in this "Book Of Bad Breaks", they're clearly on the same page.
  4. Thee More Shallows have, in a short time, perfected their sound to an extent that they can take multiple left turns without losing their way.
  5. Post-apocalyptic muck and digital drivel, outer space splattering of dark matter, Mattel and Fisher Price toy instrument sets: it’s all here, and it’s all in accordance with Anticon’s aesthetic.
  6. Under The Radar
    80
    A puzzling but enthralling specimen. [#17, p.96]
  7. There's still plenty to enjoy, but it's by no means a smooth ride.
  8. What it does has pretty much been done before -- but it's done well, and done right, and in the end, it's successful.
  9. Songs bleed into each other and meander all over, underscoring David Kesler's spidery writing with crackling, sample-laced arrangements.
  10. Urb
    70
    The adventure slightly disappoints. [Apr 2007, p.108]
  11. The more Book of Bad Breaks plays, the more it clings and forces you to concede to its charms; it’s an admirable album, if not quite a great one.
  12. The meat of the album is generally good, with strong vocals and decent songs, but there's enough gristle on this record that it ultimately obscures some of the pleasures of listening to it.
  13. It’s a loud and cacophonous affair—where previous efforts doled out their noise in judicious restraint, Breaks responds to their need to unhinge their fractured pop.
  14. Uncut
    40
    This treads the thin line between appealing whimsy and finicky, smartypants noodling. [Jun 2007, p.111]

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