By the Fire
by Thurston Moore
Metascore
83

Universal acclaim - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
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  1. Record Collector
    Sep 22, 2020
    100
    It’s the longer pieces that really glisten, and they come in several forms. ... Moore’s band, it should be noted, sound increasingly powerful, growing ever groovier and more confident with each release. Their guitars may have unusual tunings, but the players are certainly in-tune with one another, mentally and musically speaking. In summary, cacophonies ahoy!
  2. AllMusic
    Sep 24, 2020
    90
    By the Fire isn't a drastic shift, but as Moore goes deeper into the sounds he's been exploring for decades, he uncovers new magic.
  3. The Quietus
    Sep 22, 2020
    90
    It’s with By The Fire that Thurston Moore goes properly into orbit. Make no mistake; this is an album that stands shoulder to shoulder with the very best of his alma mater.
  5. Classic Rock Magazine
    Sep 25, 2020
    80
    By The Fire is a massive antidote to our age. [Oct 2020, p.87]
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  6. musicOMH.com
    Sep 25, 2020
    80
    It’s better than some actual Sonic Youth albums, and that alone makes it an essential listen. A thriller from the first second to the last.
  7. New Musical Express (NME)
    Sep 24, 2020
    80
    A smooth gear shift from 2013’s ‘The Best Day’ and 2018’s ‘Rock and Roll Consciousness’, ‘By The Fire’ manages to stand out with ease. Here Moore elegantly channels his sense of poise and calm in a word going to shit, easily proving why he remains a hero in the world of alt rock.
  8. The Line of Best Fit
    Sep 23, 2020
    80
    The result isn’t just Moore’s finest solo album: this is some of the most remarkable music he’s ever been involved in.
  9. Mojo
    Sep 22, 2020
    80
    The results isn't just his best album post-Sonic Youth, but some of the best music he's ever released. [Oct 2020, p.90]
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  10. Uncut
    Sep 22, 2020
    80
    His music is now more about the deep, nuanced dig into established territory than striking out to plant a flag someplace new, plus exploring different contexts for his signature sound through continued collaboration. [Oct 2020, p.30]
  11. Pitchfork
    Sep 29, 2020
    78
    It’s a record that justifies and even demands the extra space to explore; Moore and co. take their sweet time to sculpt squalls into riffs and lure extended meditations into melodic focus, like a roving crosshair that finally locks on its target.
  12. Beats Per Minute
    Oct 5, 2020
    73
    His continuous work positions him as the Bob Dylan of the alternative rock era, and By The Fire sums up every aspect of his artistry.
  13. Dusted Magazine
    Oct 12, 2020
    70
    There’s quite a lot of music here, some tracks abstract and open-end, others more conventionally song structured, all of it rather good.
  14. Exclaim
    Sep 28, 2020
    50
    On By the Fire opener "Hashish," Moore and his trio wholesale borrow the intro, main riff and melody from Sonic Youth's 1998 single "Sunday," while the most poppy and compact track on the LP, "Cantaloupe", freely cops the guitar rhythm of SY's 1992 classic "Sugar Kane." But once Moore becomes tired of repurposing old riffs, noise breakdowns, and tunings, he reverts to simply repeating intros and harmonies across the album's nine tracks and 80 minutes, melding together elements from the sluggish "Calligraphy" and the guileless "Dreamers Work."

Awards & Rankings

81
#81 Best Album of 2020

User Reviews

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User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. Lajaleaa
    Jan 4, 2021
    7
    ( 78/100 )

    Thurston Moore fue vocalista y guitarrista principal de Sonic Youth, la banda de American Rock y Experimental que en los 80s    ( 78/100 )

    Thurston Moore fue vocalista y guitarrista principal de Sonic Youth, la banda de American Rock y Experimental que en los 80s estipuló un género musical: Noise-Rock. Ahora presenta su nuevo álbum "By The Fire" que para un público con poca experiencia en Moore, Sonic Youth o algo de Noise-Rock, será pesado de asimilar y eterno de escuchar, pero los pacientes y fanáticos del genero encontrarán algo interesante y atractivo. Moore se toma el tiempo de construir el ambiente experimental que quiere expresar. Escuchar eso es interesante, pero su densidad baja la experiencia del álbum. Sin embargo añade un estilo alternativo que permite cierta creatividad con un toque agradable de Grunge y Post-Punk y se disfruta porque empatiza con el cansancio, la resignación, algo de romance y mucha madurez. Moore domina sus ambas facetas musicales en "By The Fire", pero todavía tiene que afinar el balance que le comparte al público, aún cuando él lo disfruta.
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    Thurston Moore was the mains vocalist and guitarist of Sonic Youth, the American Rock and Experimental band that in the 80s stipulated a genre: Noice Rock. Now he presents his new album "By The Fire" that for the public with few experience with Moore, Sonic Youth or Noice Rock, this will be heavy to assimilate and eternal to hear, but patient people and fanatics of the genera will find something interesting and attractive. Moore takes his time to create the experimental ambient that he wants to express. Listening to that is interesting, but its density lowers the experience of the album. However, he adds an alternative style that allows certain creativity with a nice touch of Grunge and Post-Punk which is enjoyed because it empathizes with tiredness, resignation, some romance, and a lot of maturity. Moore dominates his musical phases in "By The Fire", but he still has to polish the balance that he shares with the public, even if he is enjoying it.    … Full Review »
  2. NWLondon
    Oct 3, 2020
    10
    Truly mind blowing! I’m not sure there’s anything else “out there” that compares at the moment. Simply gets better with every needle drop.
  3. minutoindie
    Sep 26, 2020
    8
    Great album with long songs! Loved the instrumentals, it's a mix of indie, post-punk, sometimes folk, sometimes melancholic. I didn't like theGreat album with long songs! Loved the instrumentals, it's a mix of indie, post-punk, sometimes folk, sometimes melancholic. I didn't like the vocals sometimes...… Full Review »
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