Cautionary Tale
by Dylan LeBlanc
Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
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  1. Record Collector
    Jan 27, 2016
    80
    His high, husky voice recounts tales of hope and desperation over immaculate production that combines the staples of guitar, bass and drums with restrained washes of strings--about as far from the stifling, mainstream Nashville Sound as imaginable.
  2. Q Magazine
    Jan 11, 2016
    80
    The songs this time have a depth and a warm maturity, a Neil Young sensibility coupled with a soul-singer sensuality and a distinct pop edge. [Feb 2016, p.113]
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  3. Mojo
    Jan 11, 2016
    80
    The upshot shocks with unexpected new ground. [Feb 2015, p.93]
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  5. Uncut
    Jan 11, 2016
    80
    A finely crafted exercise in country-folk classicism: strong songs, given room to breathe, delivered with intense economy. [Feb 2015, p.78]
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  6. American Songwriter
    Jan 19, 2016
    70
    LeBlanc has found firm footing with the help of fellow Muscle Shoals musicians John Paul White and Ben Tanner, who have helped the Shreveport, Louisiana native flesh out his musical strengths and make the most mature, cohesive record in his still-fresh career.
  7. AllMusic
    Jan 15, 2016
    70
    Lyrically LeBlanc is still mired in the faux-verisimilitude and myopic ruminating that are the bane of all twentysomethings, but with Cautionary Tale, his finest outing to date, he's stepped far enough out of his shell that the world around him is starting to come into focus.
  8. The Observer (UK)
    Jan 19, 2016
    60
    He doesn’t sustain the magic, however, with the result that Cautionary Tale is very much a front-loaded affair, the likes of Lightning and Thunder failing to spark.
  9. The Guardian
    Jan 14, 2016
    60
    It’s pretty and well-crafted, but there might not be a volume setting loud enough for it to truly grab your attention.
  10. Pitchfork
    Jan 11, 2016
    57
    The result is a record that, on the surface, sounds beautiful from start to finish. At times, though, these arrangements create a smoke-and-mirrors effect that obscures the weak spots in LeBlanc’s songwriting.

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User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. VonSeux
    May 28, 2016
    7
    Very solid release with beautiful vocal melodies and catchy chorus. Title track and Easy Way Out are the obvious stand-outs but the albumVery solid release with beautiful vocal melodies and catchy chorus. Title track and Easy Way Out are the obvious stand-outs but the album kinda miss power to hold the listener for 10 tracks. Go for it if you like the kids of Kurt Vile (b'lieve I'm going down), Arthur Mattos (accidental light) and, why not, old Neil Young.… Full Review »
  2. Custom_Concerns
    Jan 15, 2016
    6
    For those still deeply interested in the sounds of 70's folk pop/rock, Dylan LeBlanc's Cautionary Tale will do the trick. As an individualFor those still deeply interested in the sounds of 70's folk pop/rock, Dylan LeBlanc's Cautionary Tale will do the trick. As an individual entity, it is a solid record, with pleasant tunes amplified by LeBlanc's breezy vocals and well-produced instrumentation. The songs here are well crafted, the melodies fully realized. Where it falters is in originality; the album is not extraordinary enough to make up for the lack of original ideas. In other words, Cautionary Tale lacks a certain "it" factor. Despite my grievances, if the style LeBlanc presents on this record is still intriguing to you, you will undoubtedly get more from it than I did.

    67/100    … Full Review »