Closer Than Together
by The Avett Brothers
Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
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  1. American Songwriter
    Nov 8, 2019
    80
    Not all of it is easy listening, but all of it is worth hearing.
  2. Blurt Magazine
    Dec 18, 2019
    60
    While the band may seem more aware of emphatic expression overall, many of the melodies maintain the anthemic perspective that ‘s always been so inherent and inspired.
  3. PopMatters
    Oct 14, 2019
    60
    The Avetts have been doing this for too long and are too accomplished as songwriters to make an album that's a total dud. The good stuff on Closer Than Together is really quite excellent. But when the balance is just a bit more good material than mediocre (or worse) material, you start to question the production choices involved.
  5. Paste Magazine
    Oct 14, 2019
    52
    High points feel scattered among a patchwork of pillowy piano tunes, conspicuous genre experiments and politically charged trial balloons. There are good things and not-so-good things here, but there is no cohesion in the overall work. Closer Than Together doesn’t hang together as a whole.
  6. AllMusic
    Oct 14, 2019
    50
    While the band sometimes flirts with modern sounds -- witness the overheated neo-new wave beats fueling "High Steppin'" -- they usually default to an affectless folk-rock that shows a considerable debt to Bob Dylan.
  7. Under The Radar
    Nov 6, 2019
    45
    It's a poor album that irks and annoys at every turn, excellent musicianship and performance rendered irrelevant by the turgid material. Exhausting stuff.
  8. Exclaim
    Oct 14, 2019
    40
    Sadly, precious little restraint is found on the stuffy, haughty Closer Than Together.

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User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 1 out of 1
  1. djbrate
    Nov 12, 2019
    1
    Incredibly disappointed with the political route they took. This album was nothing like their usual style and each song was dragged by a slowIncredibly disappointed with the political route they took. This album was nothing like their usual style and each song was dragged by a slow piano. Only good song was Locked Up… Full Review »