Dedicated to Bobby Jameson
by Ariel Pink
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
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  1. Magnet
    Oct 17, 2017
    85
    Impossibly, Rosenberg's artistry still feels mysterious, unknowable, capable of surprise. [No. 147, p.57]
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  2. The 405
    Sep 18, 2017
    85
    Dedicated to Bobby Jameson picks up where the late Bobby Jameson left off, solidifying his name as an inspiration for one of the most impressive indie-rock records of the past decade.
  3. The A.V. Club
    Sep 15, 2017
    83
    Dedicated To Bobby Jameson is the most comfortable Pink’s ever sounded with his own success, turning legitimacy into a noble weapon: ambition.
  5. Pitchfork
    Sep 15, 2017
    82
    Taken as a whole, the songs on Bobby Jameson play with a startling intimacy. These are among Pink’s simplest, sharpest compositions, sprawling with an intuitive charm.
  6. The Wire
    Oct 11, 2017
    80
    An upbeat yet ultimately wistful record about living, dying, youth, age, wasting time, but also trying not to waste time. [Oct 2017, p.59]
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  7. AllMusic
    Sep 25, 2017
    80
    Dedicated to Bobby Jameson is a weird, catchy, thought-provoking celebration of individuality that offers one Pink's most appealing balances of sugary accessibility and irreverent indulgence.
  8. The Observer (UK)
    Sep 18, 2017
    80
    Push past the weaponised irony and you’ll find Another Weekend and Feels Like Heaven are his most seductive melodies since breakthrough album Before Today.
  9. Exclaim
    Sep 15, 2017
    80
    Despite his claims of musical malaise, Pink continues to display excellence in his eccentricities on Dedicated to Bobby Jameson, one of his most dynamic records to date.
  10. Uncut
    Sep 14, 2017
    80
    Sparer yet wholly captivating displays of psych-pop iridescence. [Oct 2017, p.37]
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  11. Slant Magazine
    Sep 14, 2017
    80
    Like the rest of Pink's catalogue, the hooks here can be elusive, buried amid a cornucopia of silly voices, hyperactive genre pastiche, and murky production values. But when they land, they land hard. ... It's that roughness around the edges that makes Dedicated to Bobby Jameson so deeply resonating.
  12. Pretty Much Amazing
    Sep 19, 2017
    75
    Title track aside, this a really good album by a really sketchy guy.
  13. Clash Music
    Sep 21, 2017
    70
    Dedicated to Bobby Jameson offers an enticing preview, delicately ebbing and flowing between irreverent pastiche and tender melancholy, and in the end striking a balance that makes it one of Pink's more accessible and immediately gratifying records in recent memory.
  14. Austin Chronicle
    May 7, 2018
    67
    It plays like frantically turning the FM dial in the car, the neon strangeness of L.A. looming ahead.
  15. The Guardian
    Sep 14, 2017
    60
    There are some excellent--even tender--moments here but, as per, only true fans will be able to overlook Pink’s exasperating lack of focus.
  16. Q Magazine
    Sep 14, 2017
    60
    Confusion's left in its wake, of course, but such is the price of the peaks. [Oct 2017, p.100]
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  17. Tiny Mix Tapes
    Sep 14, 2017
    60
    There are hooks, and as usual Pink has an uncanny ability to worm his 80s-worshipping melodies and one-liners into your head whether you want them there or not, but the grand effect of Dedicated to Bobby Jameson is that of a restless mind finally beginning to slow down, settling into its patterns rather than excitedly seeking new ones, and struggling with one of the most unavoidable, stinging realities of being alive: disappointment.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 44 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 44
  3. Negative: 3 out of 44
  1. DavidWasHere
    Sep 22, 2017
    8
    It's an Ariel Pink record, that's for sure!

    That might come off as a bit condescending, but it's not. Ariel Pink is one of the most unique    It's an Ariel Pink record, that's for sure!

    That might come off as a bit condescending, but it's not. Ariel Pink is one of the most unique artists working today, especially when you compare his work to other retro acts that try to ape older sounds without finding an identity all their own. It's a strange and surreal landscape of psychedelic haze and Ariel belting out whatever comes to his head, and he does so by crafting catchy and smooth pop tunes along the way. It doesn't have the wow factor because this album is similar to his other releases, especially after signing to 4AD, but still there is a unique charm with his blend of psychedelic rock, synthpop, soft rock, disco, and Zappa-meets-Velvet Undergound experimental rock, his sound is just so hard not to hate. Plus with great standouts like his collab with Dam-Funk Acting, the dreamy Feels Like Heaven, the title cut, I Wanna Be Young, Bubblegum Dream, and Dreamdate Narcissist, this is yet another fantastic release from Ariel! A bit formulaic with his other stuff, but with a formula this good, who can argue?    … Full Review »
  2. thelittlecoon
    Sep 15, 2017
    10
    This album is a masterpiece and filled with some of Ariel Pink's best work yet. I am in awe of his songwriting and production and he continuesThis album is a masterpiece and filled with some of Ariel Pink's best work yet. I am in awe of his songwriting and production and he continues to bring it on every song on the LP. My favorite album of the year hands down.

    Favorite Tracks: Feels Like Heaven, Dedicated to Bobby Jameson, Time to Live, Another Weekend, Kitchen Witch, Do Yourself a Favor    … Full Review »
  3. aguasalex
    Sep 20, 2017
    8
    This album walks a fine line between absurdity and cohesiveness; then I realized, why not both? The songwriting is highly introspective thatThis album walks a fine line between absurdity and cohesiveness; then I realized, why not both? The songwriting is highly introspective that tends to warm the soul and this is especially true when Ariel Pink experiments with the production. If you enjoy Bowie's early work, you may have strong tendencies to associate distinctive similarities between the two. All credit to the artist!… Full Review »
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