• Record Label: Yep Roc
  • Release Date: Feb 25, 2003
User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 4 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 1 out of 4

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  1. RonD
    Oct 18, 2003
    8
    Can't get it out of my head
  2. JeffD
    Aug 18, 2005
    3
    If you look at it on paper, I should really like this album. I like Wilco. I like REM. I like some Minus 5 songs. For the life of me, though, I keep looking for the Next button until whoops, ran out of songs. Since I don't worship at the altar of Brian Wilson I suppose I'm not the exact target audience. Technically this is a great album. It sounds good. The pieces are all there, If you look at it on paper, I should really like this album. I like Wilco. I like REM. I like some Minus 5 songs. For the life of me, though, I keep looking for the Next button until whoops, ran out of songs. Since I don't worship at the altar of Brian Wilson I suppose I'm not the exact target audience. Technically this is a great album. It sounds good. The pieces are all there, but there's just something that leaves a taste like flat Coca-Cola in my mouth: it's not bad, but it could be better. It is a very produced album; you can tell they spent a lot of time in the studio on this one. Perhaps that's the problem, it's all very sterile to my ears. The Minus 5 sound great on a wonderful power-pop single like "You Don't Mean It" but on this...too much Beach Boys worship for my tastes. If you like the thought of all the production of the Beach Boys with a little bit of Jeff Tweedy, buy this album. Just don't expect a new Summerteeth. As for me, if I want to listen to the Beach Boys I'll actually listen to the Beach Boys. Expand
Metascore
72

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 15
  2. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. It's one of those albums that's good, but you also know you won't listen to it all that much.
  2. Q Magazine
    60
    Sun-kissed, deeply Beach Boys-esque music that will provide comfort to those who wondered what happened to the Wilco of 1999's Summerteeth. [Mar 2003, p.111]
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    75
    Hardly essential, but very cute--and more fun than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. [28 Feb 2003, p.80]