• Record Label: Merge
  • Release Date: Jan 22, 2002
Metascore
68

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 11
  2. Negative: 1 out of 11
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    91
    Exquisitely moody songs alternate with instrumentals that sound like outtakes from the Mothers of Invention's Burnt Weeny Sandwich (that's a compliment). [25 Jan 2002, p.107]
  2. The combination of quietly gorgeous pop songs and noise bites struggling to become quietly gorgeous pop songs makes for bewitching Sunday-morning listening.
  3. Certainly it's not as important or ambitious as his principal projects, but on the other hand there's less of the clever ostentatiousness that can sometimes drive you up the wall.
  4. Working outside of the framework of the pop song, Merritt is left to explore more exotic sound sources and song structures. Unfortunately, without that framework, these elements often fail to amount to anything significant, providing somewhat interesting, meandering background music, but little more.
  5. Blender
    60
    [The instrumentals are] a curious bonus for his fans, but not much more. [Feb/Mar 2002, p.113]
  6. Alternative Press
    30
    Half this record sounds like a field recording from a daycare play room. [Mar 2002, p.84]
  7. The album is surprisingly consistent despite its unbalanced components.
  8. The Wire
    60
    A decent film soundtrack. [#219, p.74]
  9. It's another Merritt CD that's so good, it could radically alter the world if it was broadcast from the moon.
  10. A strange and somewhat inconsistent release.
  11. Q Magazine
    80
    A superb piece of work. [Apr 2002, p.117]
User Score
tbd

No user score yet- Awaiting 2 more ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. KonstantinosA.
    Sep 22, 2002
    9
    Album of the year probably... "Some Summer Day" is the 70th Love Song ;-)
  2. DanielleR.
    Mar 6, 2002
    10
    Fantastic