El Dorado
by Marcus King
User Score
6.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 1 out of 7
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  1. DKStrohl
    Jan 23, 2020
    3
    Lets get the positives out of the way first, Marcus King can play the guitar well, his voice can hit notes cleanly and accurately. His songs are..fine, I guess? The album is well constructed, produced, arranged, etc.

    WHY? Why is this record being made? There is nothing new or exciting on here. Nothing that hasn't been done better by countless acts. Marcus King's voice is the kind of    Lets get the positives out of the way first, Marcus King can play the guitar well, his voice can hit notes cleanly and accurately. His songs are..fine, I guess? The album is well constructed, produced, arranged, etc.

    WHY? Why is this record being made? There is nothing new or exciting on here. Nothing that hasn't been done better by countless acts. Marcus King's voice is the kind of generic, blue eyed soul blandness that we have been hearing since the Doobie Brothers, and McDonald does it better. The blues is a dead genre, at this point it's nothing but cover acts. Nothing interesting has been happening here since SVR. Hell, jazz was invented because musicians in the early 20th century - over 100 years ago! - got bored with blues. Just put on the Allmans, SVR, early Clapton, or countless others who have explored this same ground 50 years ago.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Under The Radar
    Mar 5, 2020
    70
    his songwriting and vocal performances give a picture of the coming of an important voice in the genre. Certainly one to watch.
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  2. AllMusic
    Jan 29, 2020
    70
    El Dorado might not boast enough shredding for King's usual audience, but if their interest in roots music goes beyond barroom blues into vintage soul, they should find plenty to enjoy here, and he's a more capable vocalist than some would expect, making this worth a spin for listeners who enjoy modern-day soul.
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  3. Exclaim
    Jan 29, 2020
    70
    Despite the glaring transition on El Dorado, there's no identity crisis to be found — King is just as commanding as a crooner as he is with his guitar wailing through a cranked-up amplifier. It's unclear where King will go next, or how much of Auerbach's influence directed the sound of El Dorado, but King certainly has the versatility to make any shift worth listening to.
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