User Score
6.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 16
  2. Negative: 3 out of 16
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  1. May 7, 2023
    8
    There is an incredible story being told in these songs, and it is being told with such carefulness, that it might be a worthy contender for the music Oscars. And I mean Oscars because there is a lot of cinematic feel in these lyrics that it is almost impossible to not let the music carry you to these lands and stories. I appreciate it very much, even if this is still an ambient andThere is an incredible story being told in these songs, and it is being told with such carefulness, that it might be a worthy contender for the music Oscars. And I mean Oscars because there is a lot of cinematic feel in these lyrics that it is almost impossible to not let the music carry you to these lands and stories. I appreciate it very much, even if this is still an ambient and experimental album. Expand
  2. Mar 26, 2023
    9
    Same as the last one, but just different enough. Very satisfying textures throughout. I thought they struck the wrong tone on the last track, but that's easily ignored.
  3. Mar 27, 2023
    9
    Finally it's a new, fresh, folk, traditional, not flat album. Lots of emotions.
  4. Mar 26, 2023
    10
    Like being part of a crowd in a haunted Irish pub... This is a gem of an album, though not as easily accessible as their previous album. Love what they're doing with Irish folklore, and how they chart unknown territories with century-old songs.
Metascore
89

Universal acclaim - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. The Wire
    Jun 7, 2023
    80
    A sense of foreboding and emotional struggle is expertly crafted, so much so that at times it can feel like there’s little air and no escape. Outside of the songs, there’s a more uncanny, ineffable sense of power on the instrumental jig or reel passages of “Master Crowley’s” and “The New York Trader”. [Jul 2023, p.55]
  2. Mar 24, 2023
    80
    At 70 minutes, False Lankum is definitely a demanding listen, but an extraordinary one.
  3. Mar 24, 2023
    90
    A difficult, but defining statement, made at the height of their powers.