Flamagra
by Flying Lotus
  • Record Label: Warp
  • Release Date: May 24, 2019
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 63 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 63
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 63
  3. Negative: 6 out of 63
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  1. Gesaffelstein
    Jun 3, 2019
    10
    A fresh new comeback for Flying Lotus that takes a different turn.
    Maybe the songs don’t pull you in as much as his earlier albums did, but they make up for that in tunes that you can easily listen too and enjoy. Flying lotus makes excellent use of his featured guests and an array of drums, synths, and vocals for probably the best electronic album in 2019.
  2. jamilw
    Jun 29, 2019
    9
    The hero's journey told through music and sound. This album is about love and life and joy and sorrow. From the moment Fire is Coming reaches it's full intensity all the way to the dreamscape of Remind U is just perfect sequencing. This spot in the record hits me every time. Overall solid album and thought provoking as always from Flying Lotus. Absolutely loved it.
  3. sanstian
    Jun 8, 2019
    10
    I don't think I have ever listened to an album that has kept me interested and invested in the project as a whole for so long. It's an hour and 7 minutes long, but it felt more like 30 minutes - this project is a journey. Sure, there are some weird tracks. But I don't think that this is an album where you're supposed to listen to the tracks individually, you need to listen to the projectI don't think I have ever listened to an album that has kept me interested and invested in the project as a whole for so long. It's an hour and 7 minutes long, but it felt more like 30 minutes - this project is a journey. Sure, there are some weird tracks. But I don't think that this is an album where you're supposed to listen to the tracks individually, you need to listen to the project as a whole.… Expand
  4. The_Equalizer
    Jul 14, 2019
    8
    This is by far the most polished album by Flying Lotus, which might be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. You can definitely tell he's grown as a producer & has a clearer vision of where he's going sound-wise. The music is smoother & less meandering with less cacophony & the guests are top notch. There are well-known names like Solange & George Clinton as well asThis is by far the most polished album by Flying Lotus, which might be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. You can definitely tell he's grown as a producer & has a clearer vision of where he's going sound-wise. The music is smoother & less meandering with less cacophony & the guests are top notch. There are well-known names like Solange & George Clinton as well as impressive newbies Tierra Whack & Denzel Curry.

    Highlights include: Heroes in a Half-Shell, Yellow Belly, Black Balloons Reprise, Fire Is Coming, Andromeda & Debbie Is Depressed. If you don't like this album after one listen, smoke a bowl & listen again. I suspect some of the negative reviews are from skeptical hipsters afraid of losing FlyLo to the pop culture machine, which I totally understand. But the album itself is great despite its young guests & polished sound. He may lose some hardcore older fans by going this direction but will gain many new ones in the process.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Most Shared Album of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. The Wire
    Jun 20, 2019
    80
    Flamagra is still more accessible than either Quiet or Dead! and this is most likely due to Ellison’s choice of vocal collaborators. [Jul 2019, p.49]
  2. The Quietus
    Jun 5, 2019
    70
    Everything on Flamagra sounds amazing. The beats are crisp and crunchy, the synths and loops are tight and catchy, the basslines are deep and wobbly and the vocals floating above it all take centre stage, but because everything sounds so perfectly measured it’s hard to get excited about the next song, as it all merges into one long sixty-two minute listening experience.
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  3. PopMatters
    Jun 3, 2019
    60
    First, there is almost nothing here that is objectively difficult to listen to. Most of the material goes down rather easily, and indeed some of it seems more than accessible. The paradox that confronts us here (and elsewhere), though, is that this is a largely frictionless experience. It feels as if the album doesn't ever get quite weird enough somehow, and there are frequent rather non-descript jazzy interludes that don't so much provide connective tissue as they merely put us into a slightly vapid holding pattern ("Remind U", "Debbie Is Depressed", "FF4", and passim).
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