For My Crimes
by Marissa Nadler
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
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  1. No Ripcord
    Oct 19, 2018
    80
    Nadler is technically less alone, accompanied by a reliable cast of characters, but their inclusion is a virtue considering a simpler layout might've given the album a more distancing effect. It takes some time to absorb, but once it does the emotion it conveys is stunning.
  2. Clash Music
    Oct 1, 2018
    80
    For My Crimes is a glorious album that demands to repeat listens to try and work out the hidden meanings of its songs and stories. As the nights are drawing in, pull the curtains, dim the lights and give yourself to its country gothic charm.
  3. AllMusic
    Sep 28, 2018
    80
    While For My Crimes contains her unmistakable signature in both songwriting and sound, as a whole it point to an open door for new possibilities to emerge in the future. It's sophisticated and emotionally arresting, it's among the finest offerings in her catalog.
  5. PopMatters
    Sep 26, 2018
    80
    For My Crimes subverts expectations by focusing on the music and its execution, not merely just the lyrics. Eight albums strong, Nadler knows precisely how to paint a picture with her music, and her latest shows exactly how complex that picture can be.
  6. Uncut
    Sep 25, 2018
    80
    It's beautifully eerie. [Oct 2018, p.30]
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  7. The Wire
    Sep 25, 2018
    80
    Her craft comes through more strongly on For My Crimes. It therefore takes a little longer to appreciate that the song structures are just as acutely developed as on her previous two albums. Despite its lyrical themes of romantic suffocation and nostalgia, and its allusions to domestic violence, For My Crimes is steady and unwavering. [Oct 2018, p.59]
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  8. Q Magazine
    Sep 25, 2018
    80
    These are songs that do indeed seem to move through another era, from the delightful mournful I Can't Listen To Gene Clark Anymore to the pulse of Roy Orbison beneath Lover Release Me and Dream Dream Big In The Sky. [Nov 2018, p.108]
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  9. The Line of Best Fit
    Sep 25, 2018
    80
    Far from showing signs of slowing down, Nadler sounds more focussed here than ever, continuing to challenge herself and evolve, with her eyes fixed firmly on the horizon.
  10. Paste Magazine
    Oct 1, 2018
    76
    Her wit is as dry as it as subtle on her eighth album, a collection of songs that are also disconsolate and foreboding.
  11. Consequence
    Sep 26, 2018
    75
    Though compact, For My Crimes is far from slight and marks another welcome addition into what’s become one of the best runs of the 2010s.
  12. Pitchfork
    Oct 5, 2018
    72
    The songs that follow range in scope from atmospheric brooding on “Blue Vapor” to hyper-specific autobiography on “Said Goodbye to That Car.”
  13. musicOMH.com
    Oct 17, 2018
    70
    It may not be the liveliest 35 minutes of the year, yet it’s filled with memorable imagery and some heartbreaking songs. For anyone who’s never heard any of Marissa Nadler’s work before, For My Crimes makes for an excellent starting point.
  14. Drowned In Sound
    Oct 5, 2018
    70
    This is not the best Marissa Nadler record, but it kind of feels like her most perfect, potentially the resolution of a subtle identity crisis that’s run through her music over the years.
  15. Exclaim
    Sep 25, 2018
    70
    "Dream Dream Big in the Sky," with its pat chord structure and surprisingly mundane lyrics, is the album's only true misfire. On the whole, however, For My Crimes is another intricate, emotionally complex folk record. It's what we've come to expect from Nadler after all these years.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10
  1. ImpeccibleTaste
    Nov 17, 2018
    9
    This album succeeds in exploring new territory artistically without alienating fans. For example, the playfulness of many of the song titles.This album succeeds in exploring new territory artistically without alienating fans. For example, the playfulness of many of the song titles. There are some noteworthy guest appearances too, but Marissa is still the undisputed star. Musically, it contains some of her best work to date -- I'm partial to the lovely "Said Goodbye to that Car" myself -- and the removal of reverb gives FMC an additional sense of intimacy. Like most of her albums, repeated listening is rewarded by new insights. It will be a while before this album is through with me.… Full Review »
  2. Lajaleaa
    Nov 1, 2018
    8
    ( 84/100 )

    Esta es la primera vez que escucho a Marissa Nadler y me es grato decir que me he llevado una muy bonita sorpresa. Siento que    ( 84/100 )

    Esta es la primera vez que escucho a Marissa Nadler y me es grato decir que me he llevado una muy bonita sorpresa. Siento que Marissa no domina ninguno de los géneros que estipula que compone, pero eso no es problema ante el hecho de que, lo que sea que esté tocando y cantando, es mágico y hermoso. Marissa se identifica con un genero Gothic Folk que cae en algún tipo de dreamy Pop y que nace de algún suave, blando y muy antagónico lugar del Metal. Personalmente considero que ésta es una muestra de música Indie cuya única diferencia es que Marissa se toma muy en serio y viste esa esencia oscura, desolada y deprimente de la corriente del Rock que busca apelar a los corazones rotos, solitarios y auto-afligidos. Y esa es la gran ventaja de Marissa: a todos nos encanta un poco de compañía cuando estamos decaídos por un desamor o simplemente por nuestra soledad, y ella tiene éxito en crear la #música que nos consuele en esos momentos, que nos entienda y que nos haga sentir bien porque entendemos también. En "For My Crimes", los versos recorren varias memorias guardadas en lugares u objetos de un amor lejano y disfuncional que tuvo que terminar. Se trata de esos sentimientos que nos hacen sentir culpables por no haber luchado lo suficiente o tristes porque extrañamos a esa presencia, pero en sí, el album honra esos errores y deslices que le ayudan a la artista a sentirse inspirada y ligada con sus emociones más profundas. Producido por Justin Raisen, Lawrence Rothman y Nadler misma, la música es una suave brisa de aire caliente en un día helado; es cuidadosa, delicada, sensible, emotiva y triste sin ser suicida, como un abrazo de consolación cuando tienes un nudo en la garganta. Seguiré la constancia de la angelical y preciosa voz de Marissa con la emoción de una persona que entiende el consuelo de un cuarto oscuro.    … Full Review »
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