Gallowsbird's Bark
by The Fiery Furnaces
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. AllMusic
    90
    A fantastic debut album that only gets richer and better with more listens, Gallowsbird's Bark is more fully formed and daring than most second or third albums from many bands.
  2. Pitchfork
    84
    Plays like a big, half-drunken romp through golden-era rock 'n' roll-- airy and thrilling and shifty as hell.
  3. Dot Music
    80
    A unique musical vision with a genuinely unique and beautifully skewed worldview to boot.
  5. Q Magazine
    80
    A joy from start to finish. [Dec 2003, p.124]
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  6. Mojo
    80
    An odball masterpiece. [Oct 2003, p.110]
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  7. Splendid
    80
    It pulls from a grab bag of influences, from Bob Dylan to Broadway, The Who to honky-tonk, and tosses them around with apparent abandon. In spite of this (or maybe because of it), The FFs spin all of this into a sound that's consistent, yet almost magically unique.
  8. Uncut
    80
    This may well be the most exhilarating debut of the year. [Nov 2003, p.107]
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  9. Entertainment Weekly
    75
    They're loose, quirky, and rocking. [Listen 2 This supplement, Nov 2003, p.41]
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  10. No Ripcord
    70
    It’s an album full of aggressive piano, golden rock and roll and warbled, disturbed lyrics.
  11. Drowned In Sound
    70
    The duo manage to create the same raw fervoured energy of Jack 'n Meg, but also utilise a far more diverse array of sound and instruments.
  12. Blender
    70
    The Furnaces play with a whimsical charm, so the band seems more like an arts-and-crafts project than an occupation. [Nov 2003, p.113]
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  13. Stylus Magazine
    65
    The Furnaces’ brand of sonic mayhem may not be for everyone, but there are rewards for those who dare take the plunge.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- 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. ChrisB
    Nov 19, 2006
    9
    One of my favorite records of the past five years. Dark and playful.
  2. Jyoti
    Aug 3, 2006
    9
    The Furnaces are a revelation, and are unlike their contemporaries, who don't seem able to do anything with their influences other than The Furnaces are a revelation, and are unlike their contemporaries, who don't seem able to do anything with their influences other than copy them. FF may reprise the history of popular music in their albums, but there's nothing ersatz about them.… Full Review »
  3. ThomasS
    Jul 11, 2005
    10
    One of the freshest albums I have heard lately. The more times you listen to the record, the richer it gets. It's on my top 10 list.
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