Giants of All Sizes
by Elbow
  • Record Label: Polydor
  • Release Date: Oct 11, 2019
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
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  1. musicOMH.com
    Oct 15, 2019
    90
    There might be more anger, darkness and politics on this album but Giants Of All Sizes shows they are still fundamentally one of the best bands around at offering consolation and comfort when the surrounding turbulence threatens to get too much.
  2. Under The Radar
    Oct 11, 2019
    85
    Elbow have proven to be one of the most reliable and entertaining rock bands around and Giants of All Sizes has plenty of spectacular music to make it a 2019 top 10 contender.
  3. PopMatters
    Oct 23, 2019
    80
    In its compositional diversity and its thoughtful commentary on the troubles we face, Giants sounds like a perfect accompaniment to this troubled period in human history.
  5. Paste Magazine
    Oct 14, 2019
    80
    Though the atmosphere surrounding Giants of All Sizes is much heavier than on any of the band’s other records this decade, Garvey still finds some hope through it all. The final three songs (“My Trouble,” “On Deronda Road” and “Weightless”) are optimistic as he discovers strength in his loved ones and friends in the reverberation of all of the recent negative events in his life.
  6. The Observer (UK)
    Oct 14, 2019
    80
    Giants of All Sizes is not an album to be filleted and squashed into playlists; it’s the sort of deeply serious and carefully crafted work that would sprout a beard and a cable-knit jumper if you turned your back on it for a second.
  7. AllMusic
    Oct 11, 2019
    80
    Lands somewhere between the widescreen dynamics of their Mercury Prize-short-listed debut, the workmanlike grandiosity of Seldom Seen Kid, and the aching melancholy of The Take Off and Landing of Everything.
  8. The Telegraph (UK)
    Oct 11, 2019
    80
    Thoughts on suicide, homelessness, injustice, heartbreak and mortality are framed with supple grooves, melodious chords, gorgeous harmonies and lushly detailed arrangements.
  9. The Skinny
    Oct 10, 2019
    80
    Musically, it’s varied and adventurous; thematically, it sees the world’s present darkness and raises it hope. A vital record.
  10. The Independent (UK)
    Oct 10, 2019
    80
    Perhaps their greatest album since their Mercury Prize-winning breakthrough The Seldom Seen Kid, released over a decade ago.
  11. Q Magazine
    Oct 10, 2019
    80
    Garvey sounds different, too, willing to sit with his fears rather than chase them away with optimism and charm. ... It's all the more moving because Elbow have taken such a raw, self-questioning route to get there. [Nov 2019, p.113]
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  12. Uncut
    Oct 10, 2019
    80
    There are moments of redemption as songs such as "On Deronda Road" and Weightless" celebrate life's capacity for renewal. But make no mistake: this is a dark record for dark times. [Nov 2019, p.25]
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  13. Mojo
    Oct 10, 2019
    80
    Elbow reflect an unruly world here, but if they sometimes lose faith, they never lose heart. [Nov 2019, p.87]
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  14. The Guardian
    Oct 10, 2019
    80
    Musically, Giants of All Sizes is richer and stranger than anything they’ve released since their commercial breakthrough. Even when it finally settles back into more comfortable lyrical terrain – My Trouble’s hymning of cosy domesticity, On Deronda Street’s paean to parenthood – the music strays beyond their usual comfort zone: ragged and underpinned by glitchy electronic beats. It suits them out there.

Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Best Album of 2019

User Reviews

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User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 31 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 31
  3. Negative: 4 out of 31
  1. BirthdayBee
    Oct 14, 2019
    9
    A definitive Elbow release. it still retains the elegance of recent records whilst harking back to the melancholic, experimental edges thatA definitive Elbow release. it still retains the elegance of recent records whilst harking back to the melancholic, experimental edges that informed earlier material. Dark but hopeful, bleak yet beautiful, this is a truly stunning return.… Full Review »
  2. dvdjr_01
    Oct 18, 2019
    10
    A great change of pace as Elbow timingly embraces frustration, angst, and an overall darker tone --all while remaining every bit as heartfeltA great change of pace as Elbow timingly embraces frustration, angst, and an overall darker tone --all while remaining every bit as heartfelt and poetic as they've always been.… Full Review »
  3. Aleonzzz
    Oct 17, 2019
    9
    Nothing has really come close to The Seldom Seen Kid until now. I have listened to Giants of all Sizes non-stop all week and not got boredNothing has really come close to The Seldom Seen Kid until now. I have listened to Giants of all Sizes non-stop all week and not got bored once. It contains some simply gorgeous melodies and some genuinely heart-felt moments of vocal delivery that jump out at me especially in My Trouble.

    It was White Noise, White Heat that first made me sit up and pay attention. Overall, this is a melancholic album but seems to convey the joy of living still. There are some interesting rhythms and arrangements to keep you happy for many listens. A 2019 must!    … Full Review »
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