Grey Oceans
by CocoRosie
  • Record Label: Sub Pop
  • Release Date: May 11, 2010
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 22
  3. Negative: 3 out of 22

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  1. DuDD
    Jan 23, 2017
    6
    Despite being born in the United States, the duo that is CocoRosie feels completely out of the world, and at times hauntingly beautiful, with their fourth studio album, Grey Oceans. However, while their experimental folk style and rich atmospheres sound immensely enticing, the overall execution of the record has many moments where it falls flat on its face, completely ruining an otherwiseDespite being born in the United States, the duo that is CocoRosie feels completely out of the world, and at times hauntingly beautiful, with their fourth studio album, Grey Oceans. However, while their experimental folk style and rich atmospheres sound immensely enticing, the overall execution of the record has many moments where it falls flat on its face, completely ruining an otherwise ingenious and great album.

    The root of the problem with this release seems to stem from the overuse of one of CocoRosie’s defining elements… their experimentation. While songs like “Trinity’s Crying” lead to enchanting soundscapes of wonder, and equally as beautiful singing, other songs like “Hopscotch” completely take you out of the experience you’re having with the album, and make it a struggle to get back to the immersion. Indeed, this over-experimentation constantly takes good song ideas and removes their beauty, leaving the album a bit bland feeling. When the songs are left alone, with just the right amount of kooky ideas, you get songs like “Grey Oceans,” “R.I.P. Burn Face,” “The Moon Asked The Crow,” and “Lemonade.” When the songs have unneeded and extra concepts added to them, you get songs like “Undertaker,” and “Fairy Paradise” (the latter of the two containing jarringly off time vocals).

    With these problems mixed in with victories, it is not hard to see why CocoRosie has always been such a polarizing artist. Some love them, some hate them, and personally I’m just left with an empty feeling that screams “This could’ve been something amazing… but it wasn’t.”    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
60

Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 21
  3. Negative: 1 out of 21
  1. AllMusic
    60
    While they have many good ideas, sometimes they have too many good ideas at once and end up gilding the lily (or putting a blue fake fur mustache on it, as the case may be).
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  2. BBC Music
    50
    What saves Grey Oceans is the occasional good idea: the Eastern-tinged Smokey Taboo mixes tablas and wilting strings with Bianca's woozy, half-rapped vocal to impressive effect, while the very peculiar Fairy Paradise is, more or less, Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy as remixed by Paul van Dyk.
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  3. Drowned In Sound
    60
    So after the outré highs and lows of Grey Oceans have played their last syllable, it's hard to know what to think of it, apart from being slightly underwhelmed for the most part.
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