Grey Tickles, Black Pressure
by John Grant
  • Record Label: Partisan
  • Release Date: Oct 9, 2015
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
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  1. Clash Music
    Oct 5, 2015
    90
    The album is a bold, idiosyncratic collection of songs crafted under intense time pressure after producer John Congleton insisted that Grant have all of the material ready to go before entering the studio. Such a challenge certainly seems to have focused the mind.
  2. Under The Radar
    Nov 12, 2015
    85
    Dark misery has rarely been so entertaining. [Nov-Dec 2015, p.71]
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  3. The 405
    Oct 5, 2015
    85
    Even when the album isn't serving up infectious bass riffs and glistening guitar chords, Grey Tickles, Black Pressure offers beautifully constructed songs that, even in the darkest moments, offer a glimmer of hope.
  5. Dusted Magazine
    Dec 22, 2015
    80
    Grey Tickles and Black Pressure is furiously funny, intelligent and confrontational even as it heads to an upbeat ending.
  6. AllMusic
    Nov 9, 2015
    80
    At nearly an hour long, Grey Tickles, Black Pressure is a dense, rewarding listen from an artist who's becoming more complex, and more direct, with each album.
  7. The Quietus
    Oct 5, 2015
    80
    In its 58 minutes length, Grey Tickles, Black Pressure notches up fourteen masterful tracks with no down-swing, enchanting the listener until the very last words, "love never fails".
  8. The Observer (UK)
    Oct 5, 2015
    80
    Throughout, Grant is still angry, still purging, but with a heightened sense of mischief, both musical and lyrical.
  9. musicOMH.com
    Oct 5, 2015
    80
    If John Grant never feels the need to write his memoirs, it’ll be because they’ve been played out for us over the course of these three brutally frank, flawed but ultimately human albums. Never less than enjoyable, the next chapter is bound to be worth the wait.
  10. DIY Magazine
    Oct 2, 2015
    80
    Grant has a fascinating combination of wisdom, world-weary cynicism and righteous anger; it never grates.
  11. Drowned In Sound
    Oct 2, 2015
    80
    Grey Tickles, Black Pressure is a rich, dense and rewarding album. Dig deep into it and watch it envelop you--decay and chaos has rarely sounded so seductive.
  12. Mojo
    Oct 1, 2015
    80
    [A] flawed but magnificent album. [Nov 2015, p.88]
  13. Q Magazine
    Oct 1, 2015
    80
    Grey Tickles, Black Pressure captures everything great about Grant's past and bundles it into his most riveting album yet. [Nov 2015, p.110]
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  14. Uncut
    Oct 1, 2015
    80
    His finest album yet. [Nov 2015, p.70]
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  15. NOW Magazine
    Oct 1, 2015
    80
    The production’s grittier qualities suggest heavy emotions lie beneath his sardonic facade, but the sense that Grant feels liberated in middle age is what comes across most strongly.
  16. PopMatters
    Oct 1, 2015
    80
    John Grant is making some of the best art of the new millennium as he struggles with his many demons, both those internal and those external.
  17. The Guardian
    Oct 1, 2015
    80
    If there’s nothing quite as heartstopping here as Pale Green Ghosts’ Glacier, which doled out honest and profound advice to teens teetering on the verge of coming out, there are plenty of songs whose warmth glows brightly amid the black humour.
  18. Rolling Stone
    Oct 6, 2015
    70
    Past the similarly herky-jerk "Voodoo Doll," the rest of Grey Tickles returns to far more satisfying orchestral opulence and electronic drama.
  19. The Line of Best Fit
    Oct 9, 2015
    60
    Ultimately, while Grey Tickles, Black Pressure should be a career-definiting opus, it just seems unfocussed and uncertain; Grant's barbs aren't as sharp, which means too few of the songs stick like they should.
  20. Record Collector
    Oct 8, 2015
    60
    Too many of the witty lines feel forced to scan, and the electronics, once subtle and suggestive, are heavy-handed. There are charms though. Down Here is lusciously Eels-like, and Tracey Thorn’s star role on Disappointing vamps with a definite strut. It’s just, after PGG’s fabulous right turn, for this album to plough forwards in the same direction seems a wasted opportunity.

Awards & Rankings

91
#91 Best Album of 2015
88
#88 Most Shared Album of 2015

User Reviews

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User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 19 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 19
  3. Negative: 2 out of 19
  1. Muddsjr
    Oct 15, 2015
    8
    Further on in the album where the music deepens and complexes, emotions arise with moods relatable to that of the bleak Pale Green Ghosts,Further on in the album where the music deepens and complexes, emotions arise with moods relatable to that of the bleak Pale Green Ghosts, that when listening to the album again gathers more appreciation and importantly enjoyment for these early songs.
    Darker moments aside, it's important to know that the important part of this album is the less serious, more giddy and even slightly celebratory side.
    Where lyrics aren't analysed the songs might seem a little confusing but once you get to grips with the Grant story, you can fully understand the unique and frequently compelling stance of John Grant.    … Full Review »
  2. listener
    Oct 10, 2015
    5
    Nowhere near as interesting as his previous work,first half of the record is not much then studio trickery with John in his most infantileNowhere near as interesting as his previous work,first half of the record is not much then studio trickery with John in his most infantile state of mind (just check lyrics of You and Him); few good songs near the end save this album not to be total failure but too late too little.Don't really get all those positive reviews.… Full Review »
  3. vicyamusicgreat
    Oct 9, 2015
    10
    John Grant has commented that this is his best album. I cannot disagree, but it is difficult to simply agree with the statement given that hisJohn Grant has commented that this is his best album. I cannot disagree, but it is difficult to simply agree with the statement given that his greatest strengths - soaring romanticism, technical virtuosity - are diffused over quite a number of songs, and that perhaps the album is a smidge intellectual. What be the case, John Grant has triumphed(!) again, this time with amazing vocal variations, that all seem to work, and more great songs that many times pack either an emotional or intellectual wallop, the latter perhaps best exemplified in his Biblical story sequence from Magma Rises, and his haunting "American" history lesson, Black Blizzard. My favorite moments are when he can mix the two strengths – emotion, erudition -, as in the glorious title track, Global Warming, (love song) Disappointing, and on the wondrous No Tangles, with my favorite line "Stockholm is a city that I adore," which sentiment . . oh I most definitely share.… Full Review »
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