Half Free
by U.S. Girls
  • Record Label: 4AD
  • Release Date: Sep 25, 2015
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
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  1. Tiny Mix Tapes
    Sep 30, 2015
    100
    Over and over, listen after listen and Half Free just plain sends. Mastermind Meg Remy’s first album for the vaunted 4AD label is bursting with vivid, cracked imagination and cool mastery of slippery pop allure.
  2. The Quietus
    Oct 12, 2015
    80
    With Half Free, Remy has made a brilliant, accessible, edgy pop record without compromising her ideals one iota--and hopefully has surreptitiously brought her into a wider light.
  3. The Wire
    Oct 8, 2015
    80
    The cleaner production of Half Free ups the anxiety. [Oct 2015, p.58]
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  5. The Line of Best Fit
    Oct 6, 2015
    80
    The record is a veritable patchwork of perspectives. It elevates the voices of women who, on paper, might seem broken, were it not for Remy’s ability to trade desperation for cynical dynamism.
  6. No Ripcord
    Oct 1, 2015
    80
    Half Free is both a revelation and a breakthrough, one that finds Remy elevating her songwriting panache while carrying a certain mysticism that seems grounded in both plausibility and commonality.
  7. PopMatters
    Sep 29, 2015
    80
    Chirping Half Free‘s most compelling of its many indelible hooks, she tries to convince whoever listens “You all have nothing here / You have so much to fear”. An oscillator throbs at nightmare frequency.
  8. New Musical Express (NME)
    Sep 28, 2015
    80
    This is the unmistakeable sound of a star being born: this is an album with something to say, in a voice all of its own.
  9. Uncut
    Sep 25, 2015
    80
    These songs are pretty, but something intense seethes just beneath the surface. [Nov 2015, p.83]
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  10. NOW Magazine
    Sep 23, 2015
    80
    Occasionally Half Free can sound dense to the point of being vexing, but its vivid imagery and striking melodies keep Remy’s more self-indulgent tendencies grounded in a classic pop sensibility.
  11. Exclaim
    Sep 23, 2015
    80
    Granted, the guitar and sax rocker "Sed Knife" stands out for the wrong reasons — it's maybe a little too clean and straightforward given the context--but after years of flirting with the fringes, Half Free hits the art-pop bullseye.
  12. Pitchfork
    Sep 23, 2015
    80
    Even as its backdrop mutates from deep-house throbs to psych-rock guitar solos, Half Free always focuses your attention to where it should be: on Remy's radiant voice and vivid storytelling.
  13. AllMusic
    Sep 23, 2015
    70
    Overall, Half Free straddles a neat balance between bittersweet pop hooks and murky, adventurous production.
  14. The Guardian
    Oct 1, 2015
    60
    A fifth album that offers, well, more of the same.
  15. Mojo
    Sep 23, 2015
    60
    Not all [are] successful, but the extent of her ambition cannot be faulted. [Oct 2015, p.90]
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 29 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 29
  3. Negative: 2 out of 29
  1. edragtnava
    Dec 29, 2015
    10
    Half Free by U.S. Girls is Meg Remy's' debut for the legendary 4AD label. This album does not disappoint in any way. Anyone that has beenHalf Free by U.S. Girls is Meg Remy's' debut for the legendary 4AD label. This album does not disappoint in any way. Anyone that has been following this recording artists' career, knows she is willing to take chances, and push the envelope in the underground music world.

    U.S. Girls is now emerging as a major force to be reckoned with in the future. Why? because she always has her ear to the ground musically and surrounds herself with highly talented people like Onakabazien and Slim Twig.

    This is truly an artist in every sense of the word. Coming from noise roots originally....Meg's vocal stylings have at times been masked..... in earlier recordings.

    This album showcases an artist who isn't afraid to be vulnerable with her amazing, pure, soulful vocal stylings. The album is diverse....urban and universal. Highly recommended as is all of her earlier releases as well. 10 stars. **********

    All the tracks and videos are outstanding....some may take some time to grow on you....but that's a great artist for you. If a critic didn't rate this at least with a score in the 90th percentile....they just didn't get it....but YOU the listener should certainly get this release. Peace.    … Full Review »
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