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Where The Great Eastern was a fairly gentle and tentative record in a lot of ways, this one is bigger and demands your attention. The good news is that it's one of those rare records that actually deserves all of the attention it demands.
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Alternative PressUnrewardingly dark. [March 2003, p.90]
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The dramatic, melancholy undercurrents of string-driven pop nuggets "The Drowning Years" and "Never Look at the Sun" showcase the Delgados as the smart, cutting-edge descendents of the Carpenters: everything Belle & Sebastian want to be, but are too damn precocious to pull off.
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In effect, the group have carbon-copied the sound of The Great Eastern but neglected to paste-in an equal number of tunes.
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Loud, large and unrelenting, Hate is stunning, orchestral pop.
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A soaring, orchestral pop masterpiece.
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Entertainment WeeklyCatchy tunes about the darkest of emotions. [14 Feb 2003, p.72]
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MojoHate is a record of immense ambition and sophistication, a bold vision, a beautifully calibrated meditation on the messy business of life. [Nov 2002, p.98]
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Hate is a beautifully gilded record, thoroughly nice and thoroughly listenable, and a mark higher than a lot of pop music with lofty intentions, but it doesn't move you to extremes.
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Do some of the more standard-issue runs seem a bit labored? They do.... But the emotion buzzing out of these songs keeps a great number of them stunning, like indie-friendly versions of scores from period epics or superhero movies.
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'Hate' is gloomy without being self-indulgent, and grand without being pompous.
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The Great Eastern was successful because at its core, it never forgot to rock. On Hate, the Delgados seem to have forgotten that. At the same time, they've grown as songwriters and at times Hate is worthy of comparisons to the Beatles.
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Q MagazineThough the pace is a little too consciously measured at times, and there is a certain sameyness about the arrangements, it's a record that, given time, yields up great rewards. [Nov 2002, p.100]
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ResonancePlayfully morbid and seriously perverse. [#36, p.49]
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Rolling StoneThese four Scots sound like the depressed cousins of the Flaming Lips. [6 Feb 2003, p.62]
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SpinRougher than Belle and Sebastian and lovelier than Mogwai, the Delgados craft orchestral maneuvers in the dark that leave bruises. [Feb 2003, p.98]
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Every track on Hate surpasses the high standards set by its predecessor. Go buy it right now.
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The record is very innocent on the surface, but it’s in the lyrics (again) of Alun Woodward and Emma Pollack that make it cold and dark, even though their vocals seem to make it all sound safe.
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It hearkens back to the glory days of rock as theater, when bands weren't afraid to reach, or squeeze.
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UncutThe Delgados have made a fine follow-up to 2000's The Great Eastern. Problem is, it's the same album, more or less. [Nov 2002, p.115]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 5 out of 6
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Mixed: 0 out of 6
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Negative: 1 out of 6
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emiliovSep 3, 2004uncut obviously couldn't be bothered to listen to this and Q are just idiots anyway...
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JohnBJan 21, 2004