How To Walk Away
by Juliana Hatfield
  • Record Label: Ye Olde
  • Release Date: Aug 19, 2008
Metascore
72

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    91
    The result is rueful and gorgeous. [22/29 Aug 2008, p.125]
    All this publication's reviews
  2. AllMusic
    90
    It's a tight, cohesive record with a subtle but undeniable resonance, a record that Juliana Hatfield always seemed on the verge of delivering but finally has.
  3. Billboard
    80
    Hatfield does her moody, catchy indie-pop to near-perfection after so much practice (nine solo albums during the past 16 years), and entertaining examples abound here.
  5. Hartford Courant
    80
    Whether grasping for resolve in the stoutly punctuated pulse of "Now I'm Gone" or taking a sober angle on the rattling flow of "Shining On," she soul searches with the best of them, even when it sounds like she might be searching one that belongs to someone else.
  6. Slant Magazine
    70
    With her most polished, accessible production since 2000's slept-on "Beautiful Creature" and her ear for a memorable pop melody evident for the first time in years, Walk Away even stands to appeal to an audience beyond Hatfield's devoted cult following.
  7. Pitchfork
    66
    Songs this bitter demand catharsis, but nestled in its pop cocoon, that side of Hatfield's story instead gets stifled by the soft bomb approach when what you really want is for the singer, once and for all, to explode in rage and break something.
  8. Spin
    60
    Surprisingly vital.
  9. Under The Radar
    60
    What Hatfield lacks in lyrical grace--she makes up in conviction. [Summer 2008, p.82]
    All this publication's reviews
  10. The A.V. Club
    58
    If only there was more of this devilish grit on How To Walk Away.
  11. The New York Times
    50
    Produced by Andy Chase of the indie-pop band Ivy, the record pairs Ms. Hatfield’s compact songs with an unabashedly commercial sound, a strategy that works about half the time.
  12. Paste Magazine
    40
    The album has its moments but suffers from fussy production.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 9
  3. Negative: 1 out of 9
  1. KevinM.
    Aug 23, 2008
    8
    Very well produced. Great songwriting.
  2. MatthewB.
    Aug 22, 2008
    9
    It's very different for Juliana. It's a great pop album, but without losing all of her integrity. It's done in a tasteful, It's very different for Juliana. It's a great pop album, but without losing all of her integrity. It's done in a tasteful, artistic way and it's a really catchy album. The voice and guitars are unchanged. It's nice to have a slightly more modern sound to things.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »