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Jump Rope Gazers
by
Jump Rope Gazers Image
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 15 Ratings

  • Summary: The second full-length release for the New Zealand indie pop quartet was produced by the band's guitarist Jonathan Pearce and lead singer Elizabeth Stokes.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. American Songwriter
    Aug 17, 2020
    90
    In the here and now, with Jump Rope Gazers, they are bounding past their contemporaries.
  2. Exclaim
    Jul 7, 2020
    80
    While there's an overall sense of reining in and refining on Jump Rope Gazers that keeps it from reaching the giddiest heights of its predecessor, the band sounds just as good in this mode as the other, just a little different.
  3. Rolling Stone
    Jul 7, 2020
    80
    With Jump Rope Gazers, the Beths — Stokes, Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair and drummer Tristan Deck — prove that despite a global pandemic, it’s still possible to have a good time. They might not be excited, but we sure are.
  4. Under The Radar
    Jul 10, 2020
    80
    Jump Rope Gazers is crammed with fizzing indie-pop tunes, and not unlike Camera Obscura’s Tracyanne Campbell or Alvvays’ Molly Rankin, Stokes has an innate talent for crafting beautiful bittersweet effervescent indie guitar pop. The Beths take the chiming indie template and energize it, infusing it with their own personality and sly wit.
  5. Dusted Magazine
    Jul 24, 2020
    80
    While they sacrifice a little of the propulsive excitement of their debut, the tweaks to their sound deepen the emotional impact of this new set of songs.
  6. Paste Magazine
    Jul 9, 2020
    75
    With Jump Rope Gazers, The Beths add new layers to the sound they began establishing two years ago, and those layers are as touching as they are revealing.
  7. New Musical Express (NME)
    Jul 10, 2020
    60
    The irony of ‘Jump Rope Gazers’ is that as The Beths push themselves to do something different for album number two, they actually end up with the sonic sameness that the first record miraculously avoided. Only now do they sound like they could just be any other band.

See all 19 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. etslappy
    Jul 10, 2020
    10
    Beautiful, expertly crafted pop. More varied and introspective than their last album, but just as great. Love it!
  2. Web77
    Jul 11, 2020
    10
    No words, an incredible album throughout. Particularly hits when played in order, which I have already done 7 times since release yesterday.No words, an incredible album throughout. Particularly hits when played in order, which I have already done 7 times since release yesterday. The Beths have been a favourite band of mine for a while, so my expectations could not have been higher, and they have been more than surpassed. Astounded.… Expand
  4. reddfoot
    Apr 14, 2023
    10
    I discovered The Beths in late 2022, after their third album Expert In a Dying Field came out. I quickly became obsessed, diving into theirI discovered The Beths in late 2022, after their third album Expert In a Dying Field came out. I quickly became obsessed, diving into their previous two albums and various singles. It seems most consider their 2nd full length release, Jump Rope Gazers, to be the least enjoyed, and at first listen I agreed. Indeed this was a slight departure from The Beths sound, having at least three slower paced songs. It took a few listens for me to realize the true potential of this album. It has, over time, become my favourite of the three, because the varied sounds are proof of evolution and growth, something important to any band. And just because they are AMAZING at creating bright, uptempo catchy songs doesn't mean they can't be great at other styles. It turns out, they are equally amazing at creating different styles and pace, and they should definitely not pigeon hole their sound. Like every Beths album thus far, there is no fillers - every song is great on Jump Rope Gazers. If anything I'd say those typical Beths songs are even better on this album than the others. Super catchy, melodies that stick in your head for days, and songwriting that is on point with the best of them.… Expand

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