Leave This Town
by Daughtry
  • Record Label: RCA
  • Release Date: Jul 14, 2009
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10
  1. Billboard
    80
    Daughtry and his band return with similar aggression on their sophomore album, Leave This Town. Daughtry's ferocious growl is still the centerpiece of the new songs, but the band has also taken a few creative risks.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    75
    The blueprint of follow-up Leave This Town--chugging riffs, angsty-sensitive lyrics, here-come-the-soaring-double tracked-?choruses--may feel utterly familiar, but it's undoubtedly what the people (the people not being up for, one guesses, any major stylistic switcheroos) want.
  3. The New York Times
    70
    At best Leave This Town inches beyond its predecessor, deeply tunneled into the hard-rock mainstream but a touch more confident and eclectic.
  5. Los Angeles Times
    63
    This is by-the-numbers arena rock, played with muscular competence by a relatively young band showing off its chops by executing successful formulas.
  6. AllMusic
    60
    They have nothing on their mind other than making basic, black-and-white modern rock, and they do so efficiently on Leave This Town, a sophomore album that's every bit as satisfying as the first.
  7. Rolling Stone
    60
    It takes gall to put a song called 'No Surprise' on your second disc, but gall is something Daughtry does not lack, and that's what made him one of the only bona fide rock stars to come out of American Idol.
  8. Boston Globe
    50
    If you called Leave This Town, his familiar-sounding sophomore effort, workmanlike, he’d probably see it as a compliment. Too bad this is disappointingly generic hard rock with virtually the same formula that made his debut such a success.
  9. Hartford Courant
    40
    It's a collection packed with groaning clichés and calculated banality, and while that's not so different from plenty of music in any era, Leave This Town is so formulaic, it could have come from a laboratory at DuPont, where they make plastic.
  10. Sputnikmusic
    40
    Taking into account that half of Leave This Town was never intended for headphone listening, and is better heard blasting on a car stereo or a jukebox, it can seem somewhat picky to criticise the album for being poorly-written or for sounding like compressed dog poo.
  11. Slant Magazine
    20
    Chris Daughtry has a real band that plays really serious songs, which are, almost without exception, really, really bad.

Awards & Rankings

75
#75 Most Discussed Album of 2009

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
4.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 71 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 71
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 71
  3. Negative: 37 out of 71
  1. Gloznichso
    Mar 23, 2017
    9
    I like every single song on this Album. He has a very good voice! And I like this kind of music. The only critic I have is that they all areI like every single song on this Album. He has a very good voice! And I like this kind of music. The only critic I have is that they all are very similar.… Full Review »
  2. RedRyan18
    May 22, 2014
    8
    This album offers more of the same. Angst-filled lyrics, crunchy guitar riffs, and pounding drums. While I would normally cry foul againstThis album offers more of the same. Angst-filled lyrics, crunchy guitar riffs, and pounding drums. While I would normally cry foul against this, I have to admit I'm glad I listened to it.… Full Review »
  3. MissT.
    Aug 1, 2009
    4
    I see that Chris has talent and a nice voice (even though sometimes he overdoes it and it kinda sounds like...well, a billy goat!). I enjoyed I see that Chris has talent and a nice voice (even though sometimes he overdoes it and it kinda sounds like...well, a billy goat!). I enjoyed his first album, but by no means did I think it was amazing. Listening to this album proves that his style hasn't changed much, which is a little bit unfortunate because the band has talked about the work and changes they put into this album. Maybe their third album will improve.… Full Review »
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