Minor Victories
by Minor Victories
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
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  1. No Ripcord
    Jul 6, 2016
    60
    Despite its moments of lucid release, Minor Victories mostly likes to loom in the shadows with hardly any form at all.
  2. Clash Music
    Jul 1, 2016
    60
    The frustration bubbles under the surface for the listener, that, competent and effecting as this album is, it could have been so much more. Here’s to next time.
  3. Blurt Magazine
    Jun 24, 2016
    60
    If you’ve heard their main/prior bands then the sound of this won’t surprise you, but it’ll still feel like an old friend that you always pick up right where you left off.
  5. Record Collector
    Jun 20, 2016
    60
    All the members’ parent groups are associated with dramatic music, but arguably in quite different styles, and the first few numbers are what you’d expect Editors to produce if they got hold of previous collaborator Goswell and placed her inappropriately high in the mix.
  6. Q Magazine
    Jun 6, 2016
    60
    Comically, the group never actually met while recording it. Imagine what they could do in the same room. [#361, p.112]
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  7. Pitchfork
    May 31, 2016
    60
    What’s missing, though, is the central promise of a supergroup: the thrill of hearing established musicians in a truly different context. Minor Victories’ lineup may stem from different circles, but their approaches are so complementary that there’s rarely any tension or surprise.
  8. Paste Magazine
    Jun 3, 2016
    50
    There’s some beautiful string parts, synth that rolls off sullenly into a distant horizon, and a pretty mean glockenspiel on “For You Always,” but the vocals ruin it. They don’t fit at all. It makes the album hard to swallow in the end, like an amazing deep dish pizza covered in green onions.

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User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 17
  3. Negative: 2 out of 17
  1. Noiseblock
    Jun 8, 2016
    8
    I listened to this album extensively in the last couple days without really knowing beforehand what to expect from a collaboration of allI listened to this album extensively in the last couple days without really knowing beforehand what to expect from a collaboration of all these grand names of the indie/alternative/dream-pop-genre. I had even stayed away from the material before the release-day to listen to this album without any bias. The result of it all? Well, I thought it was pretty amazing for the most part. Which is actually rather funny considering the disappointment that is the first song "Give up the ghost", which is not offering very much lyrically to sink one´s teeth into plus it somehow feels strangely displaced in the overall relatively fast-paced, shoegaze-y tone of the album. However, after this initial bump, Minor Victories manage to create an intense atmosphere both gloomy and alluring, especially with the downright phenomenal "A hundred ropes", "Scattered Ashes" and the orchestral "Breaking my light". The other songs, too, while not as amazing as the three aforementioned, blend together beautifully and reveal the talent that all these names had to offer to the project. All in all, I´m more than pleasantly surprised and I do feel like this album could have been even better by omitting "Give up the ghost" and "Folk Arp", which is not a bad song per se, but the ambient tone of it really disrupts the otherwise immense energy of "Minor Victories".

    PS: I don´t know what kind of war is going on in the comments, but appealing to basic human courtesy, could the ones involved please stop it (and remove their comments/ratings to show their fairness towards other users)? It´s very disrespectful to everyone coming here wanting to see untainted ratings and the views of other people. Thank you very much for your understanding.    … Full Review »
  2. Weezen
    Jun 8, 2016
    8
    I thought I couldn't expect nothing really good from a supergroup like Minor Victories but I was completely wrong. Minor Victories is theI thought I couldn't expect nothing really good from a supergroup like Minor Victories but I was completely wrong. Minor Victories is the perfect example that creativity can be improved in a group of people. Hmm... It sounds to me a little bit like the first album of Yndi Halda but with shorter songs.

    This album is a perfect example of a perfect mix of musical styles, being the best example "The Thief".    … Full Review »
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