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Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs) Image
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5 Ratings

  • Summary: The second solo album for the Drive-By Truckers lead singer features his father (bassist with the Muscle Shoals) and his DBT bandmates.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 13
  2. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. It’s merely an excellent companion to Hood’s recent work with his regular band, with several songs--including the Springsteen-like 'Pollyanna' and the smoldering guitar workout 'Walking Around Sense'--ranking with his very best.
  2. Hood is too inclined toward dark-side thoughts and the world too inclined toward dark-side realities for the newer songs to come off complacent.
  3. With redneck-underground country, slightly detuned minor-key Southern rock, grungy Crazy Horse-indebted lopers and Stonesy rockers, there’s a little of everything Hood’s done so far, plus a few dashes of discovery.
  4. Nothing here totally upends what we already know of Hood's talents via the Truckers, but it does serve as a supplementary capsule capturing how he ticks.
  5. 70
    Although most of the songs on Patterson Hood's second solo album predate the existence of Drive-By Truckers, they'd easily fit on any of his band's records--same low-life characters, busted dreams, and black humor, rendered in solidly gothic Southern rock.
  6. The album mixes the hard-nosed character studies he writes for Drive-By Truckers and more personal, guardedly hopeful songs. It juxtaposes his brasher, more cynical younger self with his current role as a husband and father.
  7. Devoid of the brawn that makes the Truckers so powerful and without a complementary voice off which to bounce, Hood's songs fall into a folksy rut.

See all 13 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. MartinF
    Jun 25, 2009
    8
    This guy to me is very underrated..Some of his material is very strong especially on this record"Pride of the Yankees" stands out.Past This guy to me is very underrated..Some of his material is very strong especially on this record"Pride of the Yankees" stands out.Past material highlights include "Little Bonnie"'"Sweet Annette" and the needle and the damage done of our time"YOu and Your Crystal meth". Expand

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