My Bloody Underground
by The Brian Jonestown Massacre
  • Record Label: A
  • Release Date: Apr 15, 2008
Metascore
51

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 15
  3. Negative: 3 out of 15
  1. Filter
    92
    That this album eviscerates the armies of shoegazer-come-latelies is a trifiling accomplishment compared to the fact that for 74 minutes--with an overall tone of foreboding bordering on the haunting and disturbing--this album is impossible to turn off. [Spring 2008, p.92]
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  2. AllMusic
    80
    Hellbent on pushing the envelope, Newcombe shines as a prolific madman once again and as recycled as the ideas are, My Bloody Underground is a fantastic new direction and a forward thinking album that indicates that however combustible, there is a lot more life left in BJM, in any incarnation.
  3. Drowned In Sound
    80
    As pastiche, this all makes for a fragmented and cumbersome back-to-back listening experience - utterly dominated by wild mood swings. But with so many independently functioning songs on offer, certain suites of two or three become hands down irresistible.
  5. Magnet
    80
    My Bloody Underground is yet another experience of the stripe only Newcombe can sculpt. [Summer 2008, p.99]
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  6. Lost At Sea
    68
    Although the vast majority of the record stays consistent, as on just about every Brian Jonestown Massacre record Newcombe always finds a way (or must resort to, depending on how you see it) to throw in a few buckets of filler.
  7. Observer Music Monthly
    60
    World-weary and introspective, frequently discordant, this is the sound of a man pondering where it all went wrong.
  8. Spin
    50
    My Bloody Underground emphasizes the band's trippy side, often at the expense of Newcombe's undervalued tunecraft. [May 2008, p.96]
  9. Under The Radar
    40
    This must be what they call a bad trip. [Spring 2008, p.74]
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  10. Q Magazine
    40
    His band's 13th album won't bring him the stardom he craves, consisting of amorphous drones in which the creative energy has been reserved for the titles. [May 2008, p.126]
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  11. Tiny Mix Tapes
    40
    Where Newcombe’s music once sounded fresh and lively, his political message both controversial and effectual, on My Bloody Underground his music is neither fascinating nor engaging.
  12. Uncut
    40
    My Bloody Underground is the sound of someone geting My Bloody Valentine about two-thirds right, which is to say that while BJM can certainly conjure interminable, feedback-slathered drones, they lack Kevin Shields' gift for sonic invention or melody. [June 2008, p.83]
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  13. No Ripcord
    40
    For most of My Bloody Underground, Newcombe vocalizes like a decaffeinated Kevin Shields, barely audible under the weight of reverb that blankets just about every track.
  14. Pitchfork
    26
    More so than the album's overall malaise and inconsistency, it's this ridiculous (and in some cases, offensive) attempt at "edginess" that's most off-putting.
  15. PopMatters
    20
    My Bloody Underground is by far the most vapid, drawn-out, and uninspired addition to their discography.
  16. NOW Magazine
    20
    Everything on My Bloody Underground suffers from Newcombe’s chronic lack of focus, leaving the entire mess sounding like half-assed sonic sketches farted out in a friend’s basement over a woozy weekend.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 15 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 3 out of 15
  1. CharlieQ
    Jul 17, 2008
    1
    I've been a big fan for years and own everything they've released to date. This is the 1st album by them that I thought was a total I've been a big fan for years and own everything they've released to date. This is the 1st album by them that I thought was a total waste of time. Disappointingly uninspired.… Full Review »
  2. BrendanW.
    Jun 18, 2008
    10
    A storming mess of an album. Awash with psychedelia and drone. A fitting tribute to both bands names colliding in the album title A storming mess of an album. Awash with psychedelia and drone. A fitting tribute to both bands names colliding in the album title portmanteau. Another under-appreciated and under-rated world class act!… Full Review »
  3. DylanC
    Jun 8, 2008
    9
    Not something that will blow you away on first few plays. But put it on some night when you can't sleep and it's 2am and it's Not something that will blow you away on first few plays. But put it on some night when you can't sleep and it's 2am and it's just you, this CD and your headphones. Then you'll get it. I just hope BJM is able to keep going apace, releasing new stuff like this, taking risks.… Full Review »
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