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New Material
by
New Material Image
Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 17 Ratings

  • Summary: The third full-length release for the Canadian post-punk quartet was produced by Justin Meldal-Johnson.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Paste Magazine
    Mar 23, 2018
    81
    With their third LP, New Material, they dive into it headlong, getting closer to Munro’s stated goal than ever before.
  2. The Line of Best Fit
    Mar 22, 2018
    80
    While certain songs definitively outshine others, they all contain their own character and energy resulting in something not only haunting and enigmatic, but something rather stunning.
  3. AllMusic
    Mar 23, 2018
    80
    Another evolution in the way Preoccupations bring poetic soulfulness to post-punk, New Material lives up to its name--it's not just another batch of songs, it's a fresh approach that feels like a breakthrough.
  4. Clash Music
    Mar 26, 2018
    70
    By the end of it, it’s very clear that this is a deadly serious record--not a parody, not even an homage, but a largely enjoyable marriage of the stodge with the airy and the old with the new which manages to retain an impressive sense of cohesiveness and consistency.
  5. Drowned In Sound
    Apr 5, 2018
    70
    Nonetheless, if you sense that Preoccupations have yet to nail a defining sound, then it’s part of their appeal that they may in fact never be defined by a sound. New Material hits the spot more often than not.
  6. The A.V. Club
    Mar 23, 2018
    67
    New Material is sure to divide fans down the middle, leaving them questioning Preoccupations’ intent as, for perhaps the first time, the band is more keen on playing things close to the chest.
  7. Under The Radar
    Mar 26, 2018
    45
    New Material is certainly not more than the sum of its parts, which causes problems for a band that thrives on the whole, rather than moments of individual magic. It leaves much of New Material ambling by.

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User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. jlhoftie
    Mar 23, 2018
    10
    In similar fashion to previous albums, Preoccupations create atmospheric, thought-provoking pieces that toe the line of art rock. AlthoughIn similar fashion to previous albums, Preoccupations create atmospheric, thought-provoking pieces that toe the line of art rock. Although New Material is a more melodic addition to their repertoire, it still achieves the same synth-driven existential inquisition that fans have come to love.… Expand
  2. lulabymusic
    May 19, 2018
    9
    ____ Aesthetic post-punk, which contains elements of art-rock, synth-pop and industrial, where against the background of rumbling bass lines,____ Aesthetic post-punk, which contains elements of art-rock, synth-pop and industrial, where against the background of rumbling bass lines, synth splashes and a variety of percussion parts, dreamy vocals by Matt Flegel. In the tracks of "New Material" you can catch the influences of bands like JoyDivision, The Cure and Depeche Mode, but Mat's voice returns to the fact that it's a band that performs their music here and now named Preoccupations. It sounds convincing, consistent and tempting.
    ____ Preemptive staff, pretentious sound.
    ​    … Expand