Night Network
by The Cribs
Metascore
83

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
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  1. AllMusic
    Nov 24, 2020
    80
    A career highlight filled with well-earned warmth, Night Network is exactly the kind of album the Cribs should be making as they near their 20th anniversary.
  2. Clash Music
    Nov 12, 2020
    80
    The sound of a band resurgent, ‘Night Network’ will have you falling in love with The Cribs all over again. Tapping into their core sounds and core values, it finds the band emerging from their legal troubles triumphant, relishing the vitality of being able to make music together, in the same room, at the same time.
  3. DIY Magazine
    Nov 19, 2020
    90
    ‘Night Network’, far from being the exercise in kicking and screaming that it might have been, is instead a study in elegance in the face of adversity. The Cribs are back.
  5. Mojo
    Nov 12, 2020
    80
    The resulting 12 songs return the group to their earlier sound, a chaotic bundle of charm and romance, realism and poppy experiment. [Dec 2020, p.83]
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  6. musicOMH.com
    Nov 20, 2020
    100
    Night Network may not be the 12 tracks which would shake the person who doesn’t like The Cribs out of their most curious position. But it is 12 more assertions of greatness from a band who you really should like.
  7. New Musical Express (NME)
    Nov 17, 2020
    100
    The Cribs’ best album in 11 years.
  8. Paste Magazine
    Nov 19, 2020
    65
    Night Network is the first Cribs album the Jarmans have produced themselves, and they dial in the sharp-edged indie-rock sound that characterized the bracing guitars and punchy rhythm of The Cribs’ earlier records. It’s in the songwriting that things sometimes fall apart.
  9. The Independent (UK)
    Nov 20, 2020
    60
    Night Network isn’t a bad album, but it's not a particularly memorable one, either.
  10. The Line of Best Fit
    Nov 12, 2020
    85
    This is a tight, focused, powerful effort by one of the most underrated bands in the world – and certainly one of the finest bands to come from these shores in the past twenty years. Night Network is a minor masterpiece.
  11. Uncut
    Nov 12, 2020
    70
    It's the smoother, almost surfy, tones of tracks like "Deep Infatuation" and "Earl & Duke" that offer a pleasing change of tone from the familiar indie racket. [Dec 2020, p.29]
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Awards & Rankings

89
#89 Best Album of 2020

User Reviews

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User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 12 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 12
  3. Negative: 1 out of 12
  1. GuitarPen
    Feb 6, 2021
    8
    After years of the label litigation, the crafty British indie-rockers have returned with a solid blend of soaring hooks and captivatingAfter years of the label litigation, the crafty British indie-rockers have returned with a solid blend of soaring hooks and captivating harmonies. At Dave Grohl's behest, the Jarman brothers, Gary, Ryan, and Ross retreated to Grohl's Los Angeles studio to record Night Network. What feels like a new chapter for The Cribs, this release harks back to their signature 'Beach Boys meets The Strokes' sound with a bit of Motown thrown in for good measure.

    The tone is a unique blend of pop, punk, and harmony. Night Network starts with the alluring "Goodbye," which entraps the listener into a false sense of pop security before shifting into a consciousness-altering garage band fuzz solo at the 1:45 mark, which is both mesmerizing and enthralling. In a way, the album raises the bar with this gem and tries hard to reach its heights in the remainder of the tracks.

    "Running into You" feels like a throwback to the band's early 2000's origins with the constant and hooky chorus; it is apparently targeted as the hit song. More original and quintessential are songs like "Weather Speaks your Name" and "Siren Sing-Along." The latter's Motown stylings are mainly lifted from Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want to be with you." Sonic Youth's Lee Renaldo joins the fray on the adventurous "You Don't Know Who I Am," with backing vocals distorted guitar overdubs.

    Lyrically, the Cribs don't dive as deeply into the poetic realm as they have done in the past. One exception comes from the clever aforementioned "Weather Speaks your Name."

    Sometimes yeah, the weather speaks your name/Like a childhood moment that felt the same/Keep wishing for an ever shorter day/I'd leave you alone, but you'd be lost in another age.

    All in all, This is a tight and targeted release by an underrated band. The Cribs pull influences from many genres and stylings to produce a uniquely modern, elegant sound. They appear to have reestablished their footing as a force to be reckoned with.    … Full Review »
  2. Paul_Mokeski
    Nov 22, 2020
    9
    Quite possibly their best album since Men's Needs. Basically no filler tracks, just banger after banger. Easily one of my top albums of the year
  3. grohsarthur
    Nov 20, 2020
    10
    I love The Cribs, no doubts. But I've always felt that in most of the Jarman Bros records they slip a little bit in the track order. II love The Cribs, no doubts. But I've always felt that in most of the Jarman Bros records they slip a little bit in the track order. I absolutely love every record, but sometimes I think that some songs are misplaced. The amazing thing is: it doesn't happened in Night Network.

    The album is very surprising. It brings a vintage vibe to the band and very unique melody. The raw and real is still there (they didn't left their mojo and essence out). But they left their most grunge side in 24/7 Rockstar Sh1t album and decided to bring a brand new The Cribs facet.

    Specially the creamy sound added to Ryan's guitar souding is so cozy and hypnotizing. I would highlight (besides the singles) Screaming In Suburbia, Deep Infatuation, Under The Bus Station Clock and Siren Sing-Along.

    The Night Network makes the listener travels in time. From 50s, 60's and 70's to 90's, 00s and today. Absolutely amazing. That is not an album, but an immersive device right into the velvet constellation drawn by Ryan, Gary and Ross.    … Full Review »
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