Queens of the Summer Hotel
by Aimee Mann
  • Record Label: Superego
  • Release Date: Nov 5, 2021
User Score
7.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 1 out of 7
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  1. thedaarkbatty
    Nov 14, 2021
    0
    every song in the album sounds the exact same. wow it was awful. don't buy nor listen to this horrible trash..
  2. keldorek
    Nov 12, 2021
    9
    A gorgeous and often deeply moving collection of songs (clearly for a musical, of course) whose melodic hooks and compulsiveness reveal themselves after only a few listens making the record nearly as compelling as anything else in her catalogue.
  3. Booey
    Nov 6, 2021
    8
    Really good, but everything she puts out is really good. Is it transcendent? No. It’s a B- for me.
  4. John4823
    Nov 11, 2021
    5
    On paper, the concept of this album seems interesting. But in reality, the whole thing sounds like one loooooong song. There's very little variety here. So . . . she actually made her fans wait almost five years for THIS???

    While Aimee's singing is enjoyable, the songs are just barely there. Where are the hooks? Sadly, there really aren't any. It's a lot like elevator music—pretty    On paper, the concept of this album seems interesting. But in reality, the whole thing sounds like one loooooong song. There's very little variety here. So . . . she actually made her fans wait almost five years for THIS???

    While Aimee's singing is enjoyable, the songs are just barely there. Where are the hooks? Sadly, there really aren't any. It's a lot like elevator music—pretty but snooze-inducing. Frankly, I think she's past her prime and needs to recruit some outside help, because when it comes to the songwriting, she just seems to be "going through the motions, baby." :P

    Based on what she's said in interviews, Mann seems to take her listeners for granted—and has a certain sense of entitlement: "Hey, I'm an ARTISTE, and I've got the Midas touch, so whatever I record is a total masterpiece. And if you can't appreciate that, then there's the door, loser!!!" Sorry, Aimee, but if you don't tune in to your listeners, they will tune you *out*. And no, not everything you produce is a "masterpiece"—not even close.

    Diehard fans aside, I just don't see this new album appealing to a wide audience. I mean, did anybody really expect Aimee to take such a LONG nap at the Summer Hotel?? Well, when she finally wakes up, she may not have any listeners left.

    Can you say, "Career, Interrupted"??? Yeah, I *thought* you could. ;)    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. American Songwriter
    Nov 29, 2021
    80
    Expressive and emotive, it’s a work that finds delicacy and diligence operating on equal footing.
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  2. Beats Per Minute
    Nov 10, 2021
    69
    It’s a surprising record, and another good example of what makes Mann such an indispensable songwriter, but it’s hard for most of these songs to stand alone – we’re left wondering what’s really going on between these melancholy ruminations.
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  3. musicOMH.com
    Nov 8, 2021
    80
    Queens Of The Summer Hotel sees her consolidate her position as an adept songwriter capable of addressing difficult subjects with empathy and beauty.
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