• Record Label: Yep Roc
  • Release Date: Apr 21, 2017
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 14
  2. Negative: 0 out of 14
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  1. Uncut
    Mar 31, 2017
    90
    Hitchcock sounds more energised and vibrant than he has in decades. [May 2017, p.31]
  2. Apr 17, 2017
    87
    Robyn Hitchcock will never unlock the mysteries of being and nothingness, but his never ending quest for existential satisfaction is supremely fulfilling in its own bracing way.
  3. Apr 21, 2017
    83
    He’s been doing that for years now, but on his 21st record, he again accomplishes that goal in his own inimitable style, still mining the uncommon depths and winning melodies within his own bizarre parameters.
  4. Apr 21, 2017
    80
    If you’re a Robyn Hitchcock fan, this album is an affirmation of his continued skill and talent. If you’re a newbie, buy this album and then buy all the others. It’s a wonderfully twisted ride.
  5. Apr 20, 2017
    80
    Hitchcock has settled into a sort of seasoned eccentricity, and this economical, late career gem proves that he's still got plenty of Madcap Laughs left in the hopper.
  6. 80
    Existing fans will rightfully be thrilled that Hitchcock not only hasn’t lost his edge, but has sharpened his knives on this superb set.
  7. Q Magazine
    Apr 12, 2017
    80
    Hitchcock is a genre of his own, and he's giving it a good name. [Jun 2017, p.109]
  8. 80
    The album is still as random as a Frenchman’s hat at times, though, and songs like Mad Shelley’s Letterbox and the superb 1970 In Aspic (‘Your bacteria are in me,’ intones Hitchcock, wide-legged and eyeless) couldn’t be written by anyone else. A worthwhile ball to put in his canon.
  9. Mar 31, 2017
    80
    It’s not so much that Robyn Hitchcock (the album) resonates with sonic surprise: its default paradigm of dense, shimmering neo-psychedelia is a home comfort that has sustained Hitchcock from The Soft Boys onwards. It’s more the fact that the bendy mirror through which he refracts experience offers a sharper view year upon year.
  10. Apr 14, 2017
    75
    ather than reinventing himself, Hitchcock has made an album that underlines his strengths.
  11. The Wire
    Aug 8, 2017
    70
    The first half of the album presents a disparate sequence of songs, the punky “I Want To Tell You About Want I Want” mixing with a rather laboured piece about Virginia Woolf’s and Sylvia Plath’s suicides (“Virginia Woolf”). ... This second half finds Hitchcock at his most purposeful. [May 2017, p.46]
  12. Apr 17, 2017
    70
    Hitchcock remains a master at being both melodically and lyrically intriguing.
  13. 60
    He remains a more psychedelic soul, as witness psych-rockers like “Mad Shelley’s Letterbox” and “Detective Mindhorn”. With a sort of repressed power anchoring its drive.
  14. Mojo
    Mar 31, 2017
    60
    The limits of comfort zones are not breached. [May 2017, p.89]
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 11 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 11
  2. Negative: 1 out of 11
  1. Apr 25, 2017
    9
    Beautiful new record by Hitchcock, who has had quite the revival of late. Both 2013's Love from London and 2006's Ole Tarantula were greatBeautiful new record by Hitchcock, who has had quite the revival of late. Both 2013's Love from London and 2006's Ole Tarantula were great comebacks showing Hitchcock never really went anywhere in the first place. With this new record, each song is a pleasant surprise, and none of them are boring or unnecessary! It's a great listen and one can see why its Self Titled as it defines his psychedelic style so definitively. Best tracks: 1970 in Aspic, I Pray When Im Drunk, Autumn Sunglasses, Mad Shelley's Letterbox Full Review »
  2. Apr 27, 2017
    10
    Loving this new record! Mr Hitchcock and producer Brendan Benson have at times, to these ears, captured the "Beatlessence" of mid-SixtiesLoving this new record! Mr Hitchcock and producer Brendan Benson have at times, to these ears, captured the "Beatlessence" of mid-Sixties psychedelia combined with rich, crackling guitars. Not a bad track here, although some do stand out more than others. My personal faves: 'Virginia Woolf', 'Mad Shelley's Letter Box', 'Autumn Sunglasses' and closer 'Time Coast.' Hitchcock once again proves to be the love child of John Lennon and Syd Barrett. Full Review »