Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 20
  2. Negative: 0 out of 20
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  1. Magnet
    Dec 4, 2012
    85
    The band has simply folded its past into a bigger, richer whole. [No. 93, p.58]
  2. Oct 1, 2012
    80
    Strapped is a significant step forward from their debut; far more expansive and ambitious.
  3. Sep 26, 2012
    78
    While these graduates are busy looking for a nail on which to hang their new diplomas, make sure you've got a needle to play their new record.
  4. Oct 29, 2012
    70
    Strapped is a marked maturation from their San Diego start five years ago.
  5. Oct 3, 2012
    70
    That their kitchen-sink approach yielded as many wins as it did on Strapped bodes very well for The Soft Pack, oddly enough presenting a band that has proven it's more than its record collection, and possesses a heretofore unseen amount of creative restlessness.
  6. Uncomplicated, Spinto Band-ish jangles like 'Second Look', 'Tallboy' and 'Everything I Know' plough casually and happily along without a care in the world, very much like the band themselves.
  7. Uncut
    Sep 28, 2012
    70
    Fuzz and reverb are everywhere, but The Soft Pack are also refreshingly unafraid of the sax solo. [Nov 2012, p.81]
  8. Sep 28, 2012
    70
    On [Strapped] they've toned down their trademark do-or-die spirit and returned with something far more considered and refined.
  9. Sep 26, 2012
    70
    The Soft Pack's knack for a no-tassels hook is what ends up making Strapped worthwhile, and it works best when they tighten the screws and keep it concise.
  10. Sep 25, 2012
    70
    These varied sounds signal a growth in the band, one that will ultimately save the Soft Pack from forever being stuck playing angsty teen music.
  11. Alternative Press
    Sep 24, 2012
    70
    The fun carries all the way until the album's lengthy psychedelic jam, "Captain Ace," which bursts with wild saxophone and shows how to capture a brilliant act of Tape. [Oct 2012, p.92]
  12. Sep 24, 2012
    70
    They may still be a work in progress, but that progress thus far is demonstrative of an increasingly innovative band, one working too hard to slump.
  13. Sep 24, 2012
    70
    Strapped isn't a bad album so much as a strangely scattered one, revealing the Soft Pack caught between delivering what they're known for and what they might like to become.
  14. Sep 25, 2012
    68
    Strapped isn't groundbreaking, especially by the standards The Soft Pack have set for themselves.
  15. Sep 24, 2012
    68
    Long and lush isn't a bad look for the Soft Pack, so long as they're keeping the beat.
  16. Q Magazine
    Oct 23, 2012
    60
    Mostly Strapped is unified by a fuggy atmosphere, likeably odd guitar details and some immediate choruses. [Nov 2012, p.105]
  17. Oct 16, 2012
    60
    It is a straightforward and solid return from a band who sound unsure whether to stick or twist.
  18. Oct 8, 2012
    60
    Strapped's thirty-something minutes of southern California rock doesn't turn the page on anything new, but is still a worthy listen. The album holds true to the band's striped-down signature sound from their last two albums, with a sprinkling of a few stand out tracks.
  19. Nov 27, 2012
    50
    Strapped is an album that seems to both highlight the Soft Pack's strengths and glaringly reveal their limitations to this point.
  20. Sep 25, 2012
    50
    For a band who made their name on straightforward, meat-and-potatoes indie pop, Strapped is all over the place.
User Score
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No user score yet- Awaiting 2 more ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. Dec 15, 2012
    9
    A solid sophomore album. It's complete diferent in sound then previous efforts, but its sound is innovative, and feels fresh. I enjoyed a lot,A solid sophomore album. It's complete diferent in sound then previous efforts, but its sound is innovative, and feels fresh. I enjoyed a lot, and was one of my favourite records of 2012. Full Review »