Stray
by Bambara
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
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  1. Punknews.org (Staff)
    Feb 25, 2020
    80
    This record is a super early contender for album of the year for me though. It’s loud, dark, and thundering. Bambara suck you into their world for just under an hour, and as unpleasant as it can be. It’s not one you find yourself ready to leave.
  2. Q Magazine
    Feb 13, 2020
    80
    Each of Stray's tracks bring with it a sense of foreboding, from the eerie short-story-style lyrics to the reveryb-y guitars, which land between Echo & The Bunnymen and Ennio Morricone. [Apr 2020, p.105]
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  3. AllMusic
    Feb 13, 2020
    80
    The production gives everything a hazy, ethereal glow, but it makes all of the blazing guitar riffs and pounding drums resonate, rather than washing them out. Easily the band's most accomplished album to date.
  5. Uncut
    Feb 13, 2020
    80
    An intoxicating blend of surf-rock guitar and the blusterous post-rock drama of forefathers such as Lift To Experience; a bewitching blend that makes death's ominous presence feel that much closer. [Mar 2020, p.25]
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  6. PopMatters
    Feb 13, 2020
    80
    On Stray, Bambara peel the curtain back further on their reality. In the process, they have honed their songwriting while losing none of their visceral impact. Haunting and deeply evocative words are sewn into a dark tapestry of atmospheric, brooding goth meets post-punk on an album that lingers like the rough outline of an aging scar.
  7. Clash Music
    Feb 13, 2020
    80
    Engrossing, dark and irresistible, ‘Stray’ is a grandiose effort from an adventurous group, who just keep getting better all the time. Bambara remain a genuine force.
  8. Paste Magazine
    Feb 26, 2020
    76
    Bateh’s sequencing is masterful, but take some of these songs out of the album’s broader context and many lose their steam. It’s not particularly kind to the casual listener either—this is an album for those fully committed to being a fly on the wall of this jet-black joyride.
  9. Under The Radar
    Mar 30, 2020
    75
    Stray smartly builds on the style and intensity of 2018’s underrated Shadow on Everything by adding nuance and new ideas.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 8
  3. Negative: 1 out of 8
  1. Thelair
    Feb 29, 2020
    9
    This will be one of the best rock albums of the year. See them live they are amazing!
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