Surfing the Void
by Klaxons
  • Record Label: Polydor
  • Release Date: Aug 23, 2010
Metascore
68

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
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  1. The Guardian
    60
    Klaxons' ambition to stand apart from the grey indie hordes, to race by in a blur of outlandish rhetoric and pupil-dilating intensity, is admirable, but there are too many road bumps on this particular trip.
  2. AllMusic
    60
    This idealism, along with the music's sheer density and strangeness, will fascinate some--but while While Surfing the Void's admirable boldness is hard to dismiss, it's also not especially easy to like. Ultimately, it's a difficult album on many levels.
  3. Mojo
    60
    The gap between theoretical mind-blowing freakout and actual indie underpinnings remains acute, however, as Venusia and Valley Of The Calm Trees suggest Klaxons may just be Mansun with a faster processor. [Sep 2010, p.103]
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  5. Uncut
    60
    The result can be a thrilling hybrid of Muse and Magazine, but also a bit of a dog's dinner. [Sep 2010, p.96]
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  6. Los Angeles Times
    50
    Klaxons, if you're going to shout in our ears a bunch, can you at least have something to say?
  7. Sputnikmusic
    50
    In defence of Surfing the Void, it's certainly not an album I'd describe as 'bad' per se--it's just a massive disappointment.
  8. Urb
    50
    Surfing The Void unfortunately isn't a break-through or even a repeat of the past success.
  9. Slant Magazine
    50
    Yet whereas Myths of the Near Future was often psychotically fun, Surfing the Void finds Klaxons taking their genre rock shtick way too seriously.
  10. Prefix Magazine
    50
    It's more or less a corporate-rock distillation of nu-rave, three years too late.
  11. NOW Magazine
    40
    The hooks are in short supply, and the production, as on "Flashover," overstuffed and claustrophobic. That cat photo almost saves the day, but not quite.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 28 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 28
  3. Negative: 2 out of 28
  1. MikeCop
    Aug 23, 2010
    10
    After waiting four whole years, finally the Klaxons released a new album. They actually were going to have the album come out sooner, howeverAfter waiting four whole years, finally the Klaxons released a new album. They actually were going to have the album come out sooner, however their record company deemed it "too experimental" and made them go back and record the album that you see today. They are planning though to have their songs that didn't make the album cut to come out sometime soon: http://www.nme.com/news/klaxons/52450. Surfing the Void was a very pleasant surprise, for those who were looking for more of a harder sounding album there are maybe 2-3 songs of the 10 that are like that, one including their first single off this album, Flashover. Regardless they still continue to play their dubbed "nu rave" sound and overall it's a good sophomore album. It'll be interesting to hear their other songs that didn't make the cut when they come out.… Full Review »
  2. surf1ngthevoid
    Mar 14, 2020
    8
    Schizophrenic, darker, better-achieved melodies compared to its predecessor. Hard to choose only one or two songs that make the differenceSchizophrenic, darker, better-achieved melodies compared to its predecessor. Hard to choose only one or two songs that make the difference between the rest.… Full Review »
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