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Surrounded by Time
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Surrounded by Time Image
Metascore
83

Universal acclaim - based on 9 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

  • Summary: The latest full-length covers release from the Welsh artist was co-produced by Ethan Johns and Mark Woodward.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. The Telegraph (UK)
    Apr 23, 2021
    100
    Jones’s voice has weathered better than most, taking on an oaken quality, with rich low notes and just a patina of tiny cracks adding some antique class. There’s no false tooth sibilance, and every lyric on Surrounded by Time is crisply enunciated and delivered with conviction and thought.
  2. musicOMH.com
    Apr 23, 2021
    90
    It pays to listen to the originals, to form a full appreciation of just how much Jones brings to the table in each interpretation, expressing more emotion than he probably has at any point in his career. The instrumentation is the icing on the cake.
  3. DIY Magazine
    Apr 22, 2021
    80
    There are playful moments - a self-referential take on Cat Stevens’ ‘Pop Star’, in which the 80-year-old icon declares his showbiz intentions, chief among them - but the album is best when it embraces the singer’s age, experience and stature.
  4. The Independent (UK)
    Apr 22, 2021
    80
    His barnacled baritone steers a steady course through Moog-soaked covers of favourite songs, with sombre lines about dark oceans, soulless days, and skirting a skeleton coast.
  5. Clash Music
    Apr 22, 2021
    80
    A world away from his genial role on Saturday Night Television, it’s a 12 strong song cycle that finds Tom Jones doing exactly as he pleases. It’s an extraordinary balancing act, another vital page in this remarkable ongoing chapter.
  6. AllMusic
    Apr 23, 2021
    80
    Surrounded by Time is magnificent -- it's redolent with wisdom and a raging lust for life that is free of camp. It offers abundant proof that despite the passing of years, Jones has lost none his power or swagger.
  7. The Guardian
    Apr 22, 2021
    60
    At its most enjoyable, Surrounded By Time imagines a kind of alternative history for Jones. ... The other experiments are a mixed bag. ... That said, even the album’s missteps come with something oddly pleasing attached.

See all 9 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. MusicNerdViking
    May 16, 2021
    9
    This album is awesome! Although while this is a cover album, it doesn't stop the fact that the performances are absolutely amazing on almostThis album is awesome! Although while this is a cover album, it doesn't stop the fact that the performances are absolutely amazing on almost every track. The absolute best song out of all the tracks is "Talking Reality Television Blues," which features a spoken-word delivery from Tom over a tight performance from backing musicians. Every song feels calculated one way or another and feels like the work of a perfectionist, and it is stunning. If I had to pick a song that is my least favorite, I would've picked the opening track, "I Won't Crumble with You If You Fall." The performance on that song is really good but not as good as all of the others. Overall, this is probably one of the best albums to come out this year so far! Everything about this album is so good that it cancels anything bad about it completely!

    Overall score: 9.4/10    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

92
#92 Best Album of 2021

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