Take the Cake
by PACKS
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 4 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
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  1. The Line of Best Fit
    May 25, 2021
    80
    PACKS take the listener on an adventure of love, lust, pain, and dreams that’s beautifully melodic and instrumentally fascinating - it’s certainly one hell of a ride.
  2. AllMusic
    May 25, 2021
    80
    Throughout Take the Cake, PACKS put an intimate, warped spin on what are fundamentally great rocks songs. The result is a debut that's likely to compel return visits.
  3. Exclaim
    May 25, 2021
    80
    Disarming listeners with a palette of sounds that merge laidback rock landscapes with grungy grit, Madeline Link's lyrics are jagged and abrupt, with abstract lines fused together by vividly visceral imagery. Deciphering deeper meanings may prove difficult (particularly as filtered through her languid drawl), but the endlessly listenable, breezy rock tunes encourage plenty of exploration, and any efforts will be handsomely rewarded.
  5. Beats Per Minute
    May 25, 2021
    72
    At times, take the cake feels like it’s at an ennui crossroads, trying to define listlessness while side-stepping its intentions. But how many artists have we seen hover around an emotional bullseye on their first album only to hit it on their next go-round? Even if take the cake doesn’t show PACKS’ full potential, it still gives us much to look forward to.

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User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. MusicNerdViking
    Jun 30, 2021
    6
    I found this mini-album to be kind of a hit-and-miss. Most of the performances are somewhat redeemable; however, the production makes thisI found this mini-album to be kind of a hit-and-miss. Most of the performances are somewhat redeemable; however, the production makes this album unenjoyable, and the album doesn't stick out amongst the other indie-rock artists because of it. The songs I think are okay usually don't have so much depth other than "they are pretty good." But the worst track on this album is "My Dream," and it's a 1-2 minute long instrumental. The biggest issue I have with it is that the performance and mixing are absolutely sloppy. I know that perhaps the song is supposed to replicate the feeling of having a dream, like things not making sense and so on; however, I feel like she could've at least made it a bit more bearable to listen to. Overall I can't find anything else to say about this other than that it's a kind of a generic and very "meh" indie-rock album.

    Overall score: 6.4/10
    Favorite tracks: Hold My Hand, U Can Wish All U Want, New TV
    Least favorite tracks: My Dream    … Full Review »