• Record Label: Atlantic
  • Release Date: Jun 6, 2006
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 29 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 29
  2. Negative: 2 out of 29

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  1. JImH
    Jun 14, 2006
    6
    this cd is an overreach for zero 7 and not nearly as good as the last 2 cd's from them.if you want a little more uptempo i would recommend tahiti 80 or sea and cake. they should have stuck with their downtempo formula
  2. wilkesb
    Jun 7, 2006
    10
    "Throw It All Away" was my favorite song initially, but now I'm not so sure. I already like this one better than "When It Falls," better than "Simple Things" though?? No Tina Dico, but her solo album is awesome. Cop the new Sia album too.
  3. EdM
    Jun 7, 2006
    3
    Beware - if the warmth and emotion of "Simple Things" was what attracted you to Zero 7 in the first place, then this record will be worthless to you. The production and vocals are mechanical and often just cheesy. A real disappointment.
  4. GreggG
    Jun 7, 2006
    8
    Excellent...a wonderful new direction, sounds more CSNY than Portishead.
  5. PerspicaciousCritic
    Jun 8, 2006
    4
    The first song, "Futures," is amazing, and the rest is, well, boring. (And Simple Things is one of my favourite albums.)
  6. GuilhermeV
    Jun 9, 2006
    5
    It seems all music are the same... and the beautiful voice of Sia didn't need to be so... superlative. Sometimes, less is more.
  7. justined
    Feb 3, 2007
    10
    Absolutely wonderful and inspiring!
  8. KenJ
    Jun 11, 2006
    8
    Suprisingly good. Beautiful music and easy to listen to
  9. ScottF
    Jun 6, 2006
    8
    It's pretty funky, Zero 7 fans know what to expect and this does not disappoint.
  10. Tuwhitt
    Jun 7, 2006
    7
    Leaps and Bounds better than their lackluster second effort. This cd is more like Simple Things, yet at the same time different. The sound and feel is consistantly interesting, and this time there are a few more instrumentals than When it Falls had. Overall a great chill album.
  11. PhilG
    Jun 9, 2006
    10
    After their first great album, and second great, but similarly structured album, "The Garden" is Zero 7's first amazing album, moving their music career in a new direction. This direction is still beautifully plush and atmospheric, stimulating your sensual mood. But, what differs on "The Garden" is their formula. Subtract some of Zero 7's more typical downtempo elements After their first great album, and second great, but similarly structured album, "The Garden" is Zero 7's first amazing album, moving their music career in a new direction. This direction is still beautifully plush and atmospheric, stimulating your sensual mood. But, what differs on "The Garden" is their formula. Subtract some of Zero 7's more typical downtempo elements (Becoming a bore over time as numerous groups copy and paste it over and over again) and add in interesting elements of classic soul. There is a 70's feel to it, which is socially conscious. While I salute downtempo groups who are so damn cool (Air) and while it hurts me to see downtempo groups become stagnant and repetative (Theivery), "The Garden" places Zero 7 as the most interesting. Expand
  12. MattD.
    Jun 9, 2006
    7
    Just a good CD for chilling out - not much more. It's a little better than the solo album from Sia.
  13. dl
    Jul 17, 2006
    10
    superb album, amazing (and beautiful) sounds.
  14. MartinL
    Jul 19, 2006
    6
    Mildly disappointing...what went wrong?
  15. DanD
    Jul 5, 2006
    10
    Zero 7 took a turn towards peppier with The Garden, their third release, but it's still as tasty as Simple Things and When It Falls.
  16. EverettM
    Aug 2, 2006
    3
    Not for fans of the last two albums. I don't really know if I can rate this fairly, as Zero-7 have flipped to a genre I don't really recognize (repetitive up-tempo). Esthero's newest CD, and some of the emerging groups from France do a much better job of...whatever this is.
  17. sAND
    Aug 22, 2006
    6
    Surprisingly disappointing compared to two previous albums, thoough not lacking nice tunes, sung mostly by Sia Furler. Where is Sophie Barker???
  18. AnthonyB
    Jan 4, 2007
    6
    Unlike the previous releases, this one has not made a connection with me yet and I believe it due to the missing collaborators of Simple Things and When It Falls. When I buy a Zero 7 album I also expect to be able to relax, not be annoyed by synth pop, and most of all enjoy what is coming out of my speakers immediately. Lofty expectations I know but they set the bar that high. This did Unlike the previous releases, this one has not made a connection with me yet and I believe it due to the missing collaborators of Simple Things and When It Falls. When I buy a Zero 7 album I also expect to be able to relax, not be annoyed by synth pop, and most of all enjoy what is coming out of my speakers immediately. Lofty expectations I know but they set the bar that high. This did not meet these expectations and while I do not regret buying this album I do not certainly have it in my rotation. Please bring back Mozes and Sofia, and give me my Jazz/Chill/Groove back. Expand
  19. acet
    Jun 18, 2006
    8
    Refreshing new album for summer. Takes me back to the days of driving around in my dad's Lincon listening to Fleetwood Mac on the 8 track, with the windows rolled down while taking in the sights on the highway, circa 1982.The sounds and sensations are simmilar.
  20. Feb 6, 2021
    9
    The pitchfork rated this as 3.2 which is just an uneducated stab by an imbecile.
Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 21
  2. Negative: 2 out of 21
  1. A quirky lo-fi wonder or the best album the '70s never had, "The Garden" feels like a lost gem, discovered in a box in the attic; a forgotten masterpiece full of tantalising sounds, odd voices and tingling ideas.
  2. Another superb Zero 7 album.
  3. It feels like a bunch of friends jamming on a farm, even if there are still a few electronica elements here and there.