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The Hair, The TV, The Baby & The Band
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The Hair, The TV, The Baby & The Band Image
Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews What's this?

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  • Summary: After a five-year hiatus, the San Francisco band returns with their fourth album.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. Lost At Sea
    93
    Imperial Teen have again made one of the best records of the year.
  2. Austin Chronicle
    89
    Shinsian popsters rejoice. Here's another dreamsicle caked with sugar sugar.
  3. Blender
    80
    When the Teens youthfully chime in behind sheepish disclosures, it's like they’re arguing that a baby seat in the tour van doesn’t have to slow down the ride. And quite often, they prove it too.
  4. Filter
    70
    The Teen’s male/female vocal harmonies and occasional big rockin’ choruses are designed to make you love them; at first this will make you hate them, then hate to love them, and finally either get over it and start bobbin’ your head, or crush this album with a hammer.
  5. Tiny Mix Tapes
    60
    What saves the album from musically becoming a boring, going-through-the-motions exercise is Imperial Teen’s ability to write good hooks.
  6. Spin
    60
    On this foursome's fourth collection of infectious indie pop, they downplay the sly smirking of the past. [Sep 2007, p.132]
    All this publication's reviews
  7. PopMatters
    50
    Power pop must be one of the most difficult genres to maintain as you get older, because its energy and its subject matter are so tied to youth. And yet, Imperial Teen manages to pull it off a couple of times, with bouncy, shout-along songs that fall just short of their best material.

See all 16 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. ChampiodiP.
    Jul 14, 2009
    9
    Imperial Teen were never a band of big sounds. This album though sees them stripped down even further with an almost lo-fi quality and I say Imperial Teen were never a band of big sounds. This album though sees them stripped down even further with an almost lo-fi quality and I say quality as this album could be their Masterpiece. Stuttering tempos and beautiful short snappy melodies, wonderfully free flowing anthems indie-rock anthems (opf the highest order), low budget glorious indiepop this is throughout, tinged with typical Bottum humour exceptional pop music.… Expand
  2. JC
    Aug 24, 2007
    8
    Classic Imperial Teen. Moves mostly between the sounds of "On" ('Do It Better' is a close kin to 'Sugar') and "What Is Classic Imperial Teen. Moves mostly between the sounds of "On" ('Do It Better' is a close kin to 'Sugar') and "What Is Not To Love". "What You Do" is probably their best bittersweet closer yet. Good to have them back.… Expand