- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
-
It’s sickeningly impressive. Yes, Coxon’s stormed through the Davey Graham Advanced Finger-Picking Guide but he hasn’t forgotten to flip it over and write some of his best ever songs.
-
The Spinning Top, a really very enjoyable record, displays some of the finest aspects of the guitarist’s talents, but chief among them, those that pertain to Coxon the folkie, and acoustic guitar stylist.
-
With only the confidence that kind of young, pure, unambiguous love can provide, he felt comfortable enough to produce one of his most honest, unabashed, unpretentious, and downright joyful records.
-
Indulgent though it may be, it's easily his best. And despite an unfeasibly craggy production job, the rambling arrangements and recurrent references to nature and the elemental give it the feel of a dusty, long lost prog-folk curio.
-
Once again produced by Stephen Street, Coxon has created a work full of guileless charm with a deceptive simplicity that masks some intricate musicianship, while its English pastoral ambience is interleaved with some more exotic influences.
-
Though the guitarist has flirted with folk before (notably on 2001's "Crow Sit on Blood Tree") never has he done so with such inventiveness or, as 'Look Into the Light' and 'In the Morning' illustrate, such charm.
-
MojoGraham Coxon has left behind his early Jam-meets-Syd-meets-Billy Childish thrashings and his more petulant little-boy-lost vocals, and recorded an album seemingly inspired by Paul Weller's "22 Dreams." [Jun 2009, p.98]
-
Street produces again, and Robyn Hitchcock is among the guests, but even they can't make up for repetitive, one-dimensional songs--mostly sleepy folk, occasionally fuzzy psych.
-
Q MagazineToo many of Coxon's conceptual songs are crucified on the cross of his man-child voice, neither weird enough to beguile nor strong enough to hold your attention. [Jun 2009, p.124]