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Dec 19, 2011Vedder never has been ashamed of his bleeding heart... it's refreshing to have a record where that heart is pushed toward the center, beating fully and proudly on his lightest, sweetest album yet.
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Q MagazineJun 29, 2011His second solo effort succeeds largely because its titular novelty never overshadows the bittersweet folk vignettes, driven by his affecting baritone. [Jul 2011, p.119]
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MojoJun 21, 2011Pearl Jam grungemeister reveals self to be shameless romantic. {July 2011, p. 106]
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Jun 16, 2011Ukulele Songs can aptly be summed up as Vedder's pensive doppelganger which has been peeking out sporadically over the past decade or so, with none of his Pearl Jam-rage presenting itself here.
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Jun 8, 2011On their own, each of the 16 songs are mildly admirable. Altogether, they're incredibly grating. In fact, if you weren't paying close enough attention, you'd be convinced the same song had been spinning for nearly 35 minutes.
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Kerrang!Jun 7, 2011Beautifully threaded together by Eddie's therapeutic strumming, mesmerizing voice and graceful transition between moods, this is a quietly understated masterstroke. [28 May 2011, p.51]
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Jun 6, 2011The ukulele, while a beautiful, serene instrument, is arguably limited, especially as the centrepiece of an album this long. Vedder's distinct baritone complements it, but his chords eventually become repetitive.
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UncutJun 3, 2011He appears, so far as it's possible to tell, a competent ukulelist, and his parched baritone remains effective--but this doesn't to understate matters wildly, seems quite the best use of his skills. [Jul 2011, p.96]
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Jun 2, 2011It's a grown-up album for grown-up fans; rest assured, Vedder isn't finished raging, but he does also have to sing his kids to sleep.
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Jun 2, 2011Why foist all of this upon a fanbase that's gracefully aging right along with you and is thus a little more malleable than either of you were in your mid-twenties, a little more open-minded, a little more down for whatever? The answer, clearly, is "Why not?"
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Jun 1, 2011While it's not a classic album, Ukulele Songs is a lively and enjoyable LP that easily warms the cockles.
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Jun 1, 2011Ukulele Songs finds Vedder in a good place-content but not satisfied, comfortable with his history, but not confined by it.
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Jun 1, 2011The instrument's intrinsic sweetness seems to head off any inclination to succumb to despair, and contrasts evocatively with his sandpapery, quavery vocals.
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Jun 1, 2011Don't fret, Pearl Jam fans. Vedder isn't leaving his day job anytime soon, but he demonstrates that even the simplest formula of a man and his ukulele can be a complex, beautiful thing.
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Jun 1, 2011Like a lot of Vedder's experiments, the spirit is easier to admire than the final product. The ukulele might be a great campfire instrument, but sometimes what works best at the campfire should stay there.
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May 31, 2011The ukulele doesn't allow for the widest range of expression, which makes it a challenging foil for Eddie Vedder, who never met a feeling he couldn't drive through a wall. But this uke-suffused album stands up because he adapts the instrument to his idiosyncratic needs.
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May 31, 2011Ukulele Songs is lovely as it breezes by, but it doesn't promise a very long shelf-life.
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May 27, 2011It's a feather-light lark from a dude known for depth.
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May 27, 2011Ukulele Songs is an album brimming with integrity and enthusiasm and, most importantly, it boasts great tunes.
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May 25, 2011The songs, a handful of covers and about a dozen originals, aren't terrible, but the ukulele gets really old, really quick.
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May 24, 2011The slapdash nature of these 16 (!) songs doesn't make them feel visceral or honest (which was clearly the artist's intention), but haphazard and disposable.
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May 20, 2011If you've ever fantasized about Vedder singing you, or your kids, to sleep, consider your wish fulfilled.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 12 out of 14
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Mixed: 1 out of 14
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Negative: 1 out of 14
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Jun 4, 2011
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Jun 1, 2011
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Mar 22, 2013