W
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Universal acclaim - based on 9 Critic Reviews What's this?

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  • Summary: The latest full-length release from the Japanese post-rock band Boris is its first on the Sacred Bones label.
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  • Record Label: Sacred Bones
  • Genre(s): Alternative/Indie Rock, Post-Hardcore, Indie Rock, Experimental Rock, Stoner Metal, Noise-Rock
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Beats Per Minute
    Jan 21, 2022
    86
    W becomes more than just ‘another’ Boris album. Like other albums that capture the sublime – be it Kid A, Loveless, Eskimo or On Land – it conjures a sense of presence that is somewhat alien, slightly haunted, certainly physical. It toys with ideas of memories we associate with certain sounds and atmospheres, how our emotions can be formed through sensory experience and time becomes illusory.
  2. Uncut
    Jan 21, 2022
    80
    Pulverising noise is not entirely absent – the sludgy riffs of “The Fallen” growl ominously – but they are largely replaced with more atmospheric explorations, Wata’s gentle vocals and tracks that slow and quieten down to reveal a tender exploration of texture. [Feb 2022, p.26]
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  3. The Wire
    Jan 21, 2022
    80
    Where NO was extreme in its attack, W opts to let the group dream, as a more acoustic angle is explored – with Wata’s ephemeral vocal being an ever present guiding spirit force that trails like incense smoke through the songs. Things eventually kick off, however, with “The Fallen”, a time-tested metal guitar dirge with an electronic sting in its tail that effortlessly reverts back to Boris at their amplifier worshipping best. [Feb 2022, p.58]
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  4. Mojo
    Jan 24, 2022
    80
    This is a record of delicately sculped nuages, all wispily sung by guitarist/keyboard-player Wata. [Mar 2022, p.80]
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  5. Clash Music
    Jan 27, 2022
    80
    'W' sees Boris fully exploring the lighter side of their sound. ... But the delicate beauty of these moments is magnified when Boris push themselves to the other extreme.
  6. Pitchfork
    Feb 11, 2022
    78
    Takeshi, Atsuo, and Wata have reflected abstract magic on W. Like a port in a storm, the foundations may occasionally shake, but, for the duration of the record, it feels like the safest place to hide.
  7. AllMusic
    Jan 21, 2022
    70
    W is not merely a counterpart to No but its polar opposite -- an album made of moments and atmospheres rather than songs. Nearly spectral in its articulation, this set offers a more elegant, restrained side of Boris than we've ever encountered before.

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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. Jerstew
    Jan 22, 2022
    9
    W is a surprising and bold work of art. It’s wonderfully produced, wonderfully performed, as literally all Boris albums are. Something elseW is a surprising and bold work of art. It’s wonderfully produced, wonderfully performed, as literally all Boris albums are. Something else interesting, it stands out over pretty much all other albums Boris has made. It sounds like no other album they’ve made.… Expand
  2. Menios
    Jan 26, 2022
    8
    Boris manages to twist and turn a calmer sound in ways that leave me in complete awe, making this 41-minute long album feel like a totalBoris manages to twist and turn a calmer sound in ways that leave me in complete awe, making this 41-minute long album feel like a total breeze, with every track sounding much more unique and full of depth.

    It almost feels like each track is its own planet, from Icy & serene Icelina, to the massive and aggressive The Fallen to the disorienting Old Projector, you are given an entire array of sounds that makes listening to this album an enjoyable listen.

    This album shows & confirms that Boris is quite never gonna run out of ideas and will always be experimenting with sounds. No wonder Boris is so beloved.    … Expand

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