Warm Chris
by Aldous Harding
  • Record Label: 4AD
  • Release Date: Mar 25, 2022
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 19 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
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  1. dollmouth
    Mar 25, 2022
    10
    Incredible! Aldous does it again! She has such an ear for melody and her songwriting is never anything less than enchanting.
  2. Beauschamp
    Mar 25, 2022
    10
    Love the new Aldous Harding record. She has a way of making small sounds and sparse instrumentation sound very exciting. Not as easily listenable as 2019s Designer or even Party, but it’s weirdness, abstract, & free-thinking nature gives the album an impressionably subtle quality. From the hushed vocals on “Warm Chris” to the sleazy, winding rhythm of “Leathery Whip”, Aldous has releasedLove the new Aldous Harding record. She has a way of making small sounds and sparse instrumentation sound very exciting. Not as easily listenable as 2019s Designer or even Party, but it’s weirdness, abstract, & free-thinking nature gives the album an impressionably subtle quality. From the hushed vocals on “Warm Chris” to the sleazy, winding rhythm of “Leathery Whip”, Aldous has released another enigmatic record. Well done!… Expand
  3. All_ButTrU4
    Mar 25, 2022
    6
    Warm chris was a startling surprise for me. I had thoroughly enjoyed her last two albums that this was practically already expected to be a year highlight but instead this album was a difficult mostly off putting experience where the album sounded like a dry bone left out in the sun. Some songs were inoffensive whilst unfortunately even after my multiple listens a majority sounded mildlyWarm chris was a startling surprise for me. I had thoroughly enjoyed her last two albums that this was practically already expected to be a year highlight but instead this album was a difficult mostly off putting experience where the album sounded like a dry bone left out in the sun. Some songs were inoffensive whilst unfortunately even after my multiple listens a majority sounded mildly annoying. Overall I can appreciate her direction and evolution even when I fail to enjoy it's Jessica Pratt copy and paste rip off… Expand
  4. JuneD
    Mar 26, 2022
    8
    Ever since hearing 'Designer' back in 2019, Aldous has become one of my favorite artists in the indie scene. She's got a gift for making what can seem or sound awkward feel charming. Her chameleonic voice has always been most the striking part of her music, and that's no more evident on this album. She goes from sounding like a seductive crooner on 'Fever', to childlike buoyancy on 'Lawn',Ever since hearing 'Designer' back in 2019, Aldous has become one of my favorite artists in the indie scene. She's got a gift for making what can seem or sound awkward feel charming. Her chameleonic voice has always been most the striking part of her music, and that's no more evident on this album. She goes from sounding like a seductive crooner on 'Fever', to childlike buoyancy on 'Lawn', the reedy chanteuse on 'She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain' — which bears striking resemblance to Karen Dalton's vocal mannerisms. Then there's the Nick Drakeesque hushed vocals on 'Staring At The Henry Moore' and Nico-like belting on 'Leathery Whip' that you'd be forgiven for thinking there's 5 different people singing on this album.
    The instrumentation on this album is much more sparse and intimate, and it works in contrasting the playful melodies Aldous presents throughout the course of the record. Her melodies don't always go where you'd expect them to go, and it's a quality I think a lot of singer-songwriters these days lack.

    'Warm Chris' might not be as immediate as 'Designer', but it still boasts a lot of charm and beauty that warrants repeat listens.    … Expand
  5. Ayelet
    Apr 1, 2022
    10
    A unique album, wherein Aldous expresses different personalities through her versatile voice in the songs. An interesting listen with both an expressive and introverted vibe that lingers.
  6. Br1dipaolo
    Apr 4, 2022
    8
    Probably even this new album by Aldous Harding will not find a place in the charts at the end of the year; and also this year unfairly.
    Inspired and elegant work, with a refined and coherent writing. Voice as usual beautiful and full of emotions.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. No Ripcord
    Mar 31, 2022
    60
    While she's developed her voice in the process, Designer being a shining example of how she showed her many talents with oft-kilter confidence, Warm Chris blends spontaneity and rigidity all at once.
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  2. Beats Per Minute
    Mar 31, 2022
    65
    The fragmentation of characters, the dislocation and purposefully disruptive sense of a core musical identity on Warm Chris make this a collection of disparate songs rather than a body of work – for some this will be a boon, for others problematic.
    Read full review
  3. AllMusic
    Mar 30, 2022
    80
    Like its three predecessors, Warm Chris blazes its own trail, and following along can sometimes feel like grasping at the last vestiges of a late morning dream. It's both compelling and confounding, like Harding herself.
    Read full review
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