- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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Alternative PressInfectiously noisy. [May 2006, p.166]
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SpinHis grinding blues buitar/aggro piano and her Bonham-bashing coalesce in a sound as heavy as his soul. [Apr 2006, p.91]
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When the Going Gets Dark taps into a new kind of power for Quasi, giving them the opportunity and ambition to skronk and smash.
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Yeah, sometimes Quasi get a little too carried away with themselves and the album seems a bit directionless, but that's only when they move away from the grit and into the prettier, synth-based tunes.
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A soaring power surge of an album... moody and loud, but focused and inspirational.
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Ultimately, it's not likely that those who've yet to be Quasi fans will be converted by this album, but it would nonetheless be worth their while to give it a listen.
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BlenderThis album is a model of aging, raging indie idealism. [Apr 2006, p.118]
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MagnetCoomes' vividly imagined, bloodcurdling tales of anger and dreaming are so cleanly produced and layered... that you barely remember how lousy Quasi's other records sound in comparison. [#71, p.110]
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There's much to appreciate on this latest offering from Quasi but the band is certainly uncompromising and you need to be into loud drum workouts, the odd bit of white noise and occasional dissonance to enjoy it fully.
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The only real rub lies in the lyrics, which-- unusually for the sharp-minded Coomes-- veer between cringing and faintly ridiculous.
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Skipping from dizzying keyboards to bluesy guitar, this is one of Coomes's finest musical hours, capturing his muddled musings into tight and coherent disarray and focusing in on the dynamic between these two exceptionally talented divorcees.
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With more focus on the adventurous composition and skilled playing of Coomes and Weiss, it would be hard for anyone, including myself, to dismiss this as anything other than impressive. Now, if they just hire a new lyricist for their next one.
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Paste Magazine[Their] strangest album. [Apr/May 2006, p.119]
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Q MagazineHere it seems desperation has resulted in rockier, more rewarding work. [May 2006, p.130]
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MojoA worthy, determined salvo. [Jul 2006, p.102]
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It's not earthshaking, but it manages a small cocktail of politics, jazz, and well-produced indie-rock that you can refer to as "jams" without feeling embarrassed.
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Under The RadarThe live feel of the disc is evident in that several of the tunes tend to meander. [#13, p.88]
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When the Going Gets Dark seems stuck in a rut precisely because it is an album about being stuck in a rut.
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New Musical Express (NME)Although as tuneful as ever, tracks like 'Alice The Goon' and 'Peace And Love' reflect these tumultuous political times with a new and surprisingly vicious sonic edge that even they probably didn't think they could muster. [25 Mar 2006, p.37]
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But despite better production and the unbeatable chemistry of Coomes and Weiss, When the Going Gets Dark just doesn’t have as many memorable songs, nor does it spark the same kind of curious sympathy their best micro-miseries have.
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Uncut[The] results [are] worryingly like a jam session between Ben Folds and John Bonham. [Apr 2006, p.110]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 4 out of 6
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Mixed: 2 out of 6
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Negative: 0 out of 6
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BiffDJun 12, 2006
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BenTMay 5, 2006i liked this record slightly better than the sword of god & hot shit, group seems to be getting more focused.
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MisterPleasantMar 22, 2006