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Whole New You
by
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Whole New You Image
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 9 Ratings

  • Summary: Shawn Colvin's first album of new material in five years contains 11 tracks, including a collaboration with Edie Brickell ("Roger Wilco").

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Mojo
    90
    As a singer, the South Dakota-born, Ontario and Illinois-raised Colvin occupies a niche between pensive Sheryl Crow and pre-jazz Joni Mitchell: no histrionics but a telling, often moving restraint.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    83
    Now that she's on the mommy track, Colvin writes about the impossibility of leaving, much less returning, with a torch. [3/30/2001, p.68]
    All this publication's reviews
  3. Q Magazine
    80
    While this falls short of the momentous A Few Small Repairs, it's still something to treasure.
  4. CDNow
    70
    Musically a pretty blend of folksy guitar and lightly new-wave synth, these tunes seethe in a nice-girl way, simmering slightly, but never quite boiling over.
  5. PopMatters
    70
    I don't think this collection has quite the edge of Repairs, yet there are enough sepia portraits of romantic angst, enough evocations of exposed sensitivity, sufficient signs that this mistress of the melancholy will once again win the hearts of earlier subscribers to her work.
  6. Wall of Sound
    68
    It comes off softer than its predecessor, and not nearly as affecting.
  7. Spin Cycle
    50
    The music is rarely up to the task set by the lyrics. Truly successful union of melody and words occurs only twice—on the sparsely arranged stream of consciousness titled "Bonefields" and on the album's most original piece, "Another Plane Went Down," which teeters beautifully on the edge of dream and reality.

See all 12 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. MackyE
    Dec 21, 2004
    10
    She is one of the best artists in America, this is a really great album , Its a pity she does not recieve more aclaim.
  2. [Anonymous]
    Jul 20, 2002
    10
    Fantastic effort realized beautifully. May not grab you by the balls on the first listen-through, but soon thereafter, anyone with a heart or Fantastic effort realized beautifully. May not grab you by the balls on the first listen-through, but soon thereafter, anyone with a heart or a mind will be reeling...she is genius!… Expand
  4. Krissi
    Jul 27, 2003
    9
    Gorgeous, often insightful and finally, moving. Dave Matthews does the backing vocals for almost an angel. :o)
  5. SueB.
    Sep 1, 2001
    8
    The long-awaited collection of new songs from one of the country's best singer-songwriters is a welcome digression from teen-pop and The long-awaited collection of new songs from one of the country's best singer-songwriters is a welcome digression from teen-pop and broken beats, a walk in the forest on a hot summer day. Motherhood has taken some of the sharpness off Colvin's edgy view of the world, but the lyrics still cut through the simple-but-fitting musical arrangements. This album has been living in my CD rack for weeks -- it hasn't gotten tired yet.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

81
#81 Best Album of 2001

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