American Songwriter's Scores

  • Music
For 1,814 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 50% higher than the average critic
  • 5% same as the average critic
  • 45% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0.8 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 74
Highest review score: 100 Rockstar
Lowest review score: 20 Dancing Backward in High Heels
Score distribution:
  1. Negative: 4 out of 1814
1814 music reviews
    • 87 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Many [of the demos] prove that producer Gus Dudgeon knew how to tweak the material, which had a tendency to get long-winded. ... Eight live selections from London’s Royal Festival Hall, recorded around the album’s release, confirm how tough John’s four-piece was. ... These songs still sound terrific, reminding us just how vital and prolific an artist Elton John was in his prime.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Few songs immediately jump out but when the album is over, you’ll want to hit the repeat button. That’s what any band hopes for and what The Nude Party delivers on the subtly irrepressible Rides On.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    It’s the continuation of a fabled legacy and one that has not only stood the test of time but remains vibrant and invigorating all these decades on. Clearly, The Zombies are still in the game and still playing for keeps.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Mostly though, Celebrants comes across as a bold new venture, one that’s unrestrained in terms of melody, motif, and obvious enthusiasm.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    All in all, it’s a sumptuous box set and one that’s mined with obvious depth and devotion.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Nothing breaks four minutes with each selection displaying not just catchy, crisp hooks but production (by him) that captures these songs with a sneaky sheen and rather slick polish. He is most convincing though when the music shifts towards a tougher gospel/swamp vibe as on the self-referential “Take a Long Hard Look.”
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Ultimately, A Colossal Waste of Light takes Eyelids several steps further in terms of heft and gravitas, sharing the sense that they need not rely on hype or headlines to garner the attention they so decidedly deserve at this juncture.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Consider Shook an example of auditory excess plied with aural intrigue.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Vivian Line is unlikely to land on anyone’s hip/hot list. Rather Sexsmith, now pushing 60, is content to churn out radiant, sublime, transcendent music that unobtrusively exists in its own delicate bubble, inviting us in to join him on his unique musical path.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Over the course of 23 tracks—a mix of archival classics, recent entries, and a couple of covers—the band struts their stuff with the usual flair and panache.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The frenzied sound of “Brain Capers” implies certain complications just as “Fallout” seems intent on driving through whatever haze continues to confound us. There’s very little here that’s as clear-cut as the overall messaging might imply. Nevertheless, it’s clear that This Stupid World still manages to impart wisdom and reflection in equal and apt measures.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    The Fragments box set offers enough weight and return to justify its weighty price tag. The remastered version of the original album is simply stunning, bringing clarity to the source material that wasn’t as evident before. So too, while repeated versions of certain songs may sometimes seem redundant, they are well in keeping with any Dylan devotee’s desire to peer well below the surface while gathering clues as to the germination of Dylan’s genius.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The 14 tracks clocking in at 50 minutes speak to War’s prolific nature, one that encompasses her diversity yet remains focused on vocal, lyrical, and melodic talents that this disc’s enhanced production, and budget, spotlight.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Listening in one sitting can get tedious since few tempos rise above a muted whisper. Individually the songs play like scenes from that indie movie. Curious, stimulating, and worthy of pondering … if you’re in the mood.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    He's no less daring than before. Marked by a series of ominous atmospheric soundscapes, the album finds Cale seemingly beckoning whatever spirits surround him with a dire yet distinctive vocal that casts a spell on the effort overall.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Like the previous set, this is another batch of slightly skewed but affectionately crafted R&B, heavily tinged by mid-’70s affectations with some blues touches. ... Most impressive though is how soulful a vocalist Dan Auerbach is.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    With 17 mostly terrific songs (three sung in Italian), only one breaking the four-minute mark, the collection has the jittery intensity of a lion pacing before feeding time. ... Perhaps we could have done without the closing power ballad “The Loneliest,” but that’s the only misstep on an album that should thrust this band into worldwide superstar status.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Lead track “Mile Marker 29” gets things off to a rousing start courtesy of the song’s riveting refrain. The tangled tapestry of “All Your Friends Are Dying” doesn’t offer the most promising premise, but it’s intriguing nevertheless. Still, when the band slows the tempo and recasts the proceedings with some mellower melodies, the album truly hints at greater glories.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Price breaks down any barriers left around her on this record to great appeal. In just 10 songs, she manages to tell a lifetime of stories that are captivating from start to finish.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Every Loser is commanding, powerful, and above all fun, proving that Pop has plenty of gas left in his aging tank.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Ultimately then, See You in the Stars is as footloose and fanciful as its handle suggests. When Broudie indulges his instincts, the possibilities can become sky-high.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Jude is Lennon’s singular statement, his purposeful pronouncement, his pivotal turn as far as coming into his own with music that bears a grander scope.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    This wasn’t a tremendously fertile period for the group. Yet based on the animated gig and some inspired moments, they still sounded vital, and capable of writing impressive new music, albeit inconsistently and largely without Brian’s input.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    All are already available on one of the many existing Hendrix live discs although as usual, the performances are substantially different since Hendrix seldom played anything the same way twice. ... One of the last recordings with the original threesome. Despite reported tensions within the group, they tear it up.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    It’s a decidedly evocative album, one that ought to give hope and comfort to all those that may feel adrift in uncertainty and sadness while confirming the fact that they’re not alone. In that regard, it provides a shared service to us all.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    There are enough moments when everything clicks to make this a pleasant, intermittently compelling listen. But it’s hard to shake the nagging feeling that it could have been much better with a starker instrumental edge and less processing.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    his is as organic, honest, and powerful as soul gets. Between Roth’s guidance and Lee Fields’ riveting performance, this is a contemporary/retro-tinged classic, one that any lover of the genre will find timeless and inspirational.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Granted, En Är För Mycket och Tusen Aldrig Nog isn’t the kind of album that aims for accessibility. Nor is it a set of songs that will invite the unsuspecting to simply hum along. However, for those that are up for a more adventurous interlude, it’s nothing less than an intriguing endeavor all around.
    • 100 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    While not every song is covered, but enough of the creative process is revealed to make this a revelatory encounter.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Granted, they haven’t hit the heights they climbed courtesy of such early mega milestones as Don’t You (Forget About Me),” “Glittering Prize,” “Somewhere in Summertime,” “Waterfront,” and “Alive and Kicking.” No matter, Kerr, Burchill and their newer recruits still manage to stay true to the band’s overarched intents, but do so based on premise rather than pretense.