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The week in ADM
Michael Palmer reflects on the week's action in the ADM chart
65daysofstatic continue their
42daysofbeingonthecurrentchart by holding off Arctic
Monkeys for another week. All of the critics seem to have
had their say on AM already, so it looks like only an unfavourable
review for the Sheffield band can knock them off their perch. You
could say it's all in their own hands. Except you can't really, as
they're not reviewing themselves. That'd be a pretty terrible
system.
Duelling it out for the highest placed new album this week are
Danny Brown and The Field, both
sitting on 7.7. Both boast 8.7s and a Best New Music stamp from
Pitchfork as they're highest score. They also share an 8.5 from The
Line Of Best Fit as their next highest. In fact, has anyone seen
these two in the same room together? Maybe they're actually the
same per-oh hold on, they're just two totally different people that
have made two totally different albums that have a similar critical
response. Shame. That would've been a really cool thing to uncover,
right?
Anyway, just behind the twins in the acclaimed new album list is
Lorde, who's debut charts with an impressive 7.5.
She's from New Zealand and was born in 1996. NINETEEN NINETY SIX.
WHAT? She was born in the same year that the Spice Girls released
Wannabe. She was born two days after Clinton was elected. She has
also made a pretty good album, according to our critics. Billboard
rate it 9.4 and call it "honest and addictive." A host of 8s help
her rating, though All Music and Spin only offer 6s, saying "She
was born in the same year that DVDs launched in Japan." They don't
really say that. True though.
At the other end of the chart, 6 new albums enter this week with a
rating of less than 6. First up, Moby. The Arts
Desk, Spin and Uncut give 8s, but Evening Standard, Pop Matters,
Under The Radar and Clash disagree, giving 4s and 3s. Also with a
5.9 lie both Blitzen Trapper and
Glasser. Blitzen Trapper have a full buffet table
of ratings with 4, a 5.5, a few 6s, a 7 and an 8. Glasser balances
The List and Time Out's praise with The Skinny and DIY's
dissapointment.
A point behind that trio sit Yuck. Paste say it's
"never shrill or musically obnoxious, but it's obnoxious how dull
it is." Justin Timberlake followed up The 20/20
Experience and it's 7.1 rating with The 20/20 Experience - 2 of 2,
which sits on a rather measly 5.6. A gulf of opinion; some love it,
some hate it. Even more rate it 6/10. But our wooden spoon for this
week goes to Dizzee Rascal. The Guardian thinks
his 5th album "may prove impossible to dislike", but everyone else
begs to differ. A 5.1 overall, which includes a 5 from NME, 4s from
Mojo and Fact and a 3 from Clash.
Elsewhere: Anna Calvi impresses with a 7.4,
Deer Tick get a 7.1, Islet make a good start with
a 6.8 and Agnes Obel and Frankie
Rose both manage 6.6s.