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10.0
112922
10.0 |
A.V. Club
Producer Annie Clark, a.k.a St. Vincent, brings a wholly new sound to the record, a sleek, sharp industrial/synth-pop hybrid that sounds like bubblegum on brushed steel and embraces screeching feedback and bubbly synthesizers alike
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10.0
112955
10.0 |
The FT
The American rock band’s album has a new sense of scale with huge hooks and feminist fury
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10.0
113076
10.0 |
Punk News
The Center Won’t Hold is a revolution for Sleater-Kinney, an amazing act of artistic bravery, Sleater-Kinney’s best album to date, and my new favorite album of 2019. This is a cultural moment that should not be missed, and I highly recommend you listen to it immediately
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9.1
113000
9.1 |
Consequence Of Sound
A confident, dynamic, and, frankly, dynamite soundtrack to falling apart
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9.0
113024
9.0 |
musicOMH
The Centre Won’t Hold sees them as vital, compelling and as searingly relevant as ever
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9.0
112960
9.0 |
DIY
By far their most stylised, radio-friendly work to date
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8.5
112876
8.5 |
The Line Of Best Fit
Stylistically, this record is a strikingly bold step for the band and it is impossible not to feel Clark’s influence
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8.0
112877
8.0 |
Loud And Quiet
Life passes by quickly and the world is crumbling, but Sleater-Kinney are doing what they do best – saying something important while still having a blast
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8.0
112878
8.0 |
Uncut
Their inimitable fury and drive is intact. Print edition only
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8.0
112879
8.0 |
Q
Roars with confidence and vigour. Print edition only
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8.0
112880
8.0 |
Mojo
Sounds like a band urgently resetting their course, putting their fury and fear on a war footing. Print edition only
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8.0
112914
8.0 |
Rolling Stone
Working with St. Vincent’s Annie Clark, the beloved indie-rock band weaponizes nostalgia and fights social media malaise
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8.0
112916
8.0 |
The Guardian
Drummer Janet Weiss has left the band since recording this St Vincent-produced album – but their songwriting suggests they can weather anything
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8.0
112917
8.0 |
The Independent
If this is Sleater-Kinney falling apart, then what a beautiful collapse it is
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8.0
112919
8.0 |
The Irish Times
Sleater-Kinney haven’t quite gone full pop here, but there is certainly a softer, more adventurous and less guitar-led sound on display
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8.0
112926
8.0 |
Northern Transmissions
An album made of sturdy, resilient stuff; it’s built to weather the storm no matter how strong
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8.0
112929
8.0 |
NME
Craving connections in a world that can seem desperately lonely, the band's ninth record veers into chaos, reflecting the time in which it was made
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8.0
112930
8.0 |
Exclaim
To some fans, The Center Won't Hold might always be remembered as the album that convinced Sleater-Kinney's legendary drummer to leave. But really, it should be celebrated as a brave left turn
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8.0
112932
8.0 |
The Music
Sleater-Kinney don’t have anything to prove
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8.0
112945
8.0 |
Clash
Sleater-Kinney’s ninth album does have a nightmare doomsday-like feel to it, but the inarguable quality is there for all to hear - excellent vocals, instrumentation and production make for a catchy record
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8.0
113111
8.0 |
The Arts Desk
These are anthems for disintegrating selves, and feminist identities in flux
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8.0
113116
8.0 |
XS Noize
There might be less signature Punk and the sonics might be more downbeat but the message is luminously conveyed
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8.0
113278
8.0 |
NOW
Despite the bogus narrative around it, the band are fully formed on the album: vulnerable, yearning and furious
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7.9
113011
7.9 |
Pitchfork
St. Vincent’s sleek, streamlined production stands out from the rest of the band’s catalog, but all of the elements you first fell in love with are still here
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7.9
112881
7.9 |
Paste Magazine
Full of transformation and deserved indignation, The Center Won’t Hold is the first Sleater-Kinney album since the rest of the world started to catch up
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7.5
112933
7.5 |
The 405
Sleater-Kinney experiment with their sound but still possess a united prowess on The Center Won't Hold
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7.5
112941
7.5 |
Under The Radar
The Center Won't Hold works best when it is palpably teeming with lust, sadness, or frustration
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7.0
112925
7.0 |
All Music
Demonstrates what a fearless band Sleater-Kinney is
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7.0
113477
7.0 |
PopMatters
Amid sonic changes and a sudden departure, Sleater-Kinney tackle challenging issues and find a way forward on The Center Won't Hold
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7.0
112992
7.0 |
Crack
The prophetically-titled The Center Won’t Hold is a sure stride rather than a misstep, and now – as after The Woods, the 2005 rock exploration that preceded their long hiatus – we’re swept up in their forward momentum, only to be left hanging
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6.0
112977
6.0 |
The Observer
The strangest thing about the album is the nagging sense of try-hard: Sleater-Kinney have always felt effortless.
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6.0
113161
6.0 |
Evening Standard
Musically, they’re more bright and hummable than ever before. That may repel the long-term faithful, but newcomers could find that feminist punk rock is suddenly more accessible
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6.0
113507
6.0 |
Tiny Mix Tapes
The center won’t hold. Sometimes all we can do is link hands across the darkness to sing and sway gently under the blood red sun
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6.0
112882
6.0 |
Slant Magazine
The album’s pop and synth elements mark a radical departure for the seminal rock band
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5.0
112942
5.0 |
No Ripcord
What's absent about The Center Won't Hold is that it presents a powerful and necessary premise, only to find out that there's not much of a message behind it. Sleater Kinney sure have a lot to say, but overall, they don't end up saying much
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4.0
112934
4.0 |
Spectrum Culture
Sleater-Kinney has never been a static band, modulating and complicating their punk sound ever since they focused their riot-grrrl debut into their more melodic second album, but this sounds nothing like Sleater-Kinney
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