Albums to watch

Big Sigh

Marika Hackman

Big Sigh

Fourth album from the London-based multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter produced by Hackman, Sam Petts-Davies and Charlie Andrew

ADM rating[?]

7.7

Label
Chrysalis
UK Release date
12/01/2024
US Release date
12/01/2024
  1. 9.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    Big Sigh doesn’t just feel like Hackman’s best, but it feels like a distinct chapter marker in her catalogue
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  2. 8.2 |   Northern Transmissions

    It’s safe to say that Big Sigh is a disarmingly thoughtful and nuanced summary of Marika’s entire 12-year-long artistic journey and maybe even life, a cutting line between her old experience and “next stage” of her life and music
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  3. 8.0 |   Clash

    A gorgeous album, ‘Big Sigh’ is a winter treat for the long January nights
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  4. 8.0 |   NME

    The London singer-songwriter is still spilling her guts after the party’s over on her darkest and heaviest album yet
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  5. 8.0 |   DIY

    Remarkably relatable
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  6. 8.0 |   Uncut

    Skillfully blending soft and harsh sonic moments: heartbreak, anxiety, lust. Print edition only

  7. 8.0 |   Mojo

    The former Bedales pupil's steely vocals and ear for a big melody amidst the intricacy offer a unifying and satisfying undertow. Print edition only

  8. 8.0 |   The Irish Times

    There is a definite 1990s indie and grunge influence to this album alongside the classical piano leanings, but Hackman is not bound by it
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  9. 8.0 |   All Music

    Depressed, self-loathing, bitter, and candid throughout, Big Sigh closes on an unexpected spare acoustic track, the resigned "The Yellow Mile," which restates the warped sentiment of opening prelude "The Ground": "I was happy for a while"
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  10. 8.0 |   The Observer

    The singer-songwriter finds horror-movie material in the everyday with a record of quiet, visceral power
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  11. 8.0 |   Loud And Quiet

    Big Sigh is a testament to Hackman’s evolving artistry
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  12. 8.0 |   God Is In The TV

    Mentally-exposing and meticulously-produced
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  13. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    A liberating experience that’s nothing if not cathartic, her songwriting can address difficult issues and still manage to make them sound positive and hopeful
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  14. 8.0 |   Dork

    She delves into anxiety, sadness and, ultimately, relief from the woes of the world
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  15. 7.8 |   Sputnik Music (staff)

    It’s hard not to feel like there could be a little more to Big Sigh, a little more to Hackman. Regardless, there is a lot to be found in this excellent album if you allow it some time, give it some space and, while it may not be as easy as it seems, embrace its familiarity
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  16. 7.5 |   Paste Magazine

    The English singer/songwriter’s first album in five years finds her stretching out sonically while maintaining a consistent, exciting focus on what makes her music so good in the first place
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  17. 7.2 |   Pitchfork

    After the Britpop gestures and electronic touches of her last two albums, the UK singer-songwriter explores a more pared-back mode that highlights her incisive lyrics
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  18. 7.0 |   PopMatters

    Marika Hackman’s first album of original material in more than four years, Big Sigh, is a moody slab of enticing synthpop and folk
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  19. 7.0 |   Exclaim

    An adventure into the dark hallways of pop sadness with the accrued wisdom of a folk songbook clutched tightly in stronger arms
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  20. 7.0 |   Slant Magazine

    The album acts as a purging of the artist's intense emotions and expansive aesthetic interests
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  21. 6.0 |   The Skinny

    Big Sigh revels in honesty as its creator confronts some of their darker feelings
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