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10.0
141116
10.0 |
Spill Magazine
A cinematic exploration of maximalism that will appeal to any fan of rock operas
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9.0
141166
9.0 |
All Music
Toledo is young enough that it's premature to call The Scholars a masterpiece, though it's unquestionably his finest work to date and one of the best albums of 2025
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8.5
141130
8.5 |
Paste Magazine
After their divisive 2020 LP Making a Door Less Open, the Seattle band returns with their best new album in almost a decade
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8.0
141149
8.0 |
DIY
A psychedelic, classic rock mashup that absorbs and expands on the sound Car Seat Headrest have claimed as their own
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8.0
141164
8.0 |
Mojo
It's the jubilant reach and dynamite in the details that make The Scholars a rock opera worthy of the form. Print edition only
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8.0
141115
8.0 |
Dork
Car Seat Headrest truly embraced the epic here; and it’s paid off in spades
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8.0
141316
8.0 |
PopMatters
On The Scholars, Car Seat Headrest take listeners on a messy but enlightening rock and roll journey that will appeal to even those who have tuned out
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7.5
141117
7.5 |
Northern Transmissions
wNot every moment hits, and some narrative threads drift off without resolution. But The Scholars is a strong swing at a genre that often collapses under its own weight
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7.0
141114
7.0 |
Far Out
n a sheer auditory level, it sounds like a time-warp of the last 25 years of indie music packed into one; an enjoyable listen, but with none of the narrative imprint
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7.0
141165
7.0 |
Uncut
Packed with musical and literary references, there's a lot to unpick, but tracks like "The Catastrophe (Good Luck With That, Man)" show the band still have a knack for pop hooks, albeit not as lo-fi as before. Print edition only
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7.0
141146
7.0 |
Rolling Stone
Will Toledo supersizes his ambition without scrimping on indie-rock kicks
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7.0
141123
7.0 |
Slant Magazine
The album is a critical reminder that rock ‘n’ roll can and often should be an audacious thing
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7.0
141184
7.0 |
Spectrum Culture
If The Scholars falls short of greatness, it does so swinging for the fences
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6.5
141178
6.5 |
Pitchfork
In aiming to write a rock opera for the playlist era, Will Toledo crafts some of his band’s most inspired compositions—but weighs them down with a confusing plot and endless stylistic changeups
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6.0
141122
6.0 |
The Arts Desk
There is no obvious story-line, but more of a tortuous and poetically-inspired journey
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