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9.0
14718
9.0 |
Prefix
Even without the constant samples of hypnotherapy tapes that pop up, The Books have delivered an absolutely entrancing album that continues the upward trend of their previous releases
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9.0
14722
9.0 |
Beats Per Minute
All of this danceable material reminds one of a previous album that bridged the divide of avant-garde and pop music, David Byrne’s and Brian Eno’s My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
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9.0
14924
9.0 |
Sputnik Music (staff)
The entire LP, while channeling the celebratory feel of plunderphonic music, creates something bigger musically, something that will perplex, ease, and engage listeners to the fullest
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9.0
15431
9.0 |
The Quietus
They're a band who exist in their own world, a place totally immersive and unlike any other. It's a pleasure to go there, and a tough place to leave
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8.5
14835
8.5 |
The 405
The Way Out has something special, something a little more personal, something a little sharper that allows it to stand above the Books other works as a culmination of their of their efforts to this point
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8.0
15150
8.0 |
Blurt
The Way Out is their most diverse, head-spinning achievement to date
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8.0
15178
8.0 |
Consequence Of Sound
The record is not without its missteps and is not as instantly demanding of revisits as The Lemon Of Pink, but it is a journey worth the effort and full of rewards throughout
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8.0
14635
8.0 |
The Independent
They've tapped into a vein of playful, surrealist humour that makes their experimental approach and painstaking methodology so much more engaging than if they were simply out to impress
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8.0
14646
8.0 |
NME
Print edition only
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8.0
14673
8.0 |
Tiny Mix Tapes
By the time it comes to a close, The Books have taken us on a journey through space and time, and it’s hard not to feel full, invigorated by a unique sort of listening
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7.7
14693
7.7 |
Pitchfork
As smart and complex as they are, their albums are also super-serene, and they could function as New Age music for people who are too skeptical for the real thing
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7.5
15432
7.5 |
The Line Of Best Fit
This is “art music”, intellectual and intensely creative; a hypnotic, expansive, multi-faceted record that challenges the listener to step up and engage
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7.0
16017
7.0 |
Under The Radar
It's been a long stretch since their last full-length album, 2005's Lost and Safe, but The Way Out exhibits the care the pair takes in meticulously crafting these constructions
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7.0
14733
7.0 |
PopMatters
This is a worthwhile album for anyone who’s heard the band’s previous work, or admires the art of Prefuse 73 and other like-minded artists. Digital art for the analogue among us
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7.0
14737
7.0 |
Drowned In Sound
There might be less going on than with the cut-and-paste stuff elsewhere, but ironically that makes these tracks seem like most fully formed moments here, the points of contrast which, as with all successful collages, make The Way Out work as a whole
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7.0
15333
7.0 |
Rave Magazine
Folktronica that will appeal to fans of Sung Tongs-era Animal Collective or Four Tet
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6.0
14848
6.0 |
Mojo
Print edition only
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6.0
15245
6.0 |
The Irish Times
It’s a haphazard and occasionally bewildering affair, but perhaps that’s all part of the charm
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4.0
14617
4.0 |
musicOMH
The Books might well have been around for 10 years making albums that consist of electronic bleeps, spoken word samples and a whole load of clever editing, but this latest offering is something of a disappointment
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