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9.0
21104
9.0 |
Drowned In Sound
A record of exceptional class and calibre, a band doing things in a comprehensively new way
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9.0
21340
9.0 |
The Quietus
In confronting our toughest realities Esben & The Witch have contrived to create a stunning document of our era
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9.0
24702
9.0 |
FasterLouder
This is certainly a challenging listen, but by all means it is a rewarding one
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8.4
21775
8.4 |
Beats Per Minute
An extraordinary album, a triumph in merging industrial sounds with gothic atmospherics and tones
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8.0
21425
8.0 |
DIY
Encompasses goth, electronic, shoegaze and psychedelic vibes that certainly fits into this pastiche of a pre-apocalyptic world we’ve created for ourselves
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8.0
21170
8.0 |
Daily Telegraph
A music of doomed melancholy – plaintive, dark, and uneasy
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8.0
21185
8.0 |
The Observer
There are echoes here of post-rock, the more mournful strains of dubstep and, fittingly, the emergent dance genre, witch house
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8.0
21189
8.0 |
Independent on Sunday
Throughout the exquisitely mournful Violet Cries, Rachel Davies issues Cassandra-like predictions of woe and mayhem
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8.0
21213
8.0 |
Clash
Esben And The Witch display an effortless aptitude for creating a sense of drama and intrigue
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8.0
21267
8.0 |
AU Review
An ambitious and impressive first outing
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8.0
21303
8.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
Its belated appeal and lack of versatility may prove to be too vexing for some, but for those willing to keep scratching away at the surface the detachment will disappear before your nail does
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8.0
20604
8.0 |
BBC
Its painstaking attention to detail, dark shadows and languid depths will see it become an essential companion for many sombre souls in 2011 and beyond
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8.0
20852
8.0 |
The Digital Fix
The darkest recesses of the mind are where this band seems to thrive
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8.0
20260
8.0 |
Mojo
Develop their literary gloom to convincing effect. Print edition only
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8.0
21009
8.0 |
NME
They're gothic rather than goth, and possessed of a much more beguiling aesthetic. Print edition only
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8.0
21094
8.0 |
The Fly
Esben & The Witch have confronted their considerable hype head on and fiercely overcome it
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7.0
21981
7.0 |
Rave Magazine
A confident, cohesive debut from a band with a refreshingly firm grip on their sound
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7.0
22448
7.0 |
Consequence Of Sound
[They] sound quite unlike anyone in recent memory
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6.6
21628
6.6 |
Pitchfork
The cumulative impact is more tepid than bone-chilling
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6.0
21899
6.0 |
Prefix
Esben and the Witch sure can make a racket, but parsing out the minimal substance is the real challenge. Better than Salem? Definitely. A perfect debut? Not quite
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6.0
21347
6.0 |
Bowlegs
A deep, textured record
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6.0
23026
6.0 |
PopMatters
Violet Cries is borne of blood, sweat, and tears. Its eyes bloodshot, its teeth decayed, chipped. It’s ‘4 real’ and sounds amazing
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6.0
21580
6.0 |
Slant Magazine
Darkly gorgeous but not much else
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6.0
23731
6.0 |
No Ripcord
Broader appeal is unlikely for songs that seem so blurred around the edges and on the point of evaporating
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6.0
20261
6.0 |
Q
A group who you imagine always set their alarms for midnight. Print edition only
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6.0
20911
6.0 |
musicOMH
Some light to balance the shade would be welcome - at times, it all feels a bit austere and unwelcoming
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6.0
20949
6.0 |
God Is In The TV
The disappointing fact about the record is that it rarely rises from its hazy stupor
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6.0
21107
6.0 |
The Irish Times
For all their studious moodiness, their eagerness to create a disembodied ambience is often at the expense of songs with any sort of bite
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6.0
21147
6.0 |
The Guardian
Despite a tendency to drift formlessly, there's true beauty in some of their desolate soundscapes
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6.0
21168
6.0 |
Entertainment.ie
With a little more focus and self-restraint, Esben and the Witch could go a long way
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5.8
21680
5.8 |
A.V. Club
Arpeggiating, post-rock guitars and minimalist electronic percussion
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5.0
23626
5.0 |
Tiny Mix Tapes
They are deeply indebted to their influences, the most notable of which is Siouxsie and the Banshees
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4.0
21432
4.0 |
State
The sound of 2011? Things are depressing enough, thanks
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2.0
21132
2.0 |
The Independent
The group have been around for well over a year without arousing much of a stir, and the monumentally tedious poesie-rock of Violet Cries offers few hints that this should change
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