Highest Recent Ratings

Albums to watch

Feel It Break

Austra

Feel It Break

Debut album of synth-pop from Toronto-based trio fronted by Latvian Canadian Katie Stelmanis

ADM rating[?]

7.6

Label
Domino
UK Release date
16/05/2011
US Release date
17/05/2011
Listen on Spotify
Related Links
Last.fm Myspace Wikipedia
Share
Share |

  1. 9.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    A truly fantastic piece of work
    Read Review

  2. 8.5 |   State

    Austra have undoubtedly delivered one of the finest albums of 2011
    Read Review

  3. 8.5 |   BBC

    With its dancefloor-friendly beats (think The Knife with soul), it’s the sort of record you might stick on just before heading to an alternative club
    Read Review

  4. 8.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    What ultimately makes Feel it Break such a pleasure to explore is their inclination to consciously move away from making this a record that only works as a showcase for a distinctive singer
    Read Review

  5. 8.0 |   The Fly

    A thoroughly modern masterpiece
    Read Review

  6. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    A record capable of intriguing both art and pop crowds
    Read Review

  7. 8.0 |   Evening Standard

    That voice may provoke loathers as well as lovers but it won't be forgotten in a hurry
    Read Review

  8. 8.0 |   The Skinny

    Feel It Break has a surprisingly accessible quality: feral as CocoRosie and simultaneously remixable as Ladytron
    Read Review

  9. 8.0 |   The List

    Stelmanis’ operatic, haunting delivery taking mournful melodies higher and higher. Wow
    Read Review

  10. 8.0 |   Uncut

    This debut gleams with a pop lustre. Print edition only

  11. 8.0 |   Rave Magazine

    At times, it’s SO gorgeous it actually ends up sounding a bit arch and distant, but Austra’s debut is very good, all the same
    Read Review

  12. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    Here is the alienated coldness dredged from Soft Cell's murkier moments
    Read Review

  13. 8.0 |   Entertainment.ie

    Austra have produced easily one of the best debuts of the year so far
    Read Review

  14. 8.0 |   Clash

    Austra look set for big things
    Read Review

  15. 8.0 |   The Digital Fix

    Processional, brooding buzzing electro. Synth drum pads. Vocals sliding out like something extruded, pushed
    Read Review

  16. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    Feel It Break could be them overcoming difficult second album syndrome with aplomb
    Read Review

  17. 8.0 |   The Quietus

    Proves Austra can stand, triumphant and proud, alongside the conquering warrior queens
    Read Review

  18. 8.0 |   No Ripcord

    You should have everything you need, if your needs are met by a beautiful blend of virulent lyrics, pumping beats, with addictive dark melodies
    Read Review

  19. 8.0 |   Slant Magazine

    Stelmanis shares with Trent Reznor a desire to make "goth" music that's both lyrically and sonically dense
    Read Review

  20. 7.5 |   Beats Per Minute

    It's refreshing in that it takes the ideas of the occult, which many other bands have been doing in the current mini-resurgence of goth, but puts them into a more accessible mould
    Read Review

  21. 7.5 |   A.V. Club

    Dark, sexy, and cryptic
    Read Review

  22. 7.5 |   NME

    The odd misfire aside, ‘Feel It Break’ is self-assured and utterly consuming
    Read Review

  23. 7.5 |   Prefix

    Succeeds thanks to the singularity of Stelmanis’ vision
    Read Review

  24. 7.3 |   Pitchfork

    This is pretty and heady music, music that can subtly change the air in the room where it's playing
    Read Review

  25. 7.0 |   Spin

    Often recalls Kate Bush's dramatic art songs and the Knife's ghostly techno-pop
    Read Review

  26. 7.0 |   DIY

    While not sounding revolutionary or complicated, Austra have managed to craft a fine album
    Read Review

  27. 7.0 |   Blurt

    The greatest strength of Feel It Break is its ability to remain a solid electro-dance record without letting the Spandex grip lose touch of the heart beats that make each song so emotionally impactful
    Read Review

  28. 6.5 |   The AU Review

    Any lover of new wave or popular dance music will find these two discs hard to resist
    Read Review

  29. 6.0 |   PopMatters

    A little uneven because Austra still seems to be looking to strike the right balance between its different parts
    Read Review

  30. 6.0 |   Q

    There's enough regal clatter to elevate her from being a mere cult concern. Print edition only

  31. 6.0 |   Mojo

    Unsettling, melancholic, retro electronica. Print edition only

  32. 5.0 |   Consequence Of Sound

    She’s not there yet, and, on the whole, Feel It Break is nothing to write home about
    Read Review

  33. Back to main chart

blog comments powered by Disqus
buy it at amazon download it from itunes

Watch it

Roll over video for more options

Hear it

Preview & download it

Austra: Feel It Break

  • Download full album for just £8.49
  • 1. Darken Her Horse £0.89
  • 2. Lose It £0.89
  • 3. The Future £0.89
  • 4. Beat And The Pulse £0.89
  • 5. Spellwork £0.89
  • 6. The Choke £0.89
  • 7. Hate Crime £0.89
  • 8. The Villain £0.89
  • 9. Shoot The Water £0.89
  • 10. The Noise £0.89
  • 11. The Beast £0.89
  • Service provided by 7Digital

Latest Reviews

Kendrick Lamar  GNX

Burning down the industry with a reinvigorated competitive spirit Consequence Of Sound

Kim Deal  Nobody Loves You More

Sounds both like it could have been a long-lost session from 1996 and, somehow, perfectly of the moment Consequence Of Sound

The Cure  Songs Of A Lost World

For everyone who needs a good wallow Consequence Of Sound

More reviews

All-time top 10

Since we've been around, that is. So, the highest-rated albums from the past twelve years or so. Rankings are calculated to two decimal places.

  1. 9.3

    Kendrick Lamar To Pimp A Butterfly

  2. 9.2

    Fiona Apple Fetch The Bolt Cutters

  3. 9.1

    Kendrick Lamar Damn.

  4. 9.1

    D'Angelo And The Vanguard Black Messiah

  5. 9.0

    Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Ghosteen

  6. 9.0

    Self Esteem Prioritise Pleasure

  7. 8.9

    Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways

  8. 8.9

    Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Skeleton Tree

  9. 8.9

    Frank Ocean Channel Orange

  10. 8.9

    Dave We’re All Alone In This Together

See full list