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10.0
40985
10.0 |
The Guardian
It uses a lot of psychedelic tropes – vocals dwarfed by their own echo, a guitar solo drowning in distortion, clattering, vaguely eastern-influenced percussion – yet the result isn't Technicolor but monochrome, a churning, glowering, tumultuous noise
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10.0
41077
10.0 |
Scotland on Sunday
An album that offers something new on every listen
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9.2
43045
9.2 |
The AU Review
Whilst fans of his previous records may not be instantly enraptured with Hawley’s new style, Standing at the Sky’s Edge is an impressive record and one which will surely feature in many best of lists come the end of the year
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9.0
41108
9.0 |
Clash
An unconventional masterpiece
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8.0
41189
8.0 |
The Quietus
His most fully realised and heartfelt collection of music to date. This requires your urgent attention
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8.0
41284
8.0 |
Art Rocker
With diversity in genre, subject, tempo and volume this is certainly Richard Hawley’s bravest record to date
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8.0
41352
8.0 |
Consequence Of Sound
A nine-song collection that engages body and mind throughout. In a throwaway era, Richard Hawley holds a torch for the craftsman
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8.0
41359
8.0 |
PopMatters
Something that is truly worth sinking into
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8.0
40920
8.0 |
Drowned In Sound
Whatever your preconceptions of Hawley and his music, this is definitely an album you should bend a considered ear towards
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8.0
40937
8.0 |
NME
One of 2012's most celebrated albums, and Hawley one of it's most unexpected space cadets
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8.0
40943
8.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
Sky’s Edge fulfils similar needs to 2010's Truelove’s Gutter, save for the fact that where Gutter stretched out, Sky’s Edge freaks out. Hawley’s lugubrious baritone, thankfully, remains the same
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8.0
41043
8.0 |
The Independent
Totally unexpected, and completely winning
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8.0
40991
8.0 |
The Irish Times
This album will confound many who thought they had Hawley pegged, but for those of us who always knew the scope of his talent, this is just the latest stage in his journey to becoming Sheffield’s greatest musical export
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8.0
41018
8.0 |
Evening Standard
Play this as loud as the neighbours allow and let it surge
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8.0
40534
8.0 |
BBC
The sound of Hawley cutting loose, and clearly enjoying it
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8.0
40535
8.0 |
Mojo
His craftsman's melodiousness adds balm and balance. Print edition only
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8.0
45225
8.0 |
All Music
By employing hard-rocking, sometimes spacey psychedelia (gloriously) to express the anger he feels as he watches the hard-won gains of history being damaged and destroyed in unsavory ways, Hawley creates an essential listen
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8.0
41049
8.0 |
DIY
This darker style suits that tone of voice which settles down in the pit of your stomach and sits tight long after the album ends. Another triumph
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8.0
41052
8.0 |
The Arts Desk
It feels more angsty than angry, hinting at troubled reflections on mortality
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8.0
41076
8.0 |
The Scotsman
This is a kick-ass riposte to the dark devastation of the brilliant Truelove’s Gutter, but it’s more broad than deep
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8.0
42429
8.0 |
Rave Magazine
Unlike his previous works, Standing… calls upon Hawley to bring his primary instrument, the electric guitar, to centre stage
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7.0
42947
7.0 |
FasterLouder
A big slice of rock but it knows when to pull its punches and for the most part is a balanced and rewarding listen
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7.0
45679
7.0 |
Under The Radar
Hawley is finally giving his session-player chops a chance to transform his music, and it'll be hard to imagine putting a lid on them after this, or that anyone would want him to
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7.0
40532
7.0 |
musicOMH
It's great to hear Richard Hawley expanding his horizons and there's a lot to enjoy in this album. If some of the sound could be better defined, and the special effects shaken on with a slightly lighter hand, it would be more coherent and ultimately more impressive
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7.0
40614
7.0 |
Uncut
The more Richard Hawley changes, evidently, the more he stays the same.
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6.0
40536
6.0 |
Q
The songwriting lags behind the riffs. Print edition only
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6.0
41038
6.0 |
Independent on Sunday
Hawley does psychedelic rock with more style, elegance and panache than most. None of which answers the question: why would he want to?
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6.0
41046
6.0 |
The Observer
Hawley's grasp of psychedelia is probably closer to the (latterday) Verve's than it is to, say, Animal Collective's
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6.0
41918
6.0 |
Loud And Quiet
As the album wears on, the shock fades, the excitement dissipates, and the crooner returns for three or four over-long, slightly ponderous songs
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5.1
43463
5.1 |
Pitchfork
For the most part, it's an unwelcome return to a less distinguished period in Hawley's career, back before he knew how to make more beguiling music than this
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4.0
40901
4.0 |
The Skinny
Quite why he would choose to bury his finest attribute – his voice – behind a wall of guitars is mystifying
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