Albums to watch

Manifest!

Friends

Manifest!

Funk heavy indie pop on the debut from the Brooklyn five-piece

ADM rating[?]

6.8

Label
Lucky Number
UK Release date
04/06/2012
US Release date
05/06/2012
  1. 8.0 |   The Digital Fix

    A fun-filled album of catchy hooks, funky bass and unadulterated pop melodies
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  2. 8.0 |   The Fly

    Whatever their reference points, Friends always end up sounding like Friends: now but new wavey, cool but catchy, spare but packed with odd sonic squiggles
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  3. 8.0 |   NME

    Louche, cool, and wickedly and exuberantly playful
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  4. 8.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    Everything you want from a pop record
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  5. 8.0 |   Rave Magazine

    Manifest! has enough tiny little surprises wrapped in a familiar package to ensure it makes a solid impact when it lands
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  6. 7.5 |   Prefix

    For every flat moment or forgettable song there soars an incredibly high peak, the kind of song you keep on repeat for a solid hour
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  7. 7.5 |   BBC

    Friends really earned their hipster stripes with a couple of buzz singles last year ... though they're highlights, they don't eclipse the rest of this generally impressive debut LP
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  8. 7.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    Scratching the surface reveals more to them than the jaunty melodies and invigorating funk that you’re initially confronted with would suggest
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  9. 7.0 |   Consequence Of Sound

    Although it’s top-heavy, Manifest! is a strong debut and proves Friends isn’t just a singles band
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  10. 7.0 |   musicOMH

    Friends’ debut album could very well be one of the soundtracks to the summer, with their heavy use of percussion setting them apart from other similar Brooklyn acts. Unfortunately, there are times when Manifest! feels muddled
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  11. 7.0 |   Rolling Stone

    Recalls New York's Eighties downtown glory days, when punk, funk and disco commingled on labels like 99 and ZE
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  12. 7.0 |   FasterLouder

    Friends’ debut album resonates as a fairly solid release, both impressive across the board and a comprehensive showcase of the band’s abilities
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  13. 7.0 |   Blurt

    The band's airiness makes it ripe for the summer, but we'll see if the blog buzz can carry past this season's trends or die they way of the coiffed "Rachel"
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  14. 6.5 |   Bowlegs

    Even when it misses, Friends’ debut is without doubt an instantaneous piece of cool – it’s like they’ve got a musical format of Instagram and just applied it to everything
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  15. 6.0 |   Spin

    Avid Brooklyn recyclers mix girl-group pop, dance, r'n'b flavors, compensate for dull material with jaunty attack
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  16. 6.0 |   The Guardian

    There are summer indie-disco hits here, for sure; there's enough to hint there might be more than that
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  17. 6.0 |   Mojo

    Eclectic debut by New York's latest hipster indie outfit. Print edition only

  18. 6.0 |   Q

    Sassy, highly percussive take on a sound first pioneered by groups like ESG in the late '70s/early '80s. Print edition only

  19. 6.0 |   The Irish Times

    When they’re on form, Friends produce smart pop that is infectious, cheeky, cheerful and downright irresistible
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  20. 5.2 |   Pitchfork

    Reticence is the primary failing of Manifest!, causing it to come off as a curiously empty experience
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  21. 5.0 |   Under The Radar

    A solid first LP, but with two or three less ho-hum songs it might have been something pretty special
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Friends: Manifest!

  • Download full album for just £7.49
  • 1. Friend Crush £0.89
  • 2. Sorry £0.89
  • 3. Home £0.89
  • 4. A Thing Like This £0.89
  • 5. A Light £0.89
  • 6. Ideas On Ghosts £0.89
  • 7. Ruins £0.89
  • 8. I'm His Girl £0.89
  • 9. Proud/Ashamed £0.89
  • 10. Stay Dreaming £0.89
  • 11. Va Fan Gör Du £0.89
  • 12. Mind Control £0.89
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