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9.0
53463
9.0 |
Drowned In Sound
Several of these songs initially seem to become a different song entirely, belying the experimental approach the band have taken, the determination to almost completely deconstruct a song then reassemble it with a rocket attached
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9.0
53906
9.0 |
musicOMH
It may have been four years in the making, but it’s certainly been well worth waiting for
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8.5
53733
8.5 |
Under The Radar
Will sound familiar to the band's fans from the off, but also represents the first significant aesthetic shift in their oeuvre
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8.2
53988
8.2 |
The AU Review
An album you want to listen to again and again
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8.0
53739
8.0 |
DIY
This is an album reveals itself as a gem; one which mixes their crowd-pleasing hooks with an inventive shift in their sound
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8.0
53699
8.0 |
All Music
Bankrupt! lets them celebrate with a victory lap that's enjoyable for all concerned
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8.0
53781
8.0 |
Sputnik Music (staff)
Refuses to pussyfoot around the candied hooks at the bottom of every track
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8.0
53502
8.0 |
The 405
It showcases an even more inventive and ambitious band, and Phoenix could well be about to establish themselves as the poster boys of forward-thinking synth-pop
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8.0
53586
8.0 |
State
If the band are so desperate for Bankrupt! to serve as an experiment, the only proof that should be drawn from it is that when the result is this good it’s more than enough to stick with what you know
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8.0
53045
8.0 |
The Skinny
An album bursting with treasures
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8.0
53460
8.0 |
Clash
As meticulous, likeable, and danceable as its predecessors
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8.0
53633
8.0 |
Independent on Sunday
It's perfectly likeable without ever inspiring outright love
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8.0
53685
8.0 |
Evening Standard
The standard drops towards the end but this is still an album rich in quality
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8.0
53687
8.0 |
The Digital Fix
Phoenix, perhaps paradoxically, have made perhaps their most cohesively strong set-of-songs, and consequently their most distinctive, bold record to date
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7.5
53671
7.5 |
Pitchfork
The album rarely deviates from Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’s winning formula; befitting the band’s ascendant status, everything’s just that much more shiny, jacked-up, and frantic
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7.5
53832
7.5 |
Pretty Much Amazing
Whether the band will continue at full steam or dive into darker emotional waters is unclear. Either way, it won’t be boring
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7.0
53669
7.0 |
No Ripcord
They never lose sight of what makes a song pop in the ears, delivering an over-caffeinated, albeit logical, progression from their past efforts that actually suits them
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7.0
53731
7.0 |
Rolling Stone
Fans looking for sequels to "1901" and "Lisztomania" are going to want to file their complaint with the French consulate immediately. By design, the new disc is less precisely crafted and more taken with posh, atmospheric grooves than hot power pop
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7.0
53688
7.0 |
Beats Per Minute
Phoenix have tried plenty of styles over their five-album career, but it’s never felt like they made dramatic shifts. Instead they sound like they’ve grown into their music, and it has the ability to feel natural to them
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7.0
53690
7.0 |
Consequence Of Sound
Bankrupt! could end up the most anti-pop pop album of the year, which is exactly as confusing as the album sounds at times. But if the choice was between confusing or boring and safe, Phoenix made the right call
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7.0
53048
7.0 |
Uncut
You tend to notice the craft, the effort that goes into the songwriting, because it often sounds as if this doesn't quite come naturally to them. Print edition only
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7.0
53554
7.0 |
NME
Phoenix are keeping it classy - same as it ever was, just more so
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6.7
53728
6.7 |
A.V. Club
Those hoping the band would make an album just half as good should be fully satisfied
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6.0
53725
6.0 |
PopMatters
There isn’t as much going on with Bankrupt! to rank it among the best albums by Phoenix, but it still works as a solid effort from a band getting used to being big. They’re just doing what they do
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6.0
53855
6.0 |
The Quietus
Considering how successful its predecessor was, it’s not surprising that Bankrupt is in every way a Wolfgang 2.0
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6.0
53883
6.0 |
The Independent
Throwback pop whose retro leanings are neatly signalled by the nostalgic jet-set imagery of “Drakkar Noir”
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6.0
53772
6.0 |
Paste Magazine
Phoenix’s first album as an arena-sized force, which seemed as sure of a bet as any, is a disappointment
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6.0
54425
6.0 |
Entertainment.ie
Bankrupt! is a very good album, of that there's no doubt, but pales in comparison to its older, more sophisticated big brother
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6.0
53616
6.0 |
The Irish Times
Bankrupt is all about supersizing Phoenix’s infectious sweep of sound, yet there’s a nagging sense that this is often done to disguise a lack of new ideas
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6.0
53046
6.0 |
Mojo
Studded with potential festival anthems. Print edition only
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6.0
53047
6.0 |
Q
A world of smooth, reserved rock and 80s teen movie soundtracks continues to dominate. Print edition only
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6.0
53676
6.0 |
Slant Magazine
Will sound perfectly pleasant when blasted out across crowds of thousands in fields in California and wherever else this summer. It's less certain, however, if people will still be listening to the album album in four years' time
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6.0
53634
6.0 |
The Observer
Play Bankrupt! side by side with the latest Strokes album, and the, ahem, unity of sound is unignorable
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