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9.0
55025
9.0 |
All Music
Slow Summits is an unhurried, understated masterpiece that should make fans of the band, and of music in general, glad that the Pastels have not only stuck with it for so long, but grown into the kind of group that could release something this warm and beautiful
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8.0
54962
8.0 |
The Skinny
An album remarkable more for its sense of wholeness than its individual peaks
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8.0
54973
8.0 |
Uncut
Bold and immediate. Print edition only
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8.0
54985
8.0 |
Clash
It’s a record that will make you smile and swoon as it burrows its way into your heart
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8.0
54994
8.0 |
Q
A record worth the wait, it's the sound of music made by true originals. Print edition only
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8.0
55112
8.0 |
Drowned In Sound
Nothing unduly groundbreaking here, yet at the same time always brutally refreshing
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8.0
55131
8.0 |
Loud And Quiet
It’s just a really simple and beautiful pop record when all is said and done – a most welcome return
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8.0
55139
8.0 |
State
The Pastels, a snapshot of a bygone era, have negotiated their return with style and grace
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8.0
55361
8.0 |
Entertainment.ie
There will undoubtedly be better albums in 2013, but as pop continues to devour itself, we need bands like The Pastels to remind us that pop music is something worth cherishing
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7.9
55054
7.9 |
Pitchfork
Like all Pastels albums, Slow Summits feels like the work of a tightly knit gang of outcasts
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7.5
55061
7.5 |
The Line Of Best Fit
The Pastels possess a hushed and humble kind of gorgeousness, they’ll forever be just on the outside of the hipster zeitgeist and that’s just fine
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7.2
54961
7.2 |
Bowlegs
Feels like rifling through your family photographs with one too many gins inside you
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7.0
55010
7.0 |
DIY
In offering something which even they concede may prove genuinely new to their fan base, The Pastels have played the odds and come out on top
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7.0
54957
7.0 |
musicOMH
While Slow Summits might not set your pulse racing it’s a fantastic example of a band throwing themselves into making a record as lush and pretty as they possibly can
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7.0
55188
7.0 |
Under The Radar
Few bands can shake off such a long hiatus without a little residual rust; The Pastels have done it better than most
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7.0
55135
7.0 |
PopMatters
Throughout Slow Summits beauty and brightness are paired with someone’s absence. There’s a perpetual disappointment held not far from the surface, but they sound like they’ve come to certain terms with it
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7.0
55136
7.0 |
The Quietus
An album that isn't as immediately arresting as previous releases yet is still honest and spirited. Sixteen years of dormancy has done nothing to dull the Pastels' emotional sharpness, even if the entire effort feels a tad cautious
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6.7
55064
6.7 |
A.V. Club
On Slow Summits, The Pastels sound not like a long-overlooked cult band making one last grasp at fame, but like a respectable contemporary in an indie-rock genre they once pioneered
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6.0
55037
6.0 |
Mojo
Stephen McRobbie's nerdy vocal inflections remain an acquired taste. Print edition only
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6.0
54958
6.0 |
No Ripcord
They still can write a painfully sweet melody, but what’s the point if there’s no clear sense of something at stake to offer
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6.0
54959
6.0 |
The Guardian
Slow Summits may trigger a revival, albeit of the quietest, gentlest kind
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6.0
54960
6.0 |
The Independent
A series of shadowy observations, reveries and reminiscences
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6.0
55001
6.0 |
The Scotsman
The album boasts a cohesive, summery sound
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6.0
55130
6.0 |
The Arts Desk
Their return won’t change the world, but it does offer a reassurance that things can be A-OK
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6.0
55200
6.0 |
The Irish Times
The deft addition of darkness to the album’s over-riding radiance makes Slow Summits more than just a hollow nostalgia trip
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6.0
55145
6.0 |
Consequence Of Sound
A pure and lovely listen. But the true complexities emerge as the tracks unfold with further listens
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5.0
55072
5.0 |
The Digital Fix
As the title implies, Slow Summit is just a bit of a slog
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