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10.0
68894
10.0 |
The Guardian
Each track, often on the theme of soured love, has a simplicity and a directness that is characteristic of the best pop
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9.0
68898
9.0 |
Exclaim
Manages to create a sense of romanticism without ever being overtly emotional, with straightforward lyrics that somehow remain affecting
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8.3
68941
8.3 |
Consequence Of Sound
Mean Love is all about precision, be it in the form of a buttery vocal hook, an elastic bass line courtesy of Ish Montgomery, or a poignant lyric co-written with Greg Lofaro
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8.0
68902
8.0 |
NME
Along with his collaborators (including David Byrne and Damon Albarn), he has neatly stitched a tapestry of musical cultures into a cohesive, convincing whole
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8.0
68895
8.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
Mean Love is easy listening as it is engaging. Where some tracks edge towards lounge territory, on the most part, this is a an album that surely won’t sink
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8.0
68897
8.0 |
The FT
A hypnotically shimmering slow jam
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8.0
69274
8.0 |
The Irish Times
Gallab isn’t afraid to be adventurous when it comes to mixing and matching, and Mean Love is all the better for such an approach
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7.2
68959
7.2 |
Pitchfork
Cements his reputation as a capable musical wanderer willing to engage with a variety of sounds
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7.0
68974
7.0 |
All Music
Stellar production and heartfelt songwriting keep the album engaging and beautiful at every turn
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7.0
69014
7.0 |
Loud And Quiet
Doesn’t swing quite as eccentrically between styles, instead opting for a sound that blends funk and pop with Gallab’s unusual, high-pitched soulful vocals
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7.0
69866
7.0 |
Rolling Stone
Gallab doesn't stick genres into songs so much as he inhabits each one
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6.0
69320
6.0 |
PopMatters
Mean Love never fails to be smooth, and it displays a particular kind of open ear. For some, that will be enough
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6.0
68896
6.0 |
The Observer
Groove pop full of psychedelic repetition and sinuous inflections from his family's native Sudan and elsewhere
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4.5
68970
4.5 |
Beardfood
The funk has been dialled down in favour of odd Americana, a suit that doesn't quite fit our nasal Sudanian
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4.0
68893
4.0 |
The Skinny
There's a polish to Mean Love which is a sharp contrast to the grittier funk of its predecessor, the sum being a less ambitious outing overall
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