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8.9
73738
8.9 |
Paste Magazine
An audacious delight
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8.0
73976
8.0 |
The Irish Times
It channels Lou Reed and The Modern Lovers, and clearly references The Kinks, but Barnes’s use of evocative language is all his own
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8.0
73632
8.0 |
Exclaim
Venturing through various musical landscapes that span from '60s pop to doo-wop to progressive metal, the band stays tight, shifting tones and rhythms effortlessly
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8.0
73634
8.0 |
DIY
It’s thirteenth time lucky with this Technicolor epic
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8.0
73707
8.0 |
All Music
The combination of the raw, tempestuous styles, Barnes' own capricious musical tendencies, and the regrettable subject matter of Aureate Gloom has Of Montreal at its rockiest and most intense
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7.5
73652
7.5 |
Under The Radar
A collection of top-tier songs from what will be remembered as a particularly focused part of Barnes' career
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7.0
73654
7.0 |
Uncut
Bursting with good ideas, albeit often self-defeating in its kaleidoscopic complexity. Print edition only
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7.0
73715
7.0 |
Pitchfork
Of Montreal's concept has migrated as erratically as the tempo shifts and time changes on Aureate Gloom, so much that it’s hard to find their natural center now
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7.0
73746
7.0 |
The 405
Barnes has had a habit of throwing dozens of these complex noises and genres my way within the context of a single song. The newest, Aureate Gloom, has collected these idiosyncrasies in the best way since Fauna's atom bomb performances
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6.7
73694
6.7 |
A.V. Club
Loud, fickle, and impolite, Aureate Gloom is yet another entry into the evolution of one man’s soul made manifest through music
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6.5
73732
6.5 |
Beardfood
Barnes' heaviest work in years, yet the thrash of guitars never feels overwhelming
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6.4
73633
6.4 |
Earbuddy
There are some good ideas on this LP, but it’s nearly impossible to follow the threads that hold them all together
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6.0
73655
6.0 |
Q
The best songs have some serious bite. Print edition only
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6.0
73636
6.0 |
The Skinny
Like a hall of mirrors, it makes for a confusing, disorientating experience: initially exhilarating but ultimately exhausting
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6.0
73637
6.0 |
Drowned In Sound
Barnes’ absolute refusal to rein in impulses or cut down on excess is what makes his best work exceptional
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6.0
73718
6.0 |
PopMatters
Review 1: It exposes a group who, after 13 releases in almost 20 years, sounds less seasoned than flat-out exhausted. Review 2: Momentarily great, but it becomes infuriating in a instant. Averaged rating.
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6.0
73725
6.0 |
Rolling Stone
Sometimes his hydrant flow of ideas reveals a lack of good ones
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6.0
73767
6.0 |
NOW
While not the most original-sounding, Barnes and his band keep things interesting by smoothly bouncing between overtly sweet pop moments and anxious dissonance
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6.0
73852
6.0 |
Mojo
Sounding unfiltered and underproduced, wild and messy. Print edition only
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5.8
73689
5.8 |
Sputnik Music (staff)
As fresh and undeniably energetic as the band sounds here, the songs lack the simple verse-chorus-verse elegance and full-bodied melodicism of his last effort
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5.8
73635
5.8 |
Consequence Of Sound
His words give all the songs an added emotional punch, which helps make Aureate Gloom feel like a necessary addition to the Barnes catalog, even though it probably isn’t
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5.5
73742
5.5 |
The Line Of Best Fit
A confused, scary, frustrating wallow into the psyche of a man I’m starting to fear getting to know any better
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