Albums to watch

Grey Tickles, Black Pressure

John Grant

Grey Tickles, Black Pressure

Third solo album from the Reykjavik-based former Czars frontman featuring guest voclaists Tracey Thorn and Amanda Palmer

ADM rating[?]

8.1

Label
Bella Union / Partisan
UK Release date
09/10/2015
US Release date
09/10/2015
  1. 10.0 |   State

    Ingenious, imperious, and completely absorbing
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  2. 10.0 |   The Independent

    Melancholy masterpieces with an electro-funk groove raise a smile
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  3. 9.0 |   God Is In The TV

    Every review will tell you how Grant is now coming to terms with his HIV diagnosis, his depression and how the upbeat nature of his latest release is evidence of a new-found self-acceptance for which he has long been searching, they will also tell you this is one of the albums of 2015, all of this is correct, naturally
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  4. 9.0 |   Gig Soup

    The album that finally solidifies Grant’s genius and capabilities as a songwriter
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  5. 9.0 |   Clash

    Wherever he may veer next, ‘Grey Tickles, Black Pressure’ finds him in quite remarkable form
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  6. 8.5 |   The 405

    Grey Tickles, Black Pressure offers beautifully constructed songs that, even in the darkest moments, offer a glimmer of hope
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  7. 8.5 |   The Quietus

    In its 58 minutes length, Grey Tickles, Black Pressure notches up fourteen masterful tracks with no down-swing
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  8. 8.5 |   Under The Radar

    Dark misery has rarely been so entertaining
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  9. 8.0 |   Beardfood

    It's a delicate balance between full disclosure and "coolness", as well as his most sonically scattered record
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  10. 8.0 |   The List

    The grand emotions inherent in songs like the sweeping, elegiac closer ‘Geraldine’ once again sound effortlessly universal
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  11. 8.0 |   The Irish Times

    Another outstanding musical exploration of the human condition
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  12. 8.0 |   Time Out

    There are still plenty of the sweeping landscape ballads Grant so perfected on his last record, but it’s the spikier numbers here that really make your ears prick
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  13. 8.0 |   Evening Standard

    Even as he courts discomfort, the range of emotion and texture is impressive
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  14. 8.0 |   The Arts Desk

    The balance of this collection is tipped more towards the dancefloor – one with Patrick Cowley and Prince playing back-to-back all night
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  15. 8.0 |   PopMatters

    John Grant unleashes a confrontational, unapologetic sensuality that is celebratory, but also tempered by melancholy
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  16. 8.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    A rich, dense and rewarding album
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  17. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    If John Grant never feels the need to write his memoirs, it’ll be because they’ve been played out for us over the course of these three brutally frank, flawed but ultimately human albums
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  18. 8.0 |   The Observer

    Throughout, Grant is still angry, still purging, but with a heightened sense of mischief, both musical and lyrical
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  19. 8.0 |   NOW

    The production’s grittier qualities suggest heavy emotions lie beneath his sardonic facade, but the sense that Grant feels liberated in middle age is what comes across most strongly
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  20. 8.0 |   Loud And Quiet

    The sheer force of his personality finds a way to shine through even when he’s aggressively pursuing different sonic approaches
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  21. 8.0 |   DIY

    Grant has a fascinating combination of wisdom, world-weary cynicism and righteous anger; it never grates
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  22. 8.0 |   The Skinny

    Newcomers might find Grant occasionally idiosyncratic, but few of his peers offer such depth, courage, or repeat listening value
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  23. 8.0 |   Uncut

    The confessional king's funkiest and finest yet
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  24. 8.0 |   Q

    His most riveting album yet. Print edition only

  25. 8.0 |   Mojo

    Flawed but magnificent album. Print edition only

  26. 8.0 |   The FT

    Stylistically he lets his hair down, adding funk and punk to the 1970s FM rock and electro-pop of his earlier albums, but the various elements are held in perfect suspension
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  27. 7.0 |   Rolling Stone

    A masterfully sincere yet acerbic balladeer stretches himself a little thin on an otherwise strong album
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  28. 7.0 |   The Music

    The moody and pugnacious Grant of yore sounds like he's having fun on this record
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  29. 7.0 |   Spectrum Culture

    Grant is simply one of the most unique solo artists recording music today. His non sequiturs and cultural references make for vibrant songwriting that requires multiple listens to digest
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  30. 6.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    While Grey Tickles, Black Pressure should be a career-definiting opus, it just seems unfocussed and uncertain
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John Grant: Grey Tickles, Black Pressure

  • Download full album for just £9.49
  • 1. Intro £0.99
  • 2. Grey Tickles, Black Pressure £0.99
  • 3. Snug Slacks £0.99
  • 4. Guess How I Know £0.99
  • 5. You & Him £0.99
  • 6. Down Here £0.99
  • 7. Voodoo Doll £0.99
  • 8. Global Warming £0.99
  • 9. Magma Arrives £0.99
  • 10. Black Blizzard £0.99
  • 11. Disappointing £0.99
  • 12. No More Tangles £0.99
  • 13. Geraldine £0.99
  • 14. Outro £0.99
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