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8.0
84218
8.0 |
All Music
Surprisingly good at dealing with guilt and expectations, exorcizing its demons in a way hardcore fans can enjoy, and casual listeners can avoid
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7.0
84345
7.0 |
Beardfood
It lurches between industry shake-ups, racial awareness, both sides of addiction, body positivity and hip hop credibility
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7.0
84368
7.0 |
Spin
There’s no mistake that Mess is at its best when it achieves total inscrutability
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7.0
84374
7.0 |
Exclaim
Macklemore's at his best when he's facing forward, doing what he does best without having to prove his credentials
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6.0
84617
6.0 |
The Irish Times
While Macklemore’s heart is undoubtedly in the right place, he just doesn’t have the clarity and heft here to back up the more weighty themes
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6.0
84219
6.0 |
Rolling Stone
He's at his best balancing introspection and teacherly realism
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6.0
84258
6.0 |
NME
Ultimately perhaps Macklemore is at his best when he’s the loveable doofus on the moped, not trying to pen his own ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’, and the quicker he realises that, the better
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5.8
84217
5.8 |
A.V. Club
Macklemore proves that he won’t be a mere flash-in-the-pan, but if his goal was to shed his reputation as the World’s Uncoolest Rapper, he has missed the mark considerably
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5.1
84220
5.1 |
Pitchfork
An occasionally inspiring, often corny rap album made for winning Grammy nominations and waking the hearts of the unwoken
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5.0
84929
5.0 |
Pretty Much Amazing
There are some bright spots. “St. Ides” takes all the extreme bluntness from Macklemore and the overwrought orchestration from Ryan Lewis and restricts it, creating a track that is shockingly great
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5.0
85031
5.0 |
PopMatters
Gems can be found in the clutter, so long as people are willing to slog through Macklemore’s dirty laundry in the process
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5.0
84552
5.0 |
Gig Soup
There is no consistency in quality, but there is consistency in goofiness; luckily, said goofiness is sometimes enjoyable. But only sometimes
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5.0
84350
5.0 |
The Music
Being brutality honest lyrically is always refreshing, but the beat missed the spot
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5.0
84275
5.0 |
FasterLouder
His rapping is the most compelling thing on this album – everything else is a distraction. So won’t the real Macklemore please stand up?
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4.2
84250
4.2 |
Consequence Of Sound
The runaway hype train runs off the tracks
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4.0
84216
4.0 |
The Guardian
Garish TV theme-tune-style melodies, Macklemore’s contrived, am-dram-ish tone, and lyrics that lie outside the boundaries of sense coagulate into writhing and indestructible earworms
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4.0
84268
4.0 |
Clash
In the end, it’s a sadly fitting album title
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3.0
84337
3.0 |
Tiny Mix Tapes
The album’s production, handled entirely by the 27-year-old photographer-cum-producer Ryan Lewis, isn’t even somewhat passable here
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