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8.3
109993
8.3 |
Consequence Of Sound
The sound of a truly untethered Malkmus trying to blow minds and largely succeeding
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8.1
110308
8.1 |
Earbuddy
He approaches the album as a fanboy, and we can sense his passion
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8.0
109990
8.0 |
Q
A brilliant and varied sonic experiment that zigzags through early-'80s analogue synthscapes and early Cure. Print edition only
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8.0
109991
8.0 |
Uncut
These 33 minutes are some of Malkmus' finest work
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8.0
109992
8.0 |
The Skinny
A showcase of the indie rock titan's willingness to experiment
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8.0
109995
8.0 |
Loud And Quiet
Malkmus continues to make pop music that is somehow both familiar and new. He’s just a boy with a new laptop, but don’t read too much into it
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8.0
110073
8.0 |
Drowned In Sound
Rather than thinking of Groove Denied as some form of outlier we should only be thinking of it for what it is: a delicious treat
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7.5
109989
7.5 |
The Line Of Best Fit
Half an album of what Malkmus usually does (the second half), and half an album of something he’s never done before. There’s no conceptual thread running through the album, no matter how hard anyone tries to push it – but what there is, is a lot of fun
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7.2
110075
7.2 |
Pitchfork
The indie-rock icon fires up his laptop and lays down a set of quasi-electronic jams that owe more to late-1970s post-punk than to the Berlin nightlife that supposedly inspired the record
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7.0
110077
7.0 |
Rolling Stone
His first electronic album is an experiment partially inspired by his years living in Berlin that still feels as familiar as vintage Pavement
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7.0
110050
7.0 |
DIY
Captures the finer points of Stephen Malkmus’ craftsmanship in wildly esoteric and robotic form
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7.0
110072
7.0 |
Crack
It’s the strength of his curious forays into digital tools that give Groove Denied its unusual charm
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7.0
109987
7.0 |
All Music
If he needed to go through the stilted robotic futurism of "Belziger Faceplant" to get to this suite of songs, the whole enterprise was worth the experimentation
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7.0
109988
7.0 |
Exclaim
Isn't the game-changer fans hoped for, but it's also not the disaster Matador expected. It's just your average Stephen Malkmus album… now with more electronics!
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7.0
109994
7.0 |
The Music
While dedicated electronic artists won't be looking over their shoulders, Groove Denied is fascinating and fun enough to warrant repeat spins, even for the technophobes amongst us
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7.0
110174
7.0 |
Clash
It feels natural precisely because it’s done on Malkmus’s own terms
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6.0
110653
6.0 |
Under The Radar
Groove Denied is certainly a departure for this indie legend, but he never really strays too far from his well-trodden patch of pavement
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6.0
109986
6.0 |
Mojo
The mangled, jangled garage-pop of Rushing The Acid Frat or Ocean Of revenge's dexterous fable-spinning remain at one with his cosmic professor MO, though, proof that Malkmus can vibrate beyond his usual frequency without losing himself or his listeners. Print edition only
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6.0
110082
6.0 |
The Observer
It doesn’t make for a particularly cohesive album, but perhaps that’s the point
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6.0
110087
6.0 |
The Arts Desk
If approached prudently, 'Groove Denied' has its moments
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4.5
110047
4.5 |
Spectrum Culture
Simultaneously Malkmus’ most unexpected and least captivating album
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