Advanced Search >
Help Me Search

Music

All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best of 2009
Best of 2008
Best of 2007
Best of 2006
Best of 2005
Best of 2004
Best of 2003
Best of 2002
Best of 2001
Best of 2000
Best of the Decade

Upcoming &
Recent Releases

sort by namesort by score

54 3Oh!3
76 Actress
75 Against Me!
56 Christina Aguilera
70 Allo Darlin'
83 Laurie Anderson
87 The Arcade Fire
85 Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
77 Olafur Arnalds
73 Autolux
54 Avenged Sevenfold
80 Dierks Bentley
79 Best Coast
90 Big Boi
73 The Black Crowes
xx Black Label Society
76 Blitzen Trapper
61 Bombay Bicycle Club
77 Tracy Bonham
81 The Books
66 Born Ruffians
63 Buckcherry
85 The Budos Band
67 Bun B
70 The Chemical Brothers
xx Cowboy Junkies
66 Sheryl Crow
76 Crowded House
61 Taio Cruz
77 Crystal Castles
48 Miley Cyrus
74 Danger Mouse And Sparklehorse
73 Danzig
71 Deer Tick
71 Delphic
74 Delta Spirit
73 Department Of Eagles
68 Devo
82 Dr. John And The Lower 911
77 Drake
xx Dru Hill
74 The Drums
67 Eli "Paperboy" Reed
78 El-P
63 Eminem
76 Alejandro Escovedo
70 Fat Joe
79 Foals
77 Fol Chen
72 Frazey Ford
72 Francis & The Lights
77 The Futureheads
79 The Gaslight Anthem
62 Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
57 Macy Gray
67 Hanson
76 Ed Harcourt
75 Hawthorne Heights
76 HEALTH
70 Here We Go Magic
81 Micah P. Hinson
79 Jesca Hoop
68 Hot Hot Heat
62 How To Destroy Angels
83 I Am Kloot
66 The Infesticons
62 Jewel
69 Jack Johnson
84 Tom Jones
77 Kelis
85 Konono No. 1
59 Korn
56 Cyndi Lauper
66 Light Pollution
82 The Like
59 Lil Jon
77 Los Lobos
68 M.I.A.
53 The Magic Numbers
71 Maps & Atlases
80 Steve Mason
69 Travie McCoy
63 Sarah McLachlan
64 Katie Melua
76 The Melvins
80 Menomena
73 Tift Merritt
49 Bret Michaels
67 Miniature Tigers
67 Kylie Minogue
87 Jason Moran
52 Morcheeba
67 Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
71 Mystery Jets
74 Nada Surf
76 Oasis
71 Kele Okereke
61 Ozzy Osbourne
xx Panda Bear
71 Peggy Sue
70 Pernice Brothers
72 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
54 Liz Phair
55 Plies
56 Mike Posner
83 Pulled Apart By Horses
79 Punch Brothers
92 R.E.M.
70 Ratatat
71 Rhymefest
76 Max Richter
75 Robert Randolph And The Family Band
76 Robyn
46 Rooney
85 The Roots
79 Rick Ross
37 RPA & the United Nations of Sound
69 School of Seven Bells
71 Scissor Sisters
71 Semi Precious Weapons
74 Blake Shelton
69 Sia
73 Sleepy Sun
84 Sleigh Bells
62 Squeeze
69 Stars
79 Steel Train
66 Steve Miller Band
62 Sting
76 Suckers
76 Sun Kil Moon
81 Teenage Fanclub
80 The-Dream
73 Tokyo Police Club
83 Trash Talk
48 Uffie
76 Various Artists
69 Venice Is Sinking
74 Versus
78 Villagers
75 Wavves
67 We Are Scientists
85 Paul Weller
76 Wolf Parade
61 Zero 7

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Hills And Valleys

EMAILPRINTby Flatlanders

Flatlanders reviews
77
N/A User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 8 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 0 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >

Album Info

Label: New West

Release Date: 31 March 2009

Discs: 1 disc

Genre(s): Country

Summary

Lloyd Maines produced the Texan country trio's first album in five years.

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

89

Austin Chronicle

Hills and Valleys rides a line the Southern Pacific Railroad would envy. Writing together where previously each songsmith mostly submitted his own material, Gilmore/Ely/Hancock's first six salvos here are their best run yet.

Read Full Review >
85

Paste Magazine

The primarily acoustic Hills and Valleys, produced by Lloyd Maines, is the Flatlanders' third and strongest album since reuniting in 1998 for "The Horse Whisperer" soundtrack.

Read Full Review >
80

Billboard

The threesome is best when trading verses and flaunting its ample talent on strummy singalongs like 'Just About Time.'

Read Full Review >
80

All Music Guide

Thirty-seven years after their first album got lost in the shuffle, the Flatlanders have not only survived, they have a lot to say about what they've seen, and Hills and Valleys is proof these men still have plenty of songs in them yet.

Read Full Review >
80

Uncut

This stellar set is anchored by existential bar-band thumper 'Just About Time' and 'homeland Refugees.' [May 2009, p.86]

60

PopMatters

Hills and Valleys is exactly what a fan of the Flatlanders will expect. The songwriting is solid, but not always remarkable. The musicianship is tasteful and flawless.

Read Full Review >
60

Mojo

More than great, this is well worth hearing for the Tex Mex No Way I'll Never Need You, Lone Star barroom rocker Just About Time, beautifully-sung After The Storm, and state-of-the nation border ballad Homeland Refugee. [May 2009, p.101]

60

Spin

Hills and Valleys, their third studio album since reuniting in the late '90s, holds zero surprises--mixing Tex-Mex bounce, outlaw twang, and folkie sincerity--but it feels utterly right, like your favorite greasy meal at the local diner.

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 0.0 (out of 10) based on 0 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Popular on CBS sites: US Open | PGA Championship | iPad | Video Game Reviews | Cell Phones

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use (UPDATED)