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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
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Arm's Way
by Islands
The sophomore album for the Montreal-based indie group is its first on the Anti- label.
| LABEL: |
Anti |
| RELEASE DATE: |
20 May 2008 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Rock, Indie |
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...
90
Drowned In Sound
It is a towering, complex achievement and startling progression to boot.
90
Slant Magazine
As a fully realized, bombastically confident artistic statement, Arm's Way is Nick Thorburn's "69 Love Songs." Hereafter we will only seek to understand him according to his own pop- and violence-addled logic, mapped perfectly on this thrilling album.
90
Delusions of Adequacy
Arm’s Way is an exceptional album in its own right that serves as overwhelmingly convincing evidence that Islands is no one-hit indie-wonder and still has enough talent to get them exactly where they want to go.
88
Filter
This is freaky, transcendent stuff. [Spring 2008, p.94]
85
Prefix Magazine
Arm’s Way represents a step forward from "Return to the Sea" creatively if not as an artistic whole.
80
Spin
Whenever it seems that Islands are losing you, Arm’s Way coughs up a moment so beautiful it might make your heart swell and burst into a bloody, disgusting mess.
80
NOW Magazine
The title track and opener has a huge sound, but it’s the simple yet infectious guitar riff that keeps it together.
80
Tiny Mix Tapes
Arm’s Way is a detailed, richly-rewarding album. These are undeniably melodramatic AOR songs--but they’re nuanced in form, graced with melody, and any obvious tropes are usually subverted.
80
Alternative Press
This collection comes together in a much more cohesive and fluid sense [than their debut.] [June 2008, p.131]
80
Sputnikmusic
Islands produced an adventurous and daring record with Arm's Way, an adventure many bands are afraid to attempt.
80
Billboard
This Montreal band's Anti- debut is a far more calculated, robust affair than its first album, 2006's "Return to the Sea."
80
musicOMH.com
Arm's Way is a masterful and intricate offering progressing from their debut to create a new vision mixing a banquet of sounds and tempos to create an accomplished peace of musical craftsmanship.
78
Austin Chronicle
The Pulp frontman embodies entertainment, presenting pop anthems as masterpieces, and Thorburn pours just such confidence into Arm's Way.
75
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Islands doesn't seem to fully grasp its own strengths yet on Arm's Way. Still, it's better for a band to get lost on its own terms than to stagnate.
70
Hartford Courant
A long swim from the mainstream mainland, Islands has made an album that's slow to unravel and difficult to grasp. It's best enjoyed as it was most likely written: in small pieces.
70
Under The Radar
By now, Thorburn has established himself as one of indie rock’s most fearlessly imaginative songwriters, so how are we to take Arm’s Way’s appropriation-happy aesthetic? None too seriously, I’d say. [Summer 2008]
70
Paste Magazine
As is typical of Thornburn's music, Arm's Way must be approached with an open mind.
65
Almost Cool
Considering at least part of the groups charm was their ability to surprise, there's simply not enough of that here as a whole, and In Arm's Way suffers because of it.
62
Pitchfork
These songs may be less immediately catchy, but all of them have a moment in which they break away from their straightforward guitar-rock underpinning and allow strange, spacious moments to burble up from within.
60
Rolling Stone
On Arm's Way, gifted singer-songwriter Nick Thorburn broadens the band's quirk-pop into wonderfully shambolic arena rock--for an arena of 5,000 people.
60
All Music Guide
Arm's Way is the sound of a band forgetting what made them fun and highly listenable and instead grasping for a grand statement that is far beyond their reach.
60
PopMatters
Arm’s Way may be technically impressive but ultimately a bit of a boring downer.
50
Urb
Thorburn’s second record writing songs with the group Islands shows admirable ambition and eclectic musicianship. What hinders this release, however, is a matter of composition.
45
Lost At Sea
Nine of Arm's Way's twelve songs start with legs, but ultimately suffer from an inability to respect their limits.
40
Q Magazine
Everything here is overdone, whether it's Nick Thorburn's thatrical vocals, the myriad pointless time changes or J'aime Vous Von Quitter's horrid La Bamba-style outero. [June 2008, p.142]
The average user rating for this album is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 13 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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