Fear of Music

A once-in-a-generation artistic achievement.

Revisiting this for what must be my 200th listen and it still gives me chills at the same moments. The mark of a truly great album is that it never loses its power no matter how familiar it becomes. If anything, knowing what's coming makes the anticipation even better. I played this for a friend recently who had somehow never heard it, and watching their face during certain moments was like experiencing it for the first time all over again. The sharp intake of breath during that one transition. The slow smile spreading during the climax. This album connects on a primal level that transcends taste or genre preference.

Perfectly serviceable album that I enjoy in the moment but forget about as soon as it's over. That's not necessarily a criticism — sometimes you just want something pleasant on in the background. It fills that role well.

Fine album from a good band. Nothing offensive, nothing transcendent. It sits comfortably in the middle of their discography and that's okay. Not everything needs to be a masterpiece to be worth your time.

Competent and often enjoyable, but feels like it's missing something to make it truly special.

Occasionally overindulgent but the quality is undeniable.

This is fine but I expected more given the critical consensus.

The emotional depth here is staggering. I was completely floored the first time.

There's a before and after with this album. It changed everything.

Started strong but lost me in the back half. The opening three tracks had me excited and then it just sort of coasts on autopilot. Would have been a much stronger EP than it is an album.