-
8.0
13328
8.0 |
The Fly
If this doesn’t work out, we’d recommend experimentalism as the only remaining option, since all the ingredients are absolutely there for a thoroughly explosive reaction
Read Review
-
8.0
13419
8.0 |
NME
The results often sound like the whole thing was pieced together in a morning, but at their best WAS are meant to be slightly slapdash
Read Review
-
7.5
13298
7.5 |
BBC
WAS have long been a compelling live proposition, and have previously impressed with singles ... Barbara unexpectedly marks the first occasion when they’ve delivered a truly consistent album
Read Review
-
7.0
13466
7.0 |
PopMatters
Every track on this album isn’t a total winner, but enough of them are to leave a strong overall impression
Read Review
-
6.2
13443
6.2 |
Beats Per Minute
Each song is set out neatly with the verses and choruses easily distinguishable and the whole affair is inoffensive, enjoyable and at its peaks (“Rules Don’t Stop,” “Nice Guys,” “Jack & Ginger”) downright fun, but the rest are left wallowing in mediocrity
Read Review
-
6.0
13301
6.0 |
The Irish Times
Sure, the Californians do jerky alt.rock with a side of cheeky lyricism well, but it’s a synth-fluttered mini-epic ( Pittsburgh ) and a rocky Fleetwood Mac/Beatles mash-up ( Central AC ) that really stoke the Bunsen burners
Read Review
-
6.0
13297
6.0 |
The Digital Fix
It’s not that Barbara is bad, but given its short running time and refusal to branch out of the norm for the majority of that running time, it feels too much like a random collection of songs and too slight to be a full album
Read Review
-
6.0
13505
6.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
There’s nothing wrong with it, as such, but there’s little to really commend it either
Read Review
-
6.0
13614
6.0 |
Mojo
Print edition only
-
6.0
13766
6.0 |
Click Music
Despite this album being cited as more consistent than previous efforts, perhaps consistency isn’t worth striving for if it’s at the detriment of energy and passion
Read Review
-
6.0
13905
6.0 |
Q
Print edition only
-
6.0
14047
6.0 |
Uncut
Print edition only
-
5.0
14225
5.0 |
Rave Magazine
While songs like Central AC and Ambition closely mirror the brilliant efforts the band first threw down with their 2005 debut album With Love And Squalor, the catchy hooks and accelerating choruses that went with it seem to have been lost to the ravages of time
Read Review
-
5.0
13445
5.0 |
Bowlegs
A lot of the songs have the components that one might perceive to make: a) a good pop song; or b) a good rock song – but the elements seem to clash against one another rather than fitting snugly together as they did on the band’s last album
Read Review
-
5.0
13428
5.0 |
Drowned In Sound
Barbara descends into the refuse tip marked 'indie landfill' all too often
Read Review
-
4.0
13286
4.0 |
God Is In The TV
At times the witty self-loathing of Keith Murray’s lyrics becomes rather one-note, and one feels it would be better to change gears and swap it for simple, honest sincerity
Read Review
-
4.0
13327
4.0 |
The Guardian
Know how to create instantly catchy tunes, unfortunately they've yet to master making them stick in the memory bank. Print edition only
-
3.8
15824
3.8 |
Pitchfork
Barbara could've been made by a computer with a specific coding procedure: bass riffs align themselves into right angles, sharp synth lines blare, hi-hats sizzle, hooks dissolve on contact, and 2004 never ends
Read Review
-