Albums to watch

Feel It Break

Austra

Feel It Break

Debut album of synth-pop from Toronto-based trio fronted by Latvian Canadian Katie Stelmanis

ADM rating[?]

7.6

Label
Domino
UK Release date
16/05/2011
US Release date
17/05/2011
  1. 9.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    A truly fantastic piece of work
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  2. 8.5 |   State

    Austra have undoubtedly delivered one of the finest albums of 2011
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  3. 8.5 |   BBC

    With its dancefloor-friendly beats (think The Knife with soul), it’s the sort of record you might stick on just before heading to an alternative club
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  4. 8.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    What ultimately makes Feel it Break such a pleasure to explore is their inclination to consciously move away from making this a record that only works as a showcase for a distinctive singer
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  5. 8.0 |   The Fly

    A thoroughly modern masterpiece
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  6. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    A record capable of intriguing both art and pop crowds
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  7. 8.0 |   Evening Standard

    That voice may provoke loathers as well as lovers but it won't be forgotten in a hurry
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  8. 8.0 |   The Skinny

    Feel It Break has a surprisingly accessible quality: feral as CocoRosie and simultaneously remixable as Ladytron
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  9. 8.0 |   The List

    Stelmanis’ operatic, haunting delivery taking mournful melodies higher and higher. Wow
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  10. 8.0 |   Uncut

    This debut gleams with a pop lustre. Print edition only

  11. 8.0 |   Rave Magazine

    At times, it’s SO gorgeous it actually ends up sounding a bit arch and distant, but Austra’s debut is very good, all the same
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  12. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    Here is the alienated coldness dredged from Soft Cell's murkier moments
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  13. 8.0 |   Entertainment.ie

    Austra have produced easily one of the best debuts of the year so far
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  14. 8.0 |   Clash

    Austra look set for big things
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  15. 8.0 |   The Digital Fix

    Processional, brooding buzzing electro. Synth drum pads. Vocals sliding out like something extruded, pushed
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  16. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    Feel It Break could be them overcoming difficult second album syndrome with aplomb
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  17. 8.0 |   The Quietus

    Proves Austra can stand, triumphant and proud, alongside the conquering warrior queens
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  18. 8.0 |   No Ripcord

    You should have everything you need, if your needs are met by a beautiful blend of virulent lyrics, pumping beats, with addictive dark melodies
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  19. 8.0 |   Slant Magazine

    Stelmanis shares with Trent Reznor a desire to make "goth" music that's both lyrically and sonically dense
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  20. 7.5 |   Beats Per Minute

    It's refreshing in that it takes the ideas of the occult, which many other bands have been doing in the current mini-resurgence of goth, but puts them into a more accessible mould
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  21. 7.5 |   A.V. Club

    Dark, sexy, and cryptic
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  22. 7.5 |   NME

    The odd misfire aside, ‘Feel It Break’ is self-assured and utterly consuming
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  23. 7.5 |   Prefix

    Succeeds thanks to the singularity of Stelmanis’ vision
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  24. 7.3 |   Pitchfork

    This is pretty and heady music, music that can subtly change the air in the room where it's playing
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  25. 7.0 |   Spin

    Often recalls Kate Bush's dramatic art songs and the Knife's ghostly techno-pop
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  26. 7.0 |   DIY

    While not sounding revolutionary or complicated, Austra have managed to craft a fine album
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  27. 7.0 |   Blurt

    The greatest strength of Feel It Break is its ability to remain a solid electro-dance record without letting the Spandex grip lose touch of the heart beats that make each song so emotionally impactful
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  28. 6.5 |   The AU Review

    Any lover of new wave or popular dance music will find these two discs hard to resist
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  29. 6.0 |   PopMatters

    A little uneven because Austra still seems to be looking to strike the right balance between its different parts
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  30. 6.0 |   Q

    There's enough regal clatter to elevate her from being a mere cult concern. Print edition only

  31. 6.0 |   Mojo

    Unsettling, melancholic, retro electronica. Print edition only

  32. 5.0 |   Consequence Of Sound

    She’s not there yet, and, on the whole, Feel It Break is nothing to write home about
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Austra: Feel It Break

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