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8.0
69110
8.0 |
The Irish Times
Ballet School very cooly, instinctively, tie up the loose ends between brusque indie pop, shimmering synth/guitar hybrids, and a tremulous mixture of T’Pau and (yes, again) Liz Fraser
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8.0
69112
8.0 |
musicOMH
There are enough great songs to justify this super-stylised and fearless approach to pop
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8.0
69127
8.0 |
Uncut
It's '80s pop, but not as you know it. Print edition only
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8.0
69128
8.0 |
Q
Update and enhance, rather than copy or clone their '80s forebears. Print edition only
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7.5
69259
7.5 |
The Line Of Best Fit
The album strikes a fine balance between outright, Cyndi Lauper-like dancefloor fillers and more reflective, somber numbers that give a direct nod to their Cocteau Twins connections
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7.5
69287
7.5 |
Under The Radar
Pull away these gossamer strands and you'll pick up on influences from a wider scope of intelligent 1980s pop, from Blondie to The Cure to Kate Bush to Cocteau Twins
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7.0
69480
7.0 |
PopMatters
Ballet School is an indelible entry into the synth-pop genre, and are at least taking the approach somewhat differently by using guitars
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7.0
69108
7.0 |
NME
It's an avoidable tendency to let songs drift into overtly tasteful territory, but on point, Ballet School do their heroes proud
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6.2
69222
6.2 |
Pitchfork
They show an eagerness to please, their originals could pass for covers and they obviously and really, really like the Cocteau Twins. But that’s about it
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6.0
69330
6.0 |
All Music
Coming from the creative hotbed of modern-day Berlin, it seems like they could have pushed the envelope a bit more
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6.0
69111
6.0 |
DIY
For every moment which drifts slightly, there is another where they toss the superfluous and it all returns to tremendous, streamlined pop
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6.0
69129
6.0 |
Mojo
Although it's a patchwork quilt of an album, it's so audaciously pulled off it's impossible not to grin and wonder why mainstream pop missed this trick 30 years ago. Print edition only
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6.0
69113
6.0 |
The 405
When you pick and choose, there are a good number of tracks worth listening to, but I personally wouldn't recommend listening all the way through
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5.0
69109
5.0 |
Loud And Quiet
There’s flashes of promise but there’s no question that Ballet School are going to need a little more bite next time out
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