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9.0
75648
9.0 |
God Is In The TV
An outstanding achievement. Mikal Cronin, take a bow
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8.0
75642
8.0 |
The 405
Nothing is overthought, nothing is too considered - because ultimately, beneath all the production value and instrumental flourishes - this is still just some dude with a guitar singing about the way he feels
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8.0
75643
8.0 |
NOW
His melodies are still impeccable; he still arranged and mostly played everything; it's still personal
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8.0
75644
8.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
Sonically, III is a logical step forward from II built on softer edges and more complex arrangements
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8.0
75647
8.0 |
NME
There’s clearly a mad rock opera nutter simmering here, and on this form, we await his grand opus on tenterhooks
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8.0
75745
8.0 |
All Music
Cronin could have just kept cranking out the same album over and over; that he chose to take a risk and go big showed some real guts
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8.0
75809
8.0 |
Paste Magazine
It’s thematically consistent and maintains a high level of craftsmanship throughout
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8.0
75884
8.0 |
PopMatters
MCIII‘s first half feels like a could-be hit parade of A-sides, a set of indie-rock chestnuts that run the gamut of tones and styles with which Cronin has an increasingly deft hand
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8.0
75987
8.0 |
Earbuddy
MCIII is a wild ride for music fans with the patience to weather so many genres, so many song structures, and so many freakin’ instruments
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7.5
75641
7.5 |
Consequence Of Sound
His most ambitious outing to date
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7.5
75717
7.5 |
Pretty Much Amazing
He sings about pills, laziness, and loneliness. Don’t let him fool you, though, as the album’s arc betrays much greater intentions
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7.5
75728
7.5 |
Spectrum Culture
His mini-concept record, even if it begged for a larger treatment, shows he is starting to come around to the idea of taking risks
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7.5
75741
7.5 |
A.V. Club
Features even more indie-rock wrinkles
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7.0
75640
7.0 |
musicOMH
MCIII might fail to live up to its billing as concept album, but it absolutely doesn’t fail to provide a steady stream of big-hearted guitar-pop songs
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7.0
75793
7.0 |
Under The Radar
No matter how ornate Cronin gets in his arrangements, it's his simple faculty with melody and pop structure that keeps him winning
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7.0
75652
7.0 |
Uncut
An album of two halves, blistering, timeless power-pop and a suite about solitude and finding your place in a strange city. Print edition only
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6.1
75833
6.1 |
Pitchfork
MCIII’s press emphasizes that it’s a bigger record, stuffed with strings and horns and whatever else, but it's a red herring, a pretty transparent attempt to distract from the record’s fundamental shortcomings
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6.0
75649
6.0 |
The Guardian
Cronin’s previous album was something of a messy listen, and MCIII doesn’t offer the solution. But behind the debris, there are glimmers of shimmering greatness
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6.0
75650
6.0 |
Mojo
SoCal singer-songwriter serves up plangent orch- and folk pop cycle. Print edition only
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6.0
75651
6.0 |
Q
A mostly impressive set. Print edition only
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6.0
75950
6.0 |
Spin
Manages to be both lovely and adventurous
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5.0
75799
5.0 |
Loud And Quiet
There’s a strong case here for suggesting that Cronin might have benefited from an extended break before jumping straight back into the saddle with a third album
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