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9.1
80315
9.1 |
A.V. Club
Adams will receive a reputation boost and a boatload of new Twitter followers thanks to the support of loyal Swifties, which is completely deserved. But his 1989 is also a stark reminder that Swift’s songwriting continues to deserve respect and kudos
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9.0
80442
9.0 |
Gig Soup
Less of a standard album of Taylor Swift covers and more of a Ryan Adams record inspired by her writing
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8.3
80313
8.3 |
Pretty Much Amazing
Its crossover success is all but guaranteed. And it’ll be one of a kind
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8.3
80314
8.3 |
Consequence Of Sound
He’s able to re-frame the songs around his own romantic turmoil while still staying true to Swift’s original vision
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7.8
80317
7.8 |
Sputnik Music (staff)
It’s rare that a covers album tells us just as much about the artist doing the covering as it does its subject
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7.0
80311
7.0 |
Exclaim
It's filled with heart and heartbreak — and yeah, sometimes fun for fun's sake, too
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7.0
81554
7.0 |
Drowned In Sound
This 1989 may work wonderfully on its own terms (if Adams had written this himself it would be his best album) but its real strength is in highlighting Swift’s immaculate writing
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6.0
80863
6.0 |
The Music
It's playful on genre, gender, and refuses to take itself seriously, but who can argue with the folk troubadour who is so clearly in his element here
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6.0
81158
6.0 |
Slant Magazine
There are nearly as many misfires on 1989 as there are successful experiments
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6.0
81271
6.0 |
The Arts Desk
There are moments of grace and beauty here that elevate the collection above the fan-service curiosity it would have been in less able hands
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6.0
80312
6.0 |
PopMatters
Save a few tweaks here and there, Adams' 1989 never gets too bold, his covers sounding more like curiosities than clever reinventions
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6.0
80316
6.0 |
Rolling Stone
The real star here is Swift's infallible material
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4.0
80318
4.0 |
Pitchfork
Adams' 1989, for all its sincerity and technical execution, is ultimately hollow because it's nothing but context
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4.0
81585
4.0 |
The Guardian
Once the choruses kick in, Adams is at the mercy of their unyielding, playground-style chants
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