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9.0
90923
9.0 |
Drowned In Sound
What stops the album being a total downer is the acumen of Oberst’s observation, the melodies that are clear and strong yet brittle at the same time, and, more than anything else, the empathy that tempers these songs
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9.0
91081
9.0 |
The 405
This album is contemplative and, maybe more important than anything else, stirs you delve into your own mind and those demons we all have
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8.6
91280
8.6 |
Paste Magazine
Compositionally, Ruminations is a lot like the act of moving back to your hometown in that what may seem like a step backwards can turn out to be a much-needed reboot
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8.3
90948
8.3 |
A.V. Club
It works because Oberst keeps the music moving and doesn’t let his voice over-quiver with rage or sadness
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8.0
90958
8.0 |
FasterLouder
Ruminations is prolific singer-songwriter Conor Oberst’s rawest and most earnest album in years
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8.0
90940
8.0 |
Uncut
Everything is carefully weighted and considered, the minimal arrangements helping to foreground these inner lives with poetic candour and convincing detail. Print edition only
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8.0
90944
8.0 |
The Irish Times
Much of the record is about illness; physical, as in tachycardia, or political, as on the brilliant A Little Uncanny
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8.0
90928
8.0 |
Slant Magazine
The beauty of Ruminations lies in experiencing Oberst so off the cuff
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8.0
90919
8.0 |
The Music
Oozes pathos with every syllable
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8.0
91026
8.0 |
The Observer
Finds him rowing back from the lush 70s west coast sounds of 2014’s Upside Down Mountain for an altogether more self-contained affair
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8.0
91050
8.0 |
NME
Oberst, fragile and regretful, in perfect isolation. A recipe for hallowed magic
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8.0
91102
8.0 |
Q
The most vital sounding record he's made in years. Print edition only
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8.0
91705
8.0 |
musicOMH
The lasting impression of Ruminations is of an artist that has forced himself to take a break from the showbiz circus, and reconnect with himself
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7.5
90913
7.5 |
Pitchfork
Ruminations is a record like none other in Conor Oberst’s catalog, stunning for how utterly alone he sounds
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7.0
90933
7.0 |
Exclaim
Isn't exactly a stunner — it's too low-key for that — but as a humble mood-piece, it's an engrossing listen
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7.0
90957
7.0 |
Rolling Stone
The refusal of hope or respite in these songs often makes Ruminations feel like Oberst's Blood on the Tracks
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7.0
91258
7.0 |
PopMatters
Dark, wandering, and at times even starkly morbid, it’s a record that avows loneliness, presents it honestly, without outright glorifying it
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7.0
91279
7.0 |
Spectrum Culture
A terrific little album from a veritable master of his craft
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7.0
91556
7.0 |
Beardfood
The lyrics and the singing are so brutally honest, one feels like an intruder listening to the songs
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6.7
90915
6.7 |
Consequence Of Sound
Ruminations is consistently good, but its greatest crime is that it never acts like it needs to be great
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6.7
90918
6.7 |
Pretty Much Amazing
Sobering but never elevates higher than just a sparse collection of gloomy acoustic songs
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6.0
90920
6.0 |
The Skinny
Ruminations isn’t going to blow anyone away – it’s in the title – but it is a quiet addition to his substantial body of work
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6.0
90937
6.0 |
NOW
As close a call-to-arms as you’ll hear from Oberst
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6.0
90946
6.0 |
The Independent
An evocation of the frustration of illness, painfully raw and exposed
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6.0
90941
6.0 |
Mojo
Features the Bright Eyes/Desaparecidos frontman alone with piano, harmonica and guitar, putting down songs never quite intended as an album. This sparseness means that the focus on Oberst is tight - maybe too tight. Print edition only
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6.0
90994
6.0 |
DIY
Possibly Conor Oberst’s most reflective, nostalgic work yet
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6.0
90952
6.0 |
American Songwriter
Clearly, this is not easy listening, but neither is it impenetrable either
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5.0
90921
5.0 |
Loud And Quiet
His experience dealing with anxiety an admirable, prominent theme. Ultimately, though, a little more lively optimism is left seriously wanting
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