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10.0
110913
10.0 |
The Skinny
Funny and devastating – often at the same time – I Need a New War rests a hand on the shoulder of those struggling to make sense of a world that seems to be changing faster than they can adapt
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9.0
110914
9.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
Yet another masterclass in empathetic songcraft
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9.0
111023
9.0 |
God Is In The TV
It is, quite simply, a stunning piece of work
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9.0
111026
9.0 |
American Songwriter
This album luxuriates at times in languid, jazzy ambience, while female backing vocalists coo in response to Finn’s lead and brass coexists winningly with synths
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9.0
111037
9.0 |
No Ripcord
Let's stop referring to Craig Finn as the singer of The Hold Steady. He's just Craig Finn now, and that's a good thing
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8.4
111356
8.4 |
Gig Soup
What Finn does best - poetically paint pictures of hope, discontent, laughter and modern day scepticism in a neatly trimmed package that contains no filler or waste
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8.0
111732
8.0 |
Under The Radar
What's truly remarkable about these songs, much like those on the two records that preceded this one, is how their myopic focus on individual lives actually reveals a much bigger picture
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8.0
111055
8.0 |
XS Noize
There isn’t a second wasted on I I Need A New War. It sits like a musical answer to the Coen Brothers’ Ballad of Buster Scruggs, with characters, scenes and scenarios crafted perfectly by Finn’s astute lyricism
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8.0
111088
8.0 |
Sputnik Music (staff)
The record is one where the lyrics outweigh the need for a sense of musical adventure; there’s nothing upbeat or exhilarating about the state of affairs here
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8.0
110917
8.0 |
Rolling Stone
In their vivid specificity, and even repetition, Finn’s stories channels truths that are timeless and universal. This trilogy shows he’s doing more than moonlighting from his main gig, along with a body of elliptical tales that deserve a fuller telling
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8.0
110948
8.0 |
The 405
In shying away from sad grandeur and big ballads, Finn has drawn the curtains more than ever before on his weary inner world
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8.0
110950
8.0 |
Exclaim
Regardless of the song or sentiment, Finn's skill for detail never wavers. In that, I Need A New War ranks among his best
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8.0
111014
8.0 |
Pitchfork
The Hold Steady frontman's solo work continues its twilit exploration of frail hopes, wasted lives, and quiet battles against despair
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7.4
111157
7.4 |
Paste Magazine
There’s not necessarily any closure here as Finn brings his trilogy to an end, but there is a sense of completion
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7.0
110912
7.0 |
Slant Magazine
If there’s one thing that squarely separates the album from the Hold Steady singer’s previous work, it’s the consistent mellowness
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7.0
111067
7.0 |
PopMatters
The Hold Steady's Craig Finn stays in his comfort zone to finish his solo trilogy, but the writing remains sharp on I Need a New War
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6.0
111058
6.0 |
Spectrum Culture
If one hasn’t bought in to Finn’s working-class rock poet shtick already, this album is unlikely to change minds
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6.0
110915
6.0 |
Uncut
Finn remains an astute and supremely compassionate songwriter, but musically, New War is often mellow to the point of lethargic. It's best when it showcases his deep eccentricities. Print edition only
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6.0
110916
6.0 |
Mojo
Sitting down with this album is like listening to a friend who assumes you know all the same people they do. Print edition only
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