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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews What's this?

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  • Summary: Bluegrass and new wave music are the influences on the first full-length studio release from indie rock band Grandaddy since 2017's Last Place.
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 14
  2. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. Feb 16, 2024
    90
    Blu Wave sounds absolutely steeped in sadness – it’s full of pedal steel guitar, luscious string arrangements and Lyttle’s fragile vocals. It is, in a word, beautiful.
  2. Apr 12, 2024
    80
    There is a deeply set melancholy in the DNA of Blu Wav, a palpable sense of emotional exhaustion. It’s there in the lush, pillowy arrangements that shroud almost every track, a darkly luxurious soundscape that seems to gently beckon the listener with an outstretched hand.
  3. Feb 15, 2024
    80
    In the main, Blu Wav is Grandaddy’s most grounded album yet, a triumph of reinvention.
  4. Record Collector
    Jun 10, 2024
    80
    Wherever you listen, these are some of the loveliest examples of Lytle's wryly empathetic story-songs yet, with widescreen closer Nothin' To Lose teasing at potential future attractions. Long may his wav roll. [Feb 2024, p.101]
  5. Feb 21, 2024
    76
    Grandaddy’s latest feels slightly remote but wholeheartedly nostalgic, the synthesis of deeply personal loneliness and some kind of cosmic greater meaning, and all three of my theories seem perfectly suitable. Weary but still imbued with plenty of heart, Blu Wav is all you can ask for as the return of Jason Lytle’s long-running indie project.
  6. Feb 16, 2024
    70
    If one is looking for the more adventurous and off-kilter band of their earlier days, steer clear. If it’s introspective, somewhat epic country rock balladry one desires, then Blu Wav might be just the thing. It's certainly the band's most focused record to date and if that seems a little unexciting, the emotional payoff will make it worthwhile in the end.
  7. 60
    There's a lot to like here. "Bucky, Boris and Dent" aren't long for this world, but their memory lives on thanks to the song's chipper melody. It's just that a good chunk of the tracklist unfolds along a steady procession of waltzes. They're all gorgeous, too, smooth and shiny as a commemorative dinner plate. The spacey interludes will keep you on your toes, but anyone who's looking for a hoedown might get bored in a hurry.

See all 14 Critic Reviews