Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 26
  2. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    91
    Wonderful.... It's like greeting old friends who'd been held hostage by free-jazz-playing aliens for seven years. [23/30 Jan 2004, p.99]
  2. This is without question their finest hour since the classic Emperor Tomato Ketchup.
  3. Filter
    82
    Stereolab don't stray too far from their formula, and for once that's a really good thing. [#10, p.88]
  4. Margerine Eclipse is a decided improvement upon their last three albums, discarding the dense and difficult song structures that plagued those albums.
  5. Alternative Press
    80
    Stereolab continue to elevate breezy retro pop to luxurious new heights of spac-age swank and bilingual bliss. [Mar 2004, p.94]
  6. A blithe, energetic and wholly likable album.
  7. 80
    The band's most accessible, blithe pop record to date.
  8. The Wire
    80
    Continues along lines that Stereolab have been laying down since the late 1990s: motorik drumming and a swish of keyboards tarversing a linear landscape, with the emphasis on Sadier's laconic, dewy vocals. [#239, p.65]
  9. As bright and energetic as any album Stereolab has ever made, Margerine Eclipse marks the resurgence of a band meeting its dense back catalog head-on and eyes-up.
  10. Like classic Stereolab at their very best.
  11. ‘Margarine Eclipse’ manages to be generous in length without ever finding itself repetitive, doodles are never allowed to become noodles, understated charm is maintained throughout.
  12. The music is so sunny and luminous it's practically ablaze, radiating positive energy from all angles.
  13. Another in a line of accomplished, eternally pleasant and intermittently brilliant Stereolab records.
  14. Urb
    70
    The band is crisp and tight, with daring songwriting and arrangements. [Mar 2004, p.111]
  15. Uncut
    70
    The band's most organic-sounding record since 1996's Emperor Tomato Ketchup. [Mar 2004, p.90]
  16. Mojo
    70
    No great surprises, then, but as aurally seductive as ever. [Mar 2004, p.101]
  17. The group's consistent artistic statement with little flexibility for change or innovation upon an already distinctive sound is their own greatest strength and enemy, leaving them unable to win over new listeners with a directional change.
  18. Q Magazine
    70
    Three's still something fresh about Stereolab's brand of trippy space pop. [Mar 2004, p.112]
  19. To really get the most from Margerine Eclipse, consume it in its entirety in one sitting: songs that appear to be fairly average when dipped into randomly take on new elements when they take their place in the overall sequence.
  20. Margerine Eclipse isn't a revelation, but it offers a number of minor departures from the established Stereolab standard -- and given the weighty expectations that surround each new 'Lab album, that's probably the best we can hope for.
  21. Spin
    67
    Without much dissonance or funk in the mix, this falls just short of butter. [Mar 2004, p.96]
  22. There's nothing new under the sun in the world of Stereolab. Diehards will enjoy Margerine Eclipse simply because it exists and isn't lousy.
  23. Blender
    60
    Rich, smooth, and speedily forgettable. [Mar 2004, p.128]
  24. Full of familiar noises and aimless melodies.
  25. While by no means disastrous musically, it's a pale imitation of much better Stereolab albums, and in the end altogether dispensable.
  26. There is nothing new for the listener.
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 15 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 15
  3. Negative: 1 out of 15
  1. LeonardoF
    May 15, 2005
    10
    Just can't get tired of it.
  2. PeterB
    Jan 1, 2005
    10
    Their previous nonchalance in dishing out all sounds demure and French has transformed into a tornado of joy in this album. I only wish Mary Their previous nonchalance in dishing out all sounds demure and French has transformed into a tornado of joy in this album. I only wish Mary were still around; she's the only thing that prevented this from surpassing Sound-dust as their best album ever. Full Review »
  3. BenjaminBunny
    Dec 13, 2004
    7
    Sterolab just started repeating themselves after "Dots & Loops" (their last really great record), so if you liked "Cobra & Phases Group" or Sterolab just started repeating themselves after "Dots & Loops" (their last really great record), so if you liked "Cobra & Phases Group" or "Sound Dust" you'll like this 'cause it's practically the exact same album. A good one, but a samey one. Full Review »