Buy Now
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
-
Aug 2, 2023Melodic and heartfelt, Austin surprises at nearly every turn, whether that's by an unexpected sonic detour or the simple fact that Post Malone has never sounded this fearless.
-
Jul 31, 2023The shift from trap beats and hip-hop delivery to purer pop suites Malone well, proving that slowing down can be a creative advantage, especially when you’re heading in the right direction.
-
Aug 1, 2023It sounds like sobering stuff on paper. But on record, a lot of these songs play out as breezily as Styles’ “As It Was.” It’s a record that’s in constant conflict with itself, using candor and humor as a self-conscious form of denial, maybe; the easygoing infectiousness of the music always is reassuring us that there’s nothing to worry about amid all this conspicuous consumption.
-
Aug 2, 2023While his 17 new songs don’t amount to a flawless masterpiece, they do paint a picture of a Post Malone who not only knows he needs to turn things around, but also intends to at any cost.
-
Jul 28, 2023You’re left wondering what impact ‘AUSTIN’ will have on his fans, and on Post Malone’s future work. Is this a one-off deviation, a resetting of the dials? Or will these acoustic templates become his bedrock? Whatever the future holds, this is an album that dares to buck trends, and at its best can be genuinely moving.
-
Aug 7, 2023Although always listenable, Austin soon gets tired and whiny.
-
Jul 28, 2023Almost every track finds Post in some tortured posture like this, singing cheerily into a bottle he’s doomed to finish. They’re largely fine songs, and clever, but lighter than Post seems to want them to be.
-
Aug 1, 2023For some reason—fear of boring his fans, obedience to the preferences of the streaming services, a career focused on club bangers—Malone won’t let these songs breathe. The result is an album that’s overstuffed and undercooked.
-
Aug 3, 2023He goes straight for the pop-rock formulae. This would have worked better over a shorter span, but yawning as it does on the same mid-tempo pacing means that tracks blur to filler and some good lines get lost in the sludge. The lack of guest vocalists doesn’t help either.
-
Jul 31, 2023Yes, Malone is still able to whip out some sticky refrains, but the songs here all follow the same overly simplistic pop structure, to the point that their catchiness is less an affirmation of his songwriting talents and more of an inevitability of pop formula.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
-
Positive: 35 out of 42
-
Mixed: 3 out of 42
-
Negative: 4 out of 42
-
Jul 29, 2023Amazing, album made of hits. I wouldn't hear anything this summer but that music
-
Jul 28, 2023This album came with a big surprise, Posty came with a very different footprint and managed to show good songs
-
Jul 30, 2023