- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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May 20, 2014Groovy things still happen when Mr. Scruff downsizes, so write "less samples, more music" on the back of this one and reach for it often.
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May 21, 2014Yes, it's clear that this is a more matured, polished Mr. Scruff that often bristles with darkness, but it's a more mature Mr. Scruff at that sacrifices the puckish rogue charm we all fell in love with.
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May 20, 2014This is a sizzling and accomplished jaunt through the mind and talents of a British institution.
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May 20, 2014Scruff's in his forties but the assured, mature Friendly Bacteria is the antithesis of a mid-life crisis.
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May 22, 2014Too bad that so many of the instrumental tracks are pleasant but forgettable downtempo jams that dilute the impact of the highlights.
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MojoMay 21, 2014For much of the album's remainder, Carthy sticks with the melting pot approach that he and Greater Mancunian peers like Rae & Christian helped codify over a decade ago. [Jun 2014, p.93]
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Q MagazineMay 20, 2014His first album since 2008's Ninja Tuna marks a radical shift, ditching both fishy puns and vintage soul samples in favour of swarming basslines and stuttering electro beats. [Jun 2014, p.116]
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May 20, 2014Friendly Bacteria is the sound of artist easing back into his chair refusing to play the fool to get people’s attention and, unfortunately, the majority of it just passes by like a breath of wind.
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Jun 30, 2014There's something so inherently off-kilter about Scruff's kaleidoscopic production that it just doesn't jell with the sound of a human voice being all serious.