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- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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Feb 3, 2023It's largely unobtrusive and serviceable, distinguished mostly by Smith's elastic voice and increased specificity and complexity to the reflective and romantic songs.
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Jan 30, 2023Smith is an easy fit for disco pop. ... But then Ed Sheeran crops up on Who We Love, bearing the unnecessary gift of a midtempo wet blanket.
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Jan 27, 2023Overall, Gloria seesaws between being compelling and generic, with just enough highs to keep you interested throughout.
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Jan 27, 2023When it catches fire, as on Unholy, it sounds terrific but those moments are too few.
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Jan 27, 2023Smith’s vocals are, of course, beautiful. Creamy and curvaceous; liquid with emotion. But I often feel their voice is searching for tangier tunes to wrap that molten wax around. Without any sharpness to offset it, listening to the repeated wobbly rise of Smith’s lovely, dollopy notes can feel like the aural equivalent of watching a lava lamp.
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Jan 26, 2023The quality varies across the 12-track album. ... “Gloria” has moments of boldness, but its occasional lapses into generics keep it from feeling like a major personal statement.
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Jan 26, 2023You wish you got a bit more of the Sam Smith who was recently photographed for a magazine wearing goth-y platform boots, sock suspenders, tight blue satin shorts and an Abba T-shirt. They looked as if they didn’t care what anyone thought. It’s hard not to long for music with that attitude.
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Feb 28, 2023While by no means a bad record, Sam Smith’s Gloria is largely hit-or-miss.
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Jan 31, 2023For as much as Smith tries to step out of the box, they still sound most comfortable playing to their previously established strengths.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 36 out of 83
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Mixed: 13 out of 83
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Negative: 34 out of 83
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Jan 28, 2023sam smith is an international threat to public safety. i would rather be waterboarded than sit through another listen of this album.
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Jan 27, 2023
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Jan 29, 2023