Sirens
by Nicolas Jaar
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
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  1. Q Magazine
    Oct 19, 2016
    60
    You have to salute Jaar's ambitious, freewheeling approach, but a little more cohesion would've sealed it. [Dec 2016, p.109]
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  2. Mojo
    Oct 3, 2016
    60
    Sirens proffers another string to his bow, its nine skittering essays overlaying richly textured, genre-melding electronic sound worlds with liminal song "structures." [Nov 2016, p.81]
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  3. The Guardian
    Sep 30, 2016
    60
    If this idea seems baffling, it makes no more sense at all in the listening, and by turns hypnotises, frustrates and dazzles. This obstreperousness will only further alienate the doubters, but you cannot fault Jaar’s preposterous ambition.
  5. Drowned In Sound
    Oct 17, 2016
    50
    It’s not terrible album--it might even make you do a little shoulder shimmy every now and then or remind you of an awesome Depeche Mode song you haven’t listened to in years, but at the end of it you’ll probably find yourself either: a) indifferently bored; b) making bets with yourself on what he’s going to channel next: will it be an oriental theme, a Cuban beat, a doo-wop harmony or will he go rogue with some balalaika? (He doesn’t.)

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User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 33 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 33
  3. Negative: 3 out of 33
  1. usutobias
    Oct 1, 2016
    10
    Just truly amazing ! I was expecting this album for so long and I'm not disappointed ! All in this album is beautiful, Nico really take hisJust truly amazing ! I was expecting this album for so long and I'm not disappointed ! All in this album is beautiful, Nico really take his time to touch us in a deep way.… Full Review »
  2. All_ButTrU4
    Jul 25, 2022
    8
    Absolutely fantastic . There's a strange silence to this record that feels like anger. It's clouded with a disenchanted frustration that heAbsolutely fantastic . There's a strange silence to this record that feels like anger. It's clouded with a disenchanted frustration that he allows to sit and unfurl at his own pace. The standout "no" is a rhythmic Chilean protest and the sweet "history lessons" is a warm fun twist on the bases metaphor for ranging levels of intimacy on a relationship.… Full Review »
  3. Tom_Bombadil
    Oct 3, 2016
    7
    There's a lot of breath and unpredictability to Nico's soundscapes, and he seems to know very well how to make an album flow, but this is notThere's a lot of breath and unpredictability to Nico's soundscapes, and he seems to know very well how to make an album flow, but this is not quite the masterpiece I was expecting (he still seems to be experimenting with many different genres, so I have hopes that one is yet to come). Sirens does a good job at encapsulating the surreal side of walking down the streets of New York at night, hearing other people's conversations and the music around you. In spite of having "The Governor" and "No" here (somewhat unsuccessful attempts at art pop) the gripping opening track is one of Nico's best works so far: there are broken bottles, impressionist piano playing, Radiohead samplings, percussion that sounds quite like nothing I've heard before, and dense synth interplay. Check that one out, it won't disappoint.… Full Review »
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