The Clearing
by Bowerbirds
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
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  1. Beats Per Minute
    Mar 8, 2012
    84
    The strongest album of their career thus far.
  2. Paste Magazine
    Mar 12, 2012
    83
    They've always had a rich, full sound. But now, it's larger, more grandiose.
  3. The A.V. Club
    Mar 6, 2012
    83
    Barring another break-up, The Clearing marks the path toward the rest of a richly rewarding career.
  5. Mojo
    Mar 22, 2012
    80
    Bowerbirds at their least bucolic, both expanding and focusing on a sound that is as timeless as The Band. [Apr 2012, p. 89]
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  6. Dusted Magazine
    Mar 21, 2012
    80
    What's emerged here is more unpredictable, a transitional record that still feels complete.
  7. Boston Globe
    Mar 20, 2012
    80
    It's the most ambitious and evocative they've ever sounded.
  8. Consequence
    Mar 12, 2012
    80
    The Clearing demonstrates an increase in the trio's breadth and scope, similar to Iron and Wine's The Shepherd's Dog, but minus the studio wonkery.
  9. Drowned In Sound
    Mar 12, 2012
    80
    The Clearing is a woody, creaky, but ultimately gorgeous folk record.
  10. Slant Magazine
    Mar 12, 2012
    80
    The album will reward listeners who are willing to let it grow on them.
  11. The Quietus
    Mar 9, 2012
    80
    The more cultivated recording process allowed textures such as strings, Tacular's accordion and Moore's sonorous and charismatic vocals to assume a richness that has not been heard before.
  12. The Fly (UK)
    Mar 2, 2012
    80
    The Clearing is a subtle, expansive work.
  13. musicOMH.com
    Mar 2, 2012
    80
    This a slow-burning, intimate and accomplished disc, best enjoyed if you clear some space to let it grow.
  14. Pitchfork
    Mar 7, 2012
    79
    The Clearing feels lovingly erected, fashioned bit by bit.
  15. PopMatters
    Mar 15, 2012
    70
    Gorgeously flawed, The Clearing is a quiet triumph.
  16. Uncut
    Mar 13, 2012
    70
    Album number three enlarges their sonic palette with piano, dobro and touches of strings and woodwind but maintains the same folksy charm. [Apr 2012, p.71]
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  17. BBC Music
    Mar 8, 2012
    70
    In fashioning it so lovingly and with such care, Bowerbirds have come up with their best to date.
  18. CMJ
    Mar 5, 2012
    70
    Although somewhat too sleepy at times, the album's journey of personal admittance uses the instruments strategically to ignite little bursts of hope and newness.
  19. Clash Music
    Mar 2, 2012
    70
    The album does lose momentum towards the end but hey, here we have a relatively new band experimenting with the boundaries of their proposed genre, with generally impressive results.
  20. AllMusic
    Mar 2, 2012
    70
    Their sometimes winding songs seeming more taut than ever.
  21. Prefix Magazine
    Mar 7, 2012
    65
    Rock tropes work well for them. They shouldn't be afraid to embrace that in perpetuity.
  22. Filter
    Mar 7, 2012
    62
    At times the lyrics come across as naïve and disconnected.
  23. Q Magazine
    Mar 14, 2012
    60
    Their rough edged-folk has been planed a little smoother, and a breakthrough seems feasible. [April 2012, p.90]
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  24. The Observer (UK)
    Mar 12, 2012
    60
    Their songs on this, their third record, are more expansive, bolder and stranger than those that have come before.
  25. Under The Radar
    Mar 7, 2012
    60
    The Clearing is as pleasant as their previous work, but suffers from a nagging case of diminishing returns.
  26. DIY Magazine
    Mar 5, 2012
    60
    Their third album feels singular, apart from its predecessors in spirit, for better and worse.
  27. Tiny Mix Tapes
    Apr 12, 2012
    50
    The Clearing is nothing if not the sound of a band discovering a new home, musically, emotionally, and physically. The sound is far bigger than either of the previous fingerpicking-heavy records.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. transparence
    Feb 15, 2014
    10
    Great masterwork. Je suis stupéfait de tomber sur une oeuvre de ce niveau (pop alternative à tendance folk), un peu comme l'incroyable "AGreat masterwork. Je suis stupéfait de tomber sur une oeuvre de ce niveau (pop alternative à tendance folk), un peu comme l'incroyable "A Church..." de leurs collègues Lost in the Trees. Du grand art. Tout y est : richesse des compositions, recherche d'accompagnement incroyable, richesse vocale. Tout est bon, rien à jeter. Travail de très haute qualité. Mérite de devenir une référence. Un seul regret : des passages plus bruyants (je suis alergique notamment aux guitares électriques). Il pouvaient en rester aux sonorités plus acoustiques des Cds précédents.… Full Review »
  2. AlexxTrusc
    Mar 31, 2012
    6
    Recorded in Justin Vernon's studio, third album of Bowerbirds - "The Clearing" is somewhat the essence of folk. We can find a carefree, butRecorded in Justin Vernon's studio, third album of Bowerbirds - "The Clearing" is somewhat the essence of folk. We can find a carefree, but also pathetic "Tuck In The Darkness", "In the Yard" - referring to the recent doings of Bon Iver, or purely acoustic "Walk the Furrows". Components of the songs such as the bridges in the "Brave World" at times did not stick to the main axis, thereupon listener gets rather chaotic compositions. However, ignoring these minor shortcomings "The Clearing" can be stated as a good album.… Full Review »
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