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Mar 1, 2016Such confident, experimental songwriting points to a rebirth for Wild Nothing, and means ‘Life Of Pause’ can be considered alongside indie records like Tame Impala’s ‘Currents’ and Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s ‘Multi-Love’.
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UncutFeb 29, 2016Life Of Pause demonstrates a more playful and propulsive approach. [Apr 2016, p.82]
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Feb 22, 2016Flashy records are always exciting, but the merits of a solidly constructed and alluringly dreamy album like Life of Pause should never be underestimated.
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Feb 19, 2016All the good stuff is still here, one might just have to do a little digging, hang in through a couple listens, and then the songs on Life of Pause will begin to connect with the head and the heart.
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Feb 19, 2016Taking an unmistakable euphoria and driving it home, with Life Of Pause Wild Nothing might have planted their feet firmly on the ground, but that hasn’t stopped Jack Tatum from creating a soundscape straight from your wooziest daydream.
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Feb 17, 2016Regardless of Tatum’s ever-shifting musical obsessions or emotional moods, an enjoyable lightness and subtlety to the arrangements and overlapping textures draw your ear in closer.
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Feb 16, 2016Compared to the low-key and at times melancholic Nocturne, Life Of Pause is a rich and expansive step up that balances the old and the new perfectly to create Wild Nothing’s best album yet.
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Feb 11, 2016Structure and connection seem to have become an increased priority for Tatum. The track sequencing is impeccable, and another element of Life of Pause that feels distinctly ‘album era.’
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Q MagazineFeb 4, 2016Tatum's sonic upgrade pays off handsomely. [Mar 2016, p.118]
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Feb 4, 2016More an album that demands repeated listens, at times creates confusion, and juts from one influence to the next. Tatum’s record collection is clearly solid, and now he can again add one of his own to it.
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Feb 2, 2016The album doesn’t stray far from the pop template established by early single Chinatown; only now there’s a more self-assured swagger, backed with clear and confident production.
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Feb 2, 2016It all amounts to the messiest, least consistent Wild Nothing release to date. It's also the most alive. [Jan/Feb 2016, p.60]
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MagnetMar 30, 2016It proves quickly to be a break for the better, though, forging its unique identity on account of Tatum’s ability to turn a tune in many more ways than one. [No. 129, p.61]
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Mar 3, 2016It’s not quite inspiration, or an emotional center. You leave this record thinking about how complex and refined it is, or maybe about how much Jack Tatum has grown as a songwriter. But at the end of the day, the album doesn’t embed itself into your daily life in the way Nocturne or Gemini did.
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Feb 19, 2016Most importantly, at the turn of the arc Tatum rediscovers his grit and tenacity as well as his melodic poise, showing that Life of Pause isn’t just a fascinating dissection of romantic disintegration, it was also necessary.
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Feb 16, 2016Confident, intimate, and weirdly glammy, Life of Pause is worth taking five for.
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Nov 3, 2016Jack Tatum's 2010 debut Gemini and sophomore Nocturne two years later remain solitary swashes of moody guitars and sulky introspection. Life of Pause loses these moments in favor of lush waves of warm electronics and buoyant soul that coalesce into Neon Glo flourishes.
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Feb 16, 2016Like Gemini was to Nocturne, Life of Pause looks to be the rough draft of a new idea to be. Tatum still shows promise that he can combine that adventurous spirit and more fully encapsulating execution.
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Feb 18, 2016Tonally and instrumentally, the album is a change in style, but there is no moment of surprise; it still feels very predictable.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 24 out of 31
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Mixed: 6 out of 31
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Negative: 1 out of 31
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Feb 21, 2016
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Feb 19, 2016
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Feb 27, 2016