Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Hypnotic Eye
Critic Score
Based on 26 reviews
2014 Ratings: #306 / 1042
User Score
Based on 54 ratings
2014 Rank: #286
Liked by 5 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

91
Entertainment Weekly

All of Hypnotic carries a sense of knowing urgency, as though jamming on itchy blues is the only logical defense against the inevitable.

85
Billboard

A tight, spirited follow-up to 2010’s bluesier, less essential Mojo.

80
AllMusic

Hypnotic Eye is a record about the pure joy of sound, a rush that doesn't lessen upon repetition ... and this is a surprisingly, satisfyingly vigorous record.

80
Rolling Stone

There are few, if any, attempts to reenact Petty’s vintage hits. This is the Heartbreakers four decades and a million shows later, deepening their attack with sturdy reliability.

80
American Songwriter

Hypnotic Eye is a bastion of consistent excellence.

80
Paste

Almost 40 years on, Tom Petty has been kind to his mind and his voice. And the Heartbreakers have been kind to Petty. Hypnotic Eye is all the proof you need.

80
PopMatters

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have provided a blistering reminder of rock ‘n’ roll’s subversive nature with Hypnotic Eye.

75
Under the Radar

Where the band may have long ago settled in as an established, familiar presence, it's striking to hear a nearly 40-year-old outfit present one of their best albums yet.

70
Exclaim!

Hypnotic Eye may just be a solid middle-of-the-pack release as far as Petty albums go, but only a fool would complain about having another 45 minutes of music from one of rock & roll's premier units.

70
Slant Magazine

By the time the second half of the album rolls around, the near-constant procession of sluggish tempos and downbeat refrains begins to wear ... These missteps aren't enough to erase the positive impression of Hypnotic Eye's best moments, but they may cause you to wish that Petty would just lighten up already.

70
SPIN

No myths to sell, just the idea of a working rock band reclaiming what's left of a center-right boomer rock coalition. Hynoptic Eye gets my vote.

70
NME
It won’t convert the unconvinced, but Petty sounds as inspired as ever.
67
A.V. Club

Hypnotic Eye ends up a dynamic mini-album—but doesn’t quite sustain its momentum for an entire full-length.

60
The Line of Best Fit

Hypnotic Eye is little more than a decent record with a few ideas above its station.

58
Consequence of Sound

Ranked alongside the Heartbreakers’ back catalog, their 13th falls somewhere in the middle. As a measuring of the fire inside Petty, however, readings are strong. Listening to Hypnotic Eye, you can rest assured he’s still kicking.

Empressoctavia
80

Tom Petty never misses.

SJCTurntable
77

Petty’s last contribution to the pantheon of rock music is as fresh and interesting as his best work as a songwriter. Just taking ‘Fault Lines’ as an example, the band push the boundaries to the edge with one of their most hard-hitting tracks they ever recorded. Other standout moments include ‘Red River’ where Petty’s melancholic vocal is contrasted with one of Mike Campbell’s grittiest guitar riffs, and at the other end of the scale, the laid-back ... read more

MasterCrackfox
70

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers stick to their bluesy turn starting on Mojo for their final album, Hypnotic Eye, the twelfth in nearly four decades. It's a proper sendoff for the group, even if it doesn't exactly feel like a traditional Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album by any means.

Tom Petty and crew at least sound driven by this sound, with a sense that they knew that they were wrapping up their careers but still had life left in them. Hypnotic Eye therefore is not an album that goes ... read more

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Year End Lists

#26/Rolling Stone
#36/American Songwriter
#36/Fopp
#54/Uncut
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Added on: July 22, 2014