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Critic Reviews
90
The result is a magnificent album where every verse fills you with excitement for the next chorus, where wide-scoping fields of sound work in unison to stage the perfect pop-rock riot and where every meticulously crafted melody comes back to haunt you when you least expect it.
12y
90
Maximo Park does its best to continue the tradition of NME-hyped spunky brit rock bands, and the result is just as good as anyone could hope to expect from another debut record.
12y
90
While Maxïmo Park might be relative latecomers to the post-punk/new wave revival, their debut album, A Certain Trigger, stakes out their own distinctive territory within that sound.
12y
84
Maxïmo Park leave their grubby prints on each track, be it the teeth-grinding squall riding atop "Signal & Sign"'s second verse or the synths and organs lurking merrily underneath every song like a loner kid who snuck in to the dance party.
12y
80
This hugely impressive debut from a hitherto unknown Newcastle band evokes all the fire and fury of The Jam when they were at their most belligerent.
5y
80
Maximo Park succeed in conveying everyday feelings of loss and regret yet in alignment with an attitude of “fuck it, let’s carry on,”
6y
80
With 'A Certain Trigger', Maxïmo Park have created a good, solid base on which their future career can stand.
6y
80
Whilst the NME salivates over the countless wannabe poor pastiche peddlers, Maximo Park have steadily grown organically into quite possibly the best art rock prospect in the country.
6y
80
The Newcastle-upon-Tyne outfit have filled an album with fun, danceable music that pays homage to both Gang of Four and early Elvis Costello.
6y
75
Originality isn’t their strong suit, but this quintet have enough energizing, lager-spilling choruses to make their skinny-tied predecessors proud.
10y
70
They’re definitely no Franz Ferdinand or Bloc Party (yet), but Maximo Park are still a fine second tier band, one who proves there’s more to Newcastle rock music than just The Animals, Prefab Sprout, and Jimmy Nail.
12y
60
Northern England's Maximo Park live at the crossroads of Joy Division, Franz Ferdinand and early Joe Jackson, and they have the skinny ties, suit jackets, angular guitars and synthesizers that come with that terrain.
10y
43
Without a single original idea and only one truly exceptional song, Maximo Park seem destined to be the equivalent Vines to Franz Ferdinand’s Strokes: harmless, hopeless, and hookless, and, if their singles take on British radio, bound to keep dozens of second-hand record stores across the UK straight through Christmas.
11y
Maximo Park debut is ultimately one of the best if not their best album, taking the soundscape of Interpol within a new wave and the garage rock revival influence to make an energetic 40 minutes of good indie rock with some great lyrics and memorable tracks although the record is easily more front heavy, A Certain Trigger does deserve to be remember within the 2000's British Indie Rock Movement.
Track Review
Signal and Sign 7/10
Apply Some Pressure 9/10
Graffiti 8.5/10.
Postcard of a ... read more
Solid set of songs with some better than others, but a decent record than is fairly consistent
A solid debut that is nice and lively. Whilst definitely frontloaded, the back half is still pretty good. The only major pitfall is 'Acrobat', which ruins the otherwise fast-paced experience.
Favourite - Apply some pressure, the coast is always changing, postcard of a painting
Worst - Acrobat
Signal and Sign - 75
Apply Some Pressure - 100
Graffiti - 90
Postcard of a Painting - 90
Going Missing - 75
I Want You to Stay - 85
Limassol - 80
The Coast Is Always Changing - 70
The Night I Lost My Head - 75
Once, a Glimpse - 80
Now I'm All Over the Shop - 85
Acrobat - 65
Kiss You Better - 95
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Track List
| 1 | Signal and Sign 2:25 | 77 |
| 2 | Apply Some Pressure 3:19 | 91 |
| 3 | Graffiti 3:05 | 88 |
| 4 | Postcard of a Painting 2:14 | 82 |
| 5 | Going Missing 3:41 | 85 |
| 6 | I Want You to Stay 3:44 | 80 |
| 7 | Limassol 3:42 | 77 |
| 8 | The Coast Is Always Changing 3:19 | 80 |
| 9 | The Night I Lost My Head 1:51 | 71 |
| 10 | Once, a Glimpse 3:03 | 75 |
| 11 | Now I'm All Over the Shop 2:23 | 76 |
| 12 | Acrobat 4:42 | 66 |
| 13 | Kiss You Better 2:05 | 75 |
Total Length: 39 minutes
Comments (1)
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1mo
"Oh no, he's gone too Geordie for me!" - Me when trying to figure out wtf he says in the last line of the chorus in Once, A Glimpse