This (is what I wanted to tell you)

Lambchop - This (is what I wanted to tell you)
Critic Score
Based on 16 reviews
2019 Ratings: #255 / 805
User Score
Based on 105 ratings
2019 Rank: #484
Liked by 1 person
March 22, 2019 / Release Date
LP / Format
Merge, City Slang / Label
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
God Is in the TV

Opaque as it is, it feels like a snapshot of life, and life as it is lived right now. Musically there’s not a moment here that isn’t complete and forward thinking.

90
musicOMH

They’re looking forward, stepping outside of their comfort zone and creating some of the most interesting, ambitious music of their long career.

81
Pitchfork
He’s made great records before, even exciting and unexpected ones, but never one so comforting and compassionate.
80
PopMatters

It's a heavy listen, but potentially a rapturous one as well, for anyone who has ever experienced a reverie of aging and all it entails.

80
AllMusic
While this is hardly country or f*cked up, it's strange, beautiful, and the sort of thing only Kurt Wagner could create, and we're lucky to have him around.
80
The Line of Best Fit

Wagner’s parched baritone burr ... is coated in digital effects, which – against the odds – make his performances seem more expressive, warm and richly musical.

80
Exclaim!

Like many career songwriters over the age of 40, frontman Kurt Wagner has gone more personal, lyrically, and like any rational person in these hopeful, troubled times, his words are heavy on observations and reactions, but short on actual answers to social ailments.

80
The Guardian

This is admittedly very similar to Bon Iver’s recent work, but there is enough innate Wagner drollery to keep it tangibly Lambchop, even if the delivery means the lyrics are a little less stark in their presentation.

80
Uncut
Between his Nashville roots and his digital dreams, it feels like Kurt Wagner has fresh new frontiers to light out for.
78
GIGsoup

Yet another great release from one of the most consistently interesting bands around.

75
Spectrum Culture

Time will tell how much more changing Lambchop does, but however they do it, it’ll undoubtedly be just as beautiful as This.

60
Slant Magazine

These modern trappings are just misdirection, doing little to obscure the fact that he seems to be feeling more out of time than ever.

50
Under the Radar

This (is what I wanted to tell you) is in no way an entry point to Lambchop, and even to longtime fans, the rumbles found within might leave you desiring more-that's not to say This (is what I wanted to tell you) isn't a decently curious exploration into a well-seasoned songwriting veteran.

Doofy
81

This is some hawt drumming for a Lambchop.

ThrowBackG
NR

I get to see the rain hit my window tonight. How lovely.

Explaining to someone why they should like Lambchop is like trying to explain to someone why they should like blue cheese dressing. You can't, it's kind of an acquired taste. By all means, Lambchop is no boundary pushing behemoth of a band, but rather a spacious one.

'This (is what I wanted to tell you)' continues the artistic direction taken with their (incredibly underrated) last outing 'Flotus'. However, it's far more realized and ... read more

laz456
60

I keep listening to this over and over again hoping I like it more. It starts off SO strong but the quality really drops in the second half in my opinion. The long track lengths aren't helping.

Schmedess
85

Lambchop hyperpop album

DCCXX
80

Lambchop's latest album is a minimal, beautiful art pop record reminiscent in many ways of Bon Iver's newer material. This (Is What I Wanted to Tell You) is generous in its worship of autotune, which instead of providing a crutch for many artists instead is a warming accompaniment to Kurt Wagner's soothing lyricism. This, along with soft piano and percussive elements, are the bulk of instrumentation on this album of thoroughly enjoyable assortment of calming and dreamy ballads.

Favourite ... read more

mattgoold
76

Nothing but respect for anyone putting albums out for 25 years and still pushing themselves to reinvent and reposition. Deep listening (vs casual shuffling) pays off as the knotty mood drips like syrup.

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Added on: December 10, 2018