Marika Hackman - Any Human Friend
Critic Score
Based on 22 reviews
2019 Ratings: #48 / 805
User Score
Based on 373 ratings
2019 Rank: #321
Liked by 10 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
Dork
Frankly, ‘Any Human Friend’ is all bangers, all the time. The Blondie-esque ‘the one’ is by Marika’s own account likely the most ‘pop’ song she’s ever written, but there is not a single low point on the album. Really, we’re not exaggerating here. Marika Hackman for President of Everything.
100
The Guardian
None of these passionate songs hold any answers, but they capture that tossing-and-turning fervour meticulously, and on the closing title track, she arrives at gentle self-acceptance, sweetly reminding you that though “everybody wants to be made of stone”, we’re all just messy flesh and blood.
93
Paste

This album—a treasure trove of zippy guitar hooks, glimmering synths and lemony vocals expertly curated by Hackman—is all about human connection. She hones in on her emotional and sexual connections both to herself and others post-breakup.

90
musicOMH
At times, it’s so honest that you may feel like you’re prying into someone’s diary, but it will be a major surprise if this funny, clever, heartbreaking record isn’t nestling at the top of the Album Of The Year polls come December.
90
DIY
Not so much Marika 3.0 as the Marika who was always there, but tougher, stronger and more triumphant than ever.
82
Sputnikmusic

Her third record is a continuation of that organic growth, a resplendent piece of pop/rock/folk that is as beguiling musically as it is lyrically blunt.

80
God Is in the TV

This record will be described as sexy and filthy but it is also heart-breaking and grotesque and beautiful and funny and complex.

80
Q Magazine

By simultaneously preserving the intimacy and honesty that made her initial work so striking, Any Human Friend sees Hackman wholly uncensored, and al the better for it.

80
The Sydney Morning Herald
While allusions to internet jokes may quickly age, on this otherwise sonically timeless record Hackman is the sharpest she’s ever been, and this indie-rock-cum-'80s-pop signals a step in the right direction.
80
The Observer

Hackman flits between self-reflection and self-loathing with ease, starkly unpicking her anxieties over fuzzy guitar on her most accomplished record to date.

80
The Telegraph

From the arresting cover to the startling contents, Any Human Friend signals Hackman’s coming of age as an artist with real purpose and star power.

80
The Independent

A blunt, bold album on which Hackman’s beatific voice sits atop methodically messy instrumentals.

80
Under the Radar

Any Human Friend is Hackman's most attention-demanding work to date, and positions her as one of the most refreshing voices in British music right now.

80
Uncut
Her most universal album yet.
80
PopMatters

With Any Human Friend, British singer-songwriter Marika Hackman largely ditches her folk leanings and makes a sharp, emotionally resonant statement.

80
Clash
The record peaks in its first four tracks, definitely, but even so, the album never falls short of hot and sticky - in a good way. In the best way. 'Any Human Friend' is powerful, sexy, and self-assured - pretty much exactly what we expected from Marika, but even better.
80
Loud and Quiet
The arrangements are sharper, the choruses bigger, and the reference points more ’80s than ever before. This is crystallised on the earworm ‘I’m Not Where You Are’, which is an irresistible slice of retro new-wave synth-pop.
80
The Line of Best Fit

Any Human Friend is an explosive body of work, one that isn’t afraid to discuss sex and female eroticism with a microscopic lens.

75
Spectrum Culture

Any Human Friend confirms that Hackman has successfully carved out a particular place for herself in a crowded indie rock scene: no other rocker is making reliably catchy pop tunes with this level of confidence and honest complication.

73
Pitchfork

The British singer-songwriter’s third album is a singular, extraordinarily horny, and occasionally bleak pop record largely about the complexities of queer desire.

70
AllMusic

While I'm Not Your Man suggested Hackman had belatedly discovered indie rock, Any Human Friend plays like her hip pop move, with plenty of keyboards and drum machines holding down the backing tracks and Hackman layering glossy harmonies around her vocals.

musicmagpie55
73

Marika Hackman is a wiseguy. Her lyrics oscillate between spikey barbs and intimate desires without shifting in tone. Following her compelling (if not lengthy) sophomore effort, Hackman returns with her silver tongue and some added synths to rake herself and her lovers over the coals. The songs are catchy, and the guitar hooks are quite satisfying. 'come another' has a fantastic hook and lyrics that capture Hackman's often self-deprecating images. For example, 'So Keep a cradle warm for me/ I ... read more

laz456
75

An awesomely catchy, exhilarating indie pop record I am absolutely in love with. A great end-of-the-summer listen you shouldn't miss.

MasterCrackfox
77

If you've followed my account, which I won't assume you have, you'll know just how impressed I've been with this years slew of albums released by female singer/songwriters. I really have yet to be disappointed by what I've heard, and this Marika Hackman album is no exception.

Any Human Friend is a practice in intimacy, both with warm and inviting vocalization and personal songwriting. On top of all of this intimacy is instrumentation that is at times soft and easy and at other times hooky and ... read more

cardinal
81

无论是谈论真切情感,还是露骨性爱都落落大方且毫不粗鲁地融入舞池律动,合成器完全跟着吉他在飞,过于好跳了。

holsgr
40

acceptable (★★☆☆☆)

Felix_96
70

7/10

good

Fav tracks: wanderlust, the one, all night, i'm not where you are, hand solo, conventional ride, come undone, any human friend

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Track List

1Wanderlust
3:17
70
2The One
3:37
82
3All Night
3:42
70
4Blow
3:30
75
5I'm Not Where You Are
3:46
75
6Send My Love
5:20
80
7Hand Solo
3:50
70
8Conventional Ride
4:10
70
9Come Undone
3:46
80
10Hold On
2:52
75
11Any Human Friend
3:12
80
Total Length: 41 minutes
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Added on: May 22, 2019