Vagabon - Vagabon
Critic Score
Based on 18 reviews
2019 Ratings: #152 / 805
User Score
Based on 187 ratings
2019 Rank: #369
Liked by 9 people
October 18, 2019 / Release Date
LP / Format
Nonesuch / Label
Indie Pop, Art Pop / Genre
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
The Skinny

Vagabon is a record both stripped back yet electronically rich, genre disparate, but ultimately inclusive. A rewarding listen, it's an achievement beyond comprehension.

90
Clash

The work of an immensely talented melodic mastermind, Laetitia Tamko's second album touches on the magical.

80
Exclaim!

It's good both for bobbing heads and bopping feet — both for being alone-alone, and alone-around-others, too.

80
The Guardian

Swapping crunching guitars for softer electronics, Laetitia Tamko’s second album is both sharp and tender.

80
DIY

Laetitia Tamko has chosen to expand on this self-titled record that sacrifices almost any semblance of guitar in favour of a largely undefinable sound, somewhere between bedroom pop and emotive electronica.

80
The 405

She's largely left behind the rush of guitars for a textured and dense set of self-produced arrangements. It's at once mournful and consuming.

80
Under the Radar

No doubt a gamble to make a wholesale change in your sound after an acclaimed debut, Tamko delivers a confidently mature album with the sonics to match.

80
Paste

Tamko’s sophomore effort, the self-titled, self-produced Vagabon, is a more formless affair, a cosmic journey through synthetic sounds, lush orchestral suites and lyrical self-realization.

76
Pitchfork

On her self-titled sophomore effort, Laetitia Tamko leaps with both feet into new sounds and new horizons.

75
The Line of Best Fit

This expansive and beautiful record shows Vagabon as an expert at creating pleasure and soulful reassurance from electronic pop – a surprising but welcome heelturn.

70
Slant Magazine

Representing a new generation of women and people of color, Tamko democratizes art in her own way, and moments like these tie her music back to the instapoetry movement, flitting between topics of love, feminism, and cultural identity with relative ease.

70
Loud and Quiet

It’s this spirit of support and encouragement, which is borne through by her personal experiences, that lifts the album into a quiet success.

70
No Ripcord

Vagabon ... sounds like a defiant response to her insecurities, pushing her self-produced effort in directions not commonly associated with the music she was making.

70
AllMusic

Throughout, Vagabon is remarkable for its calm confidence as well as its soft yet colorful palette.

Aoaystheory
82

Vagabon returns after 2 years with another stunning record, trading in multi-genre inspired indie rock for a more defined direction.

When Vagabon released her appropriately-titled debut record Infinite Worlds she was met with a mountain of praise. Trendy artists like this are always fun to follow, and a lot of them burn out faster than they appeared. But there was something much different about Laetitia Tamko's sound that was hard to pigeonhole. I watched her Audiotree set and she talked ... read more

TheCarioca
82

Full Moon In Gemini - 4/5
Flood - 5/5 ❤
Secret Medicine - 3/5
Water Me Down - 5/5 ❤
In A Bind - 4/5
Wits About You - 4/5
Please Don't Leave The Table - 3/5
Home Soon - 3/5
Every Woman - 5/5 ❤
Full Moon In Gemini (Monako Reprise) - 5/5 ❤

marvelgaryen
81

First time hearing this artist and I'm interested already, great productions, very unique voice, I'll keep an eye on her...

FilipeCarmona
77

Full Moon In Gemini - 100/100
Flood - 65/100
Secret Medicine - 60/100
Water Me Down - 50/100
In A Bind - 85/100
Wits About You - 55/100
Please Don’t Leave The Table - 80/100
Home Soon - 100/100
Every Woman - 100/100

ScoopTime
59

Vagabon's self titled sophomore album ditches the aggressively average indie rock sound for an indie/art pop sound that suits her voice much better. I still don't think she fully found her footing with this sound, but it is a massive improvement over what she has been doing on the last three projects I've reviewed. The production is a lot more clear to the ears, but I feel the weakest part of these projects is the very shallow song writing. Every song I've heard from Vagabon has writing so ... read more

TheCarioca
82

Full Moon In Gemini - 4/5
Flood - 5/5 ❤
Secret Medicine - 3/5
Water Me Down - 5/5 ❤
In A Bind - 4/5
Wits About You - 4/5
Please Don't Leave The Table - 3/5
Home Soon - 3/5
Every Woman - 5/5 ❤
Full Moon In Gemini (Monako Reprise) - 5/5 ❤

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Added on: June 13, 2019