Tune-Yards - w h o k i l l
Critic Score
Based on 33 reviews
2011 Ratings: #11 / 1031
Year End Rank: #6
User Score
Based on 367 ratings
2011 Rank: #78
Liked by 27 people
April 19, 2011 / Release Date
LP / Format
4AD / Label
Art Pop / Genre
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
Slant Magazine

A tremendous leap forward from Tune-Yards' previous efforts, w h o k i l l proves that Garbus isn't just a brainy artiste with a killer voice, but an event, someone to take notice of, a new center of gravity in the musical underground.

100
musicOMH

There's an energy and atmosphere to w h o k i l l which seems to just pour off the record.

90
Drowned in Sound

With whokill, Merrill Garbus has somehow managed to encompass more ideas into just over 40 minutes than most artists manage in a lifetime.

90
Tiny Mix Tapes

This album demands your open-minded attention on its own terms, and it ends up teaching you how to listen to it in a new way.

90
No Ripcord

It’s a massive improvement from her last album, yet it never sacrifices any of her style.

88
Pitchfork

The music benefits from the increased professionalism, but Garbus has not abandoned her lo-fi aesthetic.

88
Coke Machine Glow

w h o k i l l is probably the most inviting album you'll hear this year.

84
Beats Per Minute

Though the album now comes with studio polish and masterful songwriting, W H O K I L L still feels like an underground tape, challenging the listeners with oddball melodic choices.

83
A.V. Club

Whokill’s sonic imagination outlasts the novelty of Tune-Yards’ debut, and even better, its lyrical persona is as playfully warped as the rhythms punching away behind it.

80
SPIN

The songs are more consistent ... flashing a certain lyrical swagger, careening from terrific sex to celebratory violence to uncomfortable cultural realities.

80
AllMusic
She tosses jazz, folk, R&B, hip-hop and whatever else strikes her fancy into fascinating collisions that are as melodic as they are abrasive, and as globally minded as they are distinctly urban.
80
Q Magazine
For all the sonic bricolage, nothing upstages Garbus's own force of personality: her vocal range thrillingly from demure cooing through sassy funk to lung-bursting holler.
80
Prefix

Garbus might be more known right now as a magnetic performer, but w h o k i l l proves she's just as beguiling on record.

80
NOW Magazine
You can sense that she's still a bit uncomfortable flirting with pop music, and hides the most accessible and melodic songs in the second half of the album. Then again, if you can't deal with a few dissonant free jazz horn explosions, you probably weren't going to pick up this record anyway.
80
Mojo
Genre-hopping in style with one-woman band Merrill Garbus.
80
Uncut
She has fashioned a still eccentric but bracingly focused collection of songs that blend her acrobatic and soulful Afro-jazz vocals with a collage music that defies any attempts at categorization.
80
The Guardian

Whereas the musical and lyrical boldness of her 2009 debut, Bird-Brains, was a little muted by her homespun recording techniques, here every fragmenting note and confrontational idea is exhilaratingly crisp.

80
NME
It's as if Garbus is powered by primal, wrong-righting spirits that click like a force of nature.
80
PopMatters

With a crisper, clearer production that helps it to stand out, w h o k i l l is, almost literally speaking, tUnE-yArDs’ breakthrough.

80
Under the Radar
It's truly peerless music. And though Garbus sometimes teeters on the brink of musical bombast, her imagination propels it all forward while avoiding the quicksand of self-indulgence.
80
Consequence of Sound

w h o k i l l is an album indulgent in eccentricity, compelling in its variety, and downright impossible to not enjoy.

70
Rolling Stone
It all hangs together thanks to Garbus' voice, which slides seamlessly from Joplin-esque howls to delicate coos.
70
The Needle Drop
Tune-Yards' sophomore LP, for some, will be a true exercise in patience. Merrill Garbus' vocals can be a serious strain on the ears, and the amount of instrumentation she's packed into this album borders on migraine-inducing. But all of this album's quirks can easily become strengths on the right set of ears.
UltimateLifeFrm
85

Thanks to @mrmerle for this recommendation.

If there's one thing I love when it comes to music is when artists are able to take different elements from different genres and play about with them to deliver something fresh & fun.

W H O K I L L is mainly an Alternative album with slices of Afro-influenced beats, left-field sounds, Folk, and some calming Lo-Fi aesthetics.

There's so much charm to find in just these 10 tracks. Throughout these 40mins there is a strong wholesome vibe that ... read more

mrmerle
85

I sat on Tune-Yards' "w h o k i l l" for too long.
I can finally certify that this album is insane. I've been hooked instantly by how catchy and creative the first three songs are and this catchiness does come back from time to time at other points -"Bizness", "You Yes You", "Killa"-. The album is also competent when it comes to pacing by allowing some moments of breath with slower songs making the experience far from dull and redundant.

Merrill Garbus ... read more

blackholefriend
89

Can I take "Albums I Wasn't Expecting to Like" for 1000?

genuinely what even is this, it's a full mess of an album. however, i find myself attracted to w h o k i l l's atmosphere. "Es-so" is just disjointed, fully on purpose. on "Bizness", Garbus puts her vocals in the "out there" category, and yet with the smooth valley of the additional vocals, she shines. "You Yes You" has this instrumental break at 0:54 that would not easily fit in any ... read more

cartestiago
87

the kind of album that makes me a little sad that I didn't have any talent

89

the way loops are used is mesmerizing

RikuNeto
87

really good album.. love it, love the band. .saw them live in tavastia in helsinki. stood motionless the whole time but still enjoyed it. merrill lokked itat mite. i saw her..... staring. well.. i mean.. yeah great album. hmmm like. yeah. human.. no sry business is really good and all the others too

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Track List

1My Country
3:40
79
2Es-so
3:29
78
3Gangsta
3:58
93
4Powa
5:03
80
5Riotriot
4:13
78
6Bizness
4:23
87
7Doorstep
4:16
78
8You Yes You
3:33
80
9Wooly Wolly Gong
6:06
80
10Killa
3:12
83
Total Length: 41 minutes
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