Burial - Untrue
Critic Score
Based on 17 reviews
2007 Ratings: #1 / 717
Year End Rank: #26
User Score
2007 Rank: #6All Time: #319
Liked by 540 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
God Is in the TV
Nothing more needs to be said, album of the year.
100
Tiny Mix Tapes

The magic of Untrue, however, is that, rather than shifting pace and mood with each song, it keeps that blast of energy alive and distributes it artfully throughout its 50 minutes, bringing the beat to the front, dragging it to the back, and sometimes eliminating it completely in favor of tension-filled synth swells

100
musicOMH

Untrue is complex, stark, tender, blurred and breathtaking. Burial has managed the impossible and improved on his faultless debut.

100
The Guardian

As addictive as its predecessor, Untrue confirms that Burial possesses not just the keen ear of a Lee Perry or Martin Hannett - the album teems with unplaceably familiar noises which might be the hot click of a lighter or the cold scrape of metal on metal - but a capacious heart.

100
AllMusic

If you can appreciate the style of dubstep employed by Burial, it's easy to fall head over heels for Untrue, an album on which there are absolutely no mainstream-crossover concessions, no ego trips, and no willful stylistic variation.

100
Clash

Few could have predicted such a definitive statement coming just a year later ... yet that’s exactly what ‘Untrue’ was, and remains: the high water mark for any electronic music that dares to step outside the club and into more cerebral territories, carrying with it a palpable paranoia which manifests through savvy samples and a disquieting atmosphere permeating every second of the experience.

100
Sputnikmusic

If taken as a glimpse into the seedy underbelly of London and its inhabitants, Untrue ends up as one of the most refreshing releases of the year.

100
Resident Advisor

Untrue is therefore a new kind of folk music, for Britain and beyond. And like the British weather, it’s all about hoping to catch the moments between the grey clouds, not expecting an unending run of sun.

100
The Skinny
Found sounds that recall broken lighters, twisted rizlas and guttering match flames evoke a wasted smoker's paradise: a beautifully stoned, 4am bliss.
90
Drowned in Sound
He’s never going to attract too far outside his niche, but to the right ears and in the right context this is unbeatable, unspeakably romantic, epoch defining.
90
SPIN
All rain-slicked bass flicker, disembodied voices, and electronic drift, it's the perfect soundtrack for both a 24-hour news junkie's end-times paranoia or a 3 A.M. trudge home from a one-night stand.
90
PopMatters

Unlike Burial, whose technical obsession felt so pronounced, the blurred edges of Untrue’s songs make them feel personal.

84
Pitchfork

Untrue is an album meant to be heard at home, in the car, on headphones-- his songs feel almost like beautiful secrets being whispered to a listener.

80
Slant Magazine
Machine music this unrelentingly intimate is worth the attention it requires.
80
Q Magazine

Untrue lives in the present, its more complex moods showcasing the emotional range that marks Burial out as more than just another bloke with a computer.

70
XLR8R

Untrue showcases Burial’s unique version of dubstep taken to its logical extreme. All the elements of his debut are here: the huge Slowdive-style synths; the extremely tight, skipping beats; the emasculated, altered, disembodied soul vocals; and the fanatic attention to every sound’s detail and clarity.

60
Uncut

Untrue is altogether warmer than its predecessor.

Tristan
NR

2,000 FOLLOWERS!
A little over 560 days ago I created my account on this website, without even a real understanding of what it was. I had very limited experience in music, I'd probably only heard a few full albums, and I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. Times have changed... a lot. Thank you.
First, let me actually review this record: "Untrue" by Burial. Then we can get into a more personal discussion about this ... read more

ThrowBackG
NR

I'd like to talk about my day if you don't mind?

I woke up today at 8:43 AM wanting McDonalds. I couldn't understand why, I'm so sick of McDonalds. Most of the time the thought of a Big Mac makes me sick, but here I am with an unrequited lust for mcnuggets. Like holy shit I want me some nuggies. I talk myself out of it:

"You're supporting corporate billionaires."
"You need to lose a few pounds."
"You need to save your money."

I get out of bed and walk into the ... read more

Ari007
100

Untrue is a trip.

I'm walking around on a winter day, late at night, looking at the city skyline. I see people talking, drinking, laughing, but I can't hear a word, I can't see their faces, only the shadows of their eyes. I'm surrounded by people yet completely alone, and for some reason, I find it comforting.

Recently I went on a trip to the desert, and at night, it's dark, really dark, you can see the stars so clearly it's breathtaking, I listened to this while laying down and staring at ... read more

MrZeven
100

Got this recommended to me by a good friend from my studies, and what they told me the vibe was I preciesly what I felt. I was cycling back home from a drink with friends with this album on, it was around midnight then. With noone around and listening to this I felt at peace, while being energetic. Damn

92

90-92

Bor
69

let me start this review off by prefacing - garage and dubstep has never really been my thing, it’s probably one of the big genres that i’m least familiar with. with that being said, ‘Untrue’ has some great moments, and in general the swelling synths help to create it’s brilliantly cloudy and dark atmosphere very well. although sadly, this ever present atmosphere gets a little repetitive after a while, and the repetitive nature of dubstep drums really don’t ... read more

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Track List

1Untitled
0:46
78
2Archangel
3:58
96
3Near Dark
3:54
91
4Ghost Hardware
4:53
92
5Endorphin
2:57
88
6Etched Headplate
5:59
89
7In McDonalds
2:07
86
8Untrue
6:16
92
9Shell of Light
4:40
89
10Dog Shelter
2:59
86
11Homeless
5:20
91
12UK
1:40
86
13Raver
4:59
90
Total Length: 50 minutes
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