Hurray for the Riff Raff - LIFE ON EARTH
Critic Score
Based on 19 reviews
2022 Ratings: #66 / 805
User Score
Based on 369 ratings
2022 Ratings: #641
Liked by 30 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

90
AllMusic
By melding that tradition with a fashion-forward sound that suits their time, Segarra has wound up with a distinctive album, one that operates equally skillfully on an emotional and intellectual level.
90
God Is in the TV

Musically Life On Earth is diverse and adventurous, continuing the evolution away from old-world Americana to draw in a multitude of styles, genres and influences. The electronic-pop of ‘nightqueen’ sits perfectly alongside the funeral jazz piano piece of the title track.

90
The Line of Best Fit
In tunes like these, Segarra’s voice remains one of the central appeals of their music.
84
Beats Per Minute

On Life On Earth, they let the listener fully emerge in the wonder of the journey itself, dipping into more exotic textures.

83
Pitchfork
Alynda Segarra’s powerful eighth album exudes a glorious irreverence. Their self-described “nature punk” songs are both intimate and immense, and they’ve never sounded more honest or self-possessed.
83
Paste
The New Orleans folk artist gives audiences hope and survival tools on their latest album.
83
A.V. Club
The first album from the folk-punk outfit in 5 years has plenty of gems, but loses some consistency amid the paeans to nature and nomads.
81
Spectrum Culture
Segarra’s latest collection of songs continues to largely eschew the didactically political for something more mythic and simultaneously personal, but the big change here is how their musical style has largely left folk music behind.
80
Mojo

Life On Earth is a delicate, tender record full of gentle empathy, of lines that ring with the trut of shared experience.

80
Record Collector

Even if Life doesn't uncover the secrets to survival, Segarra's tender-tough songcraft makes a captivatingly meditative case for endurance.

80
Rolling Stone
With this vital, empathetic album, Hurray for the Riff Raff offer a reminder that we can still plot a course out of the darkness and write a different story.
80
musicOMH

In swapping fiddles, banjo and slide guitar for synths, piano and dynamic guitars, Life On Earth invokes a true sense of step change, capturing Segarra moving into the spotlight with purpose and confirming herself to be an artist ready to embrace newfound opportunities.

80
The Irish Times
Cook’s deft production wisely showcases her voice, and she responds with a performance laced with sensitivity and conviction.
80
Evening Standard
The self-described “nature punk” is sounding readier than ever for crossover success.
80
PopMatters

Hurray for the Riff Raff’s new songs explore different survival strategies one can take to endure and thrive during our short Life on Earth.

80
Uncut

Life... sounds loose, free, even celebratory - although its weight grows heavier with each spin.

80
The Observer
The New York rocker is back in New Orleans on a compelling album that engages deeply with a world in turmoil.
80
Dork
The Riff Raff’s songwriting is a product of her formative years skipping from town to town, and the influences paint a tapestry of the American songbook.
80
Slant Magazine

With Life on Earth, Hurray for the Riff Raff has achieved something truly enviable: a fresh start.

daltdisney
60

The first half of “Life On Earth” has a lot to offer, but the second half teeters off course a bit. I think the latter half is just as good thematically, but sonically, the Riff Raff could have done better. I’m really disappointed, but this is still a good record overall. It doesn’t have any highlights near as strong as, say, “Palanté” off their last LP, but it’s probably a better album front-to-back. I might revisit this down the line.

HeyLeo
84

Entretanto, para LIFE ON EARTH, Segarra quebrou fortemente com a narrativa que sua carreira artística vinha seguindo nesses últimos anos. Pela primeira vez, de forma concreta, ela cortou com os remansos dos gêneros que sua banda vinha ocupando-se em seus últimos álbuns. Nesse sentido, LIFE ON EARTH é um álbum majoritariamente rock e alternativo, ainda que tenha forte presença do punk — gênero que aparece nos detalhes das ... read more

Tielur
67

With the amount of versatility this album provides it's anything short of boring. The songwriting is what lacks...and that definitely shows on "PRECIOUS CARGO" because holy shit was that a joke of a song with a god awful melody.

Still decent though!

BARLOWH8SPOSERS
60

I'm unfamiliar with Hurray for the Riff Riff's game, but I feel like the further this LP goes on the less interested they seemed in wanting to finish it.

holsgr
10

dislikable (★☆☆☆☆)

JoberthBribies
72

WOLVES - 7.7
PIERCED ARROWS - 8.8
POINTED AT THE SUN - 8.7
RHODODENDRON - 7.4
JUPITER’S DANCE - 6.3
LIFE ON EARTH - 6.6
nightqueen - 5.3
PRECIOUS CARGO - 6.5
ROSEMARY TEARS - 7.2
SAGA - 7.7
KiN - N/A
|
likes: 6/11
overall final score: 72.20
fav n best: PIERCED ARROWS
worst: nightqueen
skips: JUPITER’S DANCE, LIFE ON EARTH, nightqueen, PRECIOUS CARGO, KiN

from the fifth song the album fell apart terribly starting with a string of four songs that leave you without any facial ... read more

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Track List

1WOLVES
3:36
71
2PIERCED ARROWS
4:02
77
3POINTED AT THE SUN
3:32
73
4RHODODENDRON
3:34
70
5JUPITER'S DANCE
2:35
69
6LIFE ON EARTH
5:46
70
7nightqueen
3:38
70
8PRECIOUS CARGO
4:42
65
9ROSEMARY TEARS
3:16
69
10SAGA
4:35
73
11KiN
0:50
59
Total Length: 40 minutes

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Added on: October 28, 2021