Autre Ne Veut - Anxiety
Critic Score
Based on 22 reviews
2013 Ratings: #190 / 1115
Year End Rank: #37
User Score
Based on 279 ratings
2013 Rank: #154
Liked by 3 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
Tiny Mix Tapes

Arthur Ashin of Autre Ne Veut might be working with familiar musical concepts, but he employs them in ways that are, to my ears, contemporarily relevant and indispensable to the discussion over the trajectory of popular music.

90
PopMatters

The veritable smorgasbord that forms this album is made up of a great many influences, but when all of them are put together, the result is a musical statement that’s innovative on every imaginable level. 

88
Beats Per Minute

Anxiety matches the emotional heights and immediacy of the music Ashin was inspired by, but what arrives from his limitations–as a singer, as a DIY-ist–adds to the record a personal foundation and raw authenticity no amount of budget could erect.

87
Paste

Anxiety stilettos gut-wrenched entrenched psycho-sexual seductive destructive obsessive push and pull over accreting and ascendant deep soul jams

85
Pitchfork

His glass-shattering falsetto runs and chesty bleats transform Anxiety from a great pop record into something powerfully therapeutic, more about casting off inhibitions than actually hitting those high notes.

83
Pretty Much Amazing

No track has a clear meaning, and Anxiety truly does take on the form of a Rorschach test, becoming whatever the listener views it as.

80
Consequence of Sound

He relinquishes his inhibitions on Anxiety, an R&B diamond in the dense, desultory rough.

70
No Ripcord

Autre Ne Veut’s triteness, his overexpression, are the result of a failure to not just create popular music, but to express himself too – and that’s the album’s main “Anxiety”.

70
SPIN

The very personal Anxiety is remarkably messy, dramatic, poignant, and at times, beautiful.

70
NME

Many a late-night chat will take place about whether this should be called alt.R&B, indie R&B or plain old ambient electronica, but there’s no debate about it being one of the sexiest and most luxurious albums of the year so far.

70
DIY

This is an album of climaxes and cathartic streams of consciousness, but an album listenable from start to finish.

ShoegazeJake
90

The most cohesive and focused effort to come out of this project.

AmericaanSpirit
89

As powerful as pop can get. Dense with emotions and triumph, this record will make you believe in something.

BEST TRACKS: Counting, Gonna Die, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Ego Free Sex Free, Play by Play

soundsnaive
78

Play by Play is an all-time great, and Counting makes it a great on-two punch. Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn't come close to those songs.

74

Nice

ShoegazeJake
90

The most cohesive and focused effort to come out of this project.

musicmagpie55
73

Anxiety is still as arresting as it was when it came out. The production on this album is sparkling, but what makes this album stand out for me is Arthur Ashin's wild vocal performance. There is not a wasted moment on the entire project, Ashin fills every second with something of interest. Beneath the maximalist production is densely vulnerable lyrics that help make the whole album feel vital and personal. I also appreciate the somewhat wandering melodic lines; I feel like this captures the ... read more

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Added on: February 19, 2013