Blood

Critic Score
Based on 18 reviews
2018 Ratings: #560 / 890
User Score
Based on 279 ratings
2018 Rank: #498
Liked by 4 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

91
A.V. Club
Half a decade later, here comes… another 30 minutes of absolutely immaculate music, with minimalistic arrangements that nevertheless sketch out Daft Punk-worthy grooves, keening midnight yearnings, and heart-wrenching climaxes.
90
Exclaim!

Soul by way of Sade, electronic reverence to early Warp artists, jazz and classical resonance through musical inclinations, Blood retains a contemporary yet future-proof vibe.

83
Pretty Much Amazing

The year is new, but Blood is already a contender for album of the year. In 2017 everyone just talked about 2017 all the time, in 2018 let’s just talk about peace and vibes, and Blood.

80
NME
Like ‘Woman’, ‘Blood’ is often unabashedly lusty ... but many of the songs deal with loss and heartbreak too.
80
The 405

Some bands are lucky and talented enough to find a format that works and just make hay with it. Rhye are plainly in love with their formula on Blood. The result is a finely balanced gem.

80
The Skinny
Sophisticated, soulful arrangements permeate the record, with strings and soft keys punctuating the space between Milosh's alluring, contralto vocals.
80
The Guardian

Milosh has been talking up the differences between this and Woman, Rhye’s debut ... but all bar the closest listeners will be happy to hear something that could pass for Woman Part II, for all that it’s played on live instruments.

80
Clash
Like no one else, Rhye make the vicissitudes of love feel like life or death, played out on a richer sonic palette than ever.
75
The Line of Best Fit

While beautiful and engrossing, it doesn’t have a whole lot new to say. Woman made an impact because it was an album practically devoted to a happy, loving relationship. In a world of breakup bangers, it felt fresh. The themes tackled on Blood have been tackled a million times, so the album is much more reliant on how it tells the story than what the story is.

70
Spectrum Culture

The album feels effortless and comfortable, and never feels needs to flaunt its coolness, stripping back some of the more electrifying elements in favor of something that feels even more intimate than the debut.

63
Pitchfork

If Woman sometimes felt like a pastiche of Sade, Blood feels like a pastiche of Woman. Every detail is accentuated, every gesture exaggerated.

60
Rolling Stone
It all descends into mood, vapors and whispers of romance that soothe yet don't excite. As lovely as Rhye sounds, it's never as good as the first time.
60
No Ripcord

He did enlist a full range of musicians for Blood and the increase in production values shows ... But it also formalizes some of the sensual spontaneity of Woman, as he puts forth a lavish, spotless output that also suffers from some seriously tasteless lyrical choices.

60
AllMusic

Like Woman ... Blood is essentially mood music, and its nuances -- from string arrangements that create a sense of expectancy, to deftly rich basslines -- invite repeat play.

60
PopMatters

Fans of Woman might derive some enjoyment from this, but anyone hoping for more evolution may be disheartened by how frequently Milosh plays it safe.

50
Northern Transmissions

It’s not that Blood is bad, or that Rhye is making bad music. Nevertheless, what defines this album is its limits: Milosh’s predictable and safe vocals, repetitive musical motifs, uninventive and often trite lyrics that probably work better as late night texts or Tinder pickup lines.

Aoaystheory
83

dat booty tho

musicmagpie55
30

I forgot this album came out while listening to it.

PaulyZ
74

TRACK LIST:

Waste (7.8)
Taste (7.5)
Feel Your Weight (7.8)
Please (8.0)
Count To Five (7.8)
Song For You (7.0)
Blood Knows (8.0)
Stay Safe (7.0)
Phoenix (7.0)
Softly (7.0)
Sinful (6.9)

Raiksheen
55

Nothing special

ultravox
90

indo pro segundo álbum da banda, continuando com os mesmos estilos... e sim, isso cria um problema.

o álbum é de sophisti-pop e alternative rnb, e não me leve a mal, o estilo da banda continua sendo charmoso e é gostosinho de se ouvir. diria entretanto que... eles não parecem ter mudado mto de estilo, mto menos inovado.

o instrumental continua do mesmo jeito, mas como sempre eu defendo álbuns assim pois eu tenho um fraco por isso. o ... read more

DareG
76

Solid grooves and a sultry sigh provide great background music to chill to. Could also be great come down music if you have the need, just not sure if there's enough substance or depth to bring you back if you're not in the mood.

Standouts: Please, Waste, Count to Five

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Track List

1Waste
3:31
2Taste
3:45
3Feel Your Weight
3:09
4Please
3:35
5Count To Five
3:28
6Song For You
3:58
7Blood Knows
3:30
8Stay Safe
4:52
9Phoenix
4:34
10Softly
3:37
11Sinful
4:03
Total Length: 42 minutes

Year End Lists

#10/KCRW
#13/Gaffa (Denmark)
/Esquire (UK)
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Added on: December 9, 2017