They could have gotten a couple extra points, but the I Miss You Cover threw it off some. I think is an absolute wonderful cover, but I just didn't think it should have been on the album. I very much would have preferred to have another original. I think if they were to do a Deluxe version, then throwing that cover in there would have been fine.
It is it's highs and it has it's lows. Keeper of the Lake is definitely the best track on the album. What this album feels like is what I wish The Mars Volta self-titled from last year sounded like. A solid record, but doesn't quite live up to Pink Lemonade or First Temple. I will give it a few more listens, but this is where I am feeling this record lands.
For someone who has constantly pushed boundaries, this album seemed safe and boring. It felt like Carly Rae doing a dark album but it didn't work rather than a Poppy album.
Pitchfork giving a lukewarm review makes sense since I normally tend to have a polar opposite opinion to them on music ratings. Normally, I also have a polar opposite to The Needle Drop but in this occasion we actually agree. It is just that good of an album!