| | Full Review | Ratings (611) |
Give your Rating |
| 4.5 superb | poopwrangler | February 23rd 09 |
Cradles me when I go to sleep. Also cooks breakfast in the morning and goes to the grocery for you. Fucking epic.
8 Bumps | Bump |
| 5.0 classic | YouAreMySilence | January 28th 10 |
Incredibly dense with such organic, raw beauty - to understand the sound of the minimalist gods, Stars Of The Lid is a privilege and to fall in love with it is, angelic, in lack of a better term. It is not that this is so full of pretense, that only the "elite" can follow it, infact it is quite the opposite. Everything is so beautifully guileless - there are no masturbatory guitar solos or hollow hooks making sure the listener can sing along. Its more that like the music is your sleep, leaving you free to dream and your brain to wander. And Their Refinement Of The Decline is the modern classical masterpiece that Stars Of The Lid have been striving to make for their entire critically acclaimed and celebrated career. From the dreary horns of the opener Dungtitled (in A Major) to the elegant piano strokes in Humectez La Mouture, from the distant and stunning composition A Meaningful Moment Through a Meaning(less) Process to the breathtaking cresendoing string arrangement in, maybe their most mesmerizng track, Tippy's Demise, SOTL have created a rest for your weary eyes and an inspiring soundtrack for your starving mind.
6 Bumps | Bump |
| 5.0 classic | La Revolucion | June 27th 07 |
So this album is basically a collection of tones that fade in and out, and a lot of silence and near silence. Also, the tones are made by real instruments, like violins and horns, as well as electronic instruments like keyboards and synthesizers. Also, it is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. Also, the production is absolutely fantastic in allowing the instruments to have a free and uncluttered sound with lots of space between them. Also, they name their songs things like "December Hunting For Vegetarian Fu[b][/b]ckface." Also, it is the best album of 2007, and probably one of my favorites of all time. Alright that's all.
5 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | zaruyache | October 26th 15 |
Droney Dreams of Dreamy Drones II: Dronepocalypse - Attack of the Dreamclouds
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 5.0 classic | Staker | November 25th 10 |
Ambient tracks you can really get into. Truly beautiful, very long, wonderful detail. All the ambience you could ever need.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 5.0 classic | joshuatree EMERITUS | February 6th 09 |
A two-hour monster that never bores and easily outclasses anything else this Texan two-piece has ever attempted and created before. This is far-reaching ambient/drone that never bores, not even during the seventeen-minute "December Hunting for Vegetarian Fuckface", which is also the greatest song title ever. TRUFF
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.5 superb | IsItLuck? EMERITUS | April 24th 08 |
Stars of the Lid produced a soundtrack of elegance. 'And Their Refinement Of The Decline' is a breathtaking, beautiful journey through ambient landscapes all packed within a double disc album. The overall atmosphere is nothing short of incredible. Whether it is the soft, brood cello tones in "Tippy's Demise" or the haunting piano strokes in "Humectez La Mouture," the mood is captured in a flash of brilliance. 'And Their Refinement Of The Decline' is intriguing, lush, captivating, and most importantly, unforgettable.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 5.0 classic | 2ool | February 1st 20 |
toujours humectez la mouture. toujours.
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| 4.0 excellent | Bedex | December 20th 19 |
First disk could be 4.5 material on its own, but unfortunately they dragged it for too long again. The album is still much more successful at keeping you entertained and varying the textures than its predecessor, and feels so much vastly superior that I wonder if I wasn't in poor listening conditions for Tired Sounds compared to this. Disk 1 is pretty much all jams, 1-4 being classic SoL sound, 5 bringing welcome variation with darker undertones, 6 bringing more changes including bells stuff, 7 being the only a bit weaker track here feeling a touch bleep bloopey and boasting a long awks silence at the end, although the piano+vox in the intro is nice. 8 is less lush at first, then reintroduces the lushness beautifully, 9 is more material like 1-4, and 10 is probably one of the strongest jams here with more of a post-rocky drone supplemented by lovely keys. I'm telling ya, disk 1 is 4.5 material. Then comes disk 2. 11 is nice and bleak albeit lush, but 12 feels excessively long and kinda lost me. 13 changes it up with cello or something but it didn't convince me, by 14 the album had lost me a fair bit and just felt too long, and no longer like 4.5 range material. 15 brings the interest back though with a nice keys based track, not sure if jam or not, and 16 being kinda jammy with sweet, WWII-evoking textures. 17 would have been a cool outro to the album, but sadly they felt like they needed to add 17 more minutes of generic SotL material which is nice in a vacuum but here feels unnecessary and dragging forever. Overall this still scores a 4.1
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| 4.5 superb | Lucman | July 12th 18 |
Wanted to find a random ambient/drone record to fall asleep to. I found this. It was the best sleep I had ever had.
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| 1.0 awful | Riviere | October 3rd 13 |
Insomnia be gone.
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| 5.0 classic | iSkane | January 8th 11 |
Eerily fantastic. This album has put me to sleep almost every night my brain just could handle all the bullshit of everyday life. If I was stressed, I would put this album on and just listen. The smooth, haunting sounds would eventually put me to sleep.
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| 4.5 superb | MetalEmmanuel | May 20th 10 |
I normally hate almost every type of "minimal" music , but I don't know, this album has just make it for me  The textures, soundscapes and instrumentation maybe helped the thing..
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| 0.0 | rasputin | November 2nd 09 |
Subtle texturing prevails; where a slight dip in profundity may leave a little to be desired, And Their Refinement of the Decline is a remarkably gentle and soothing composition, one which turns the record into the infinitely deep cushion your mind will come to rely on.
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| 3.5 great | Krpa | April 17th 23 |
| 5.0 classic | Wzzzard | November 4th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | phylyps | November 4th 22 |
| 5.0 classic | Gleam | August 3rd 22 |
| 5.0 classic | sr388 | June 15th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | Emo | January 16th 22 |
| 4.5 superb | Prancer | December 8th 21 |
| 5.0 classic | jhop | October 11th 21 |
| 3.5 great | Zakusz | June 29th 21 |
| 3.5 great | Harlz | February 23rd 21 |
| 4.5 superb | Polvo | January 11th 21 |
| 4.5 superb | eureka | January 9th 21 |
| 3.0 good | dosia | November 6th 20 |
| 5.0 classic | kevbogz | September 14th 20 |
| 5.0 classic | Quiv | June 29th 20 |
| 5.0 classic | Josh | June 22nd 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | Torger | November 29th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | Vojtino | November 24th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | kabster | November 5th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | Lender | October 7th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | Mser94 | October 4th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | Slowdiiv | September 12th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | Moge | September 11th 19 |
| 5.0 classic | Bobshat | August 28th 19 |
| 5.0 classic | LRS94 | July 31st 19 |
| 5.0 classic | xxm | May 1st 19 |
| 5.0 classic | Tb1114 | April 17th 19 |
| 2.5 average | Ryus | April 17th 19 |
| 5.0 classic | BoiBoi | April 7th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | TKKT | March 18th 19 |
| 5.0 classic | bSmith | February 22nd 19 |
| 4.5 superb | Hawks | January 17th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | Troggy | December 31st 18 |
| 4.5 superb | LamboGD | September 23rd 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | DJMarz | April 22nd 18 |
| 5.0 classic | Zeneren | January 4th 18 |
| 5.0 classic | Tyll | October 30th 17 |
| 3.0 good | Corney | October 21st 17 |
| 4.5 superb | Anarres | September 22nd 17 |
| 5.0 classic | almonds | August 14th 17 |
| 3.0 good | bentl | July 31st 17 |
| 4.5 superb | TwigTW | July 16th 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | tyler | May 29th 17 |
| 4.5 superb | Nymox | May 29th 17 |
| 4.5 superb | Denis | May 21st 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | jtswope | April 27th 17 |
| 4.5 superb | Am3n | March 25th 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | Enzx | January 29th 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | hefaists | December 14th 16 |
| 5.0 classic | Frojola | December 12th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | AWalrus | November 28th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | RubenDC | November 26th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | Ben STAFF | November 24th 16 |
| 5.0 classic | DarinRG | October 7th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | elch21 | October 3rd 16 |
| 5.0 classic | elemunt | September 28th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | Sine | August 21st 16 |
| 4.5 superb | czed | August 19th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | stromz | August 7th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | Ma1ze | August 7th 16 |
| 5.0 classic | almond | May 23rd 16 |
| 3.5 great | Crave | April 27th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | Cosmos | February 16th 16 |
| 5.0 classic | N2B3J | January 19th 16 |
| 3.5 great | spur55 | January 16th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | rjk | January 5th 16 |
| 2.5 average | Kman418 | December 27th 15 |
| 4.5 superb | F0RBES | December 10th 15 |
| 4.5 superb | daFigz | November 22nd 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | Essence | October 12th 15 |
| 4.5 superb | Tom R. CONTRIBUTOR | August 28th 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | JJKeys | July 21st 15 |
| 4.5 superb | Wolfe | June 29th 15 |
| 5.0 classic | qdgyu | June 11th 15 |
| 4.5 superb | Bawub | March 18th 15 |
| 3.5 great | Runeii | March 14th 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | XSWeLL7 | January 8th 15 |
| 5.0 classic | chayka | January 6th 15 |
| 3.5 great | jmh886 | December 22nd 14 |
| 5.0 classic | wojodta | December 18th 14 |
| 5.0 classic | Dimor | December 15th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | artrock | December 13th 14 |
| 3.5 great | Sacul | December 6th 14 |
| 5.0 classic | Walt | November 9th 14 |
| 5.0 classic | TBH717 | October 27th 14 |
| 4.5 superb | Pheenix | October 15th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | Simon K. STAFF | August 22nd 14 |
| 3.5 great | sje45 | August 5th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | Ananda | July 14th 14 |
| 3.5 great | ethos | April 30th 14 |
| 3.5 great | Wiosna | April 17th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | benhxc | April 7th 14 |
| 5.0 classic | krka | March 5th 14 |
| 5.0 classic | Emyay | February 27th 14 |
| 3.5 great | yep123 | January 27th 14 |
| 4.5 superb | Qorx | January 17th 14 |
| 4.5 superb | tarkus | January 10th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | craven | December 9th 13 |
| 5.0 classic | ANJ45 | November 15th 13 |
| 5.0 classic | bgf97 | November 13th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | Athom EMERITUS | September 27th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | Greem | September 19th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | ILJ | July 18th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | Mike08 | April 15th 13 |
| 5.0 classic | JS19 | March 27th 13 |
| 5.0 classic | toxin. | March 23rd 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | cgor17 | March 19th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | gosk8n | March 18th 13 |
| 5.0 classic | Velcro | January 23rd 13 |
| 3.5 great | urzadek | December 17th 12 |
| 3.5 great | lazauns | November 24th 12 |
| 4.5 superb | BenRaah | October 28th 12 |
| 4.5 superb | Eko | October 22nd 12 |
| 3.5 great | JJwins | October 7th 12 |
| 5.0 classic | wilko56 | September 20th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | mttgry | July 11th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | boopko | June 5th 12 |
| 4.5 superb | Yami | May 27th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | mvood | May 13th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | Lought | April 28th 12 |
| 3.5 great | GGI | March 4th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | jorsh | February 28th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | sehguh | January 4th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | bonus | December 15th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Rev | November 7th 11 |
| 3.5 great | avaol | October 10th 11 |
| 4.5 superb | Ayon | September 2nd 11 |
| 5.0 classic | Tsardoz | August 10th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | MO | June 8th 11 |
| 4.5 superb | ameypv | May 13th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Ceziria | March 27th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | TanMan | February 21st 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | ziroth | November 20th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | Roomex | November 13th 10 |
| 5.0 classic | Adash | November 8th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | grotto | October 27th 10 |
| 5.0 classic | DiceMan | October 4th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | aldburg | September 14th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | Pizza | July 20th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | Yotimi | July 7th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | qwe3 | June 16th 10 |
| 5.0 classic | ck_ck | March 20th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | Photon | March 20th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | ECRbubs | February 27th 10 |
| 5.0 classic | Enotron | December 31st 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | splurge | December 2nd 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | feav233 | November 22nd 09 |
| 4.6 superb | Mikesn EMERITUS | October 31st 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | Lions | October 6th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | Set | October 2nd 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | dev4ll | August 18th 09 |
| 5.0 classic | Aids | May 6th 09 |
| 3.5 great | thebhoy | February 22nd 09 |
| 2.0 poor | 204409 EMERITUS | October 21st 08 |
| 4.0 excellent | donovr | May 10th 08 |
| 4.0 excellent | DsRaMoS | April 11th 08 |
| 5.0 classic | natey | April 5th 08 |
| 1.0 awful | low88 | December 12th 07 |
| 1.5 very poor | Zebra | December 9th 07 |
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