| | Full Review | Ratings (260) |
Give your Rating |
| 4.0 excellent | Monheim | October 17th 15 |
The Radio Dept. rises above the usual dream pop fare because they remember they're actually making pop music before they bury it all in their usual, pleasant haze. This group has brilliant talent for melody, writing tunes that are unassuming yet endlessly memorable and beautifully emotive.
2 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | LoveHugsNHipHopSoul | July 3rd 10 |
I'll tell you honestly, this is an excellent album. Albeit not revolutionary or groundbreaking, it is a very interesting one that deserves recognition in and outside of it's respective genre.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.6 great | Erwann S. STAFF | February 8th 22 |
Warm dream pop a la Prefab Sprout that in the end doesn't have lotta ideas, but that ultimately uses these ideas well - "Heaven's on Fire" is an absolute jam of a tune, and even the lesser tracks have got a jangly/boppy vibe.
Bump |
| 3.0 good | patrickfannon | May 8th 11 |
Fuzzed-out, sparse, sporadically-electronic lo-fi indie pop album that never really rises above a pleasant, distant hazy pleasantness. I expected more, due to Pitchfork's nomination of this record as part of its "Best New Music" series. Oh well. It's nice enough.
Bump |
| 3.5 great | qwer7yfreak | June 10th 10 |
While the observations & complaints about "Clinging to a Scheme" and The Radio Dept. being unassuming are definitely true, they craft such beautiful and exquisite pop songs that it's easy to ignore. The reverb and fuzz keep the songs pleasantly dreamy and distant. The best example of this is one the track "Heaven's on Fire", which also happens to be the best song on the album. So while the extremely calm and laid-back nature of this album may be a turn-off for some, it's hard to deny that The Radio Dept. are very good at making pretty pop tunes.
Bump |
| 0.0 | Bitchfork | June 9th 10 |
The fuzzier, darker, and dreamier, the better.
Bump |
| 4.5 superb | timbo8 | June 9th 10 |
"Heaven's on Fire" just floors me every time. Now with that song hitting a perfect balance of the Radio Dept.'s shoegaze haze, catchy hook-reaching and symphonic punch, where does that leave the rest of Clinging to a Scheme? Well, while never touching the success of "Heaven's on Fire," hooks abound, and the album's thoughtful indie pop is both tonally calming and instrumentally propulsive. When the band settles for reflective mood-setting ("A Token of Gratitude", "Memory Loss") the mix can get a bit drab, but when they dish out poppier offerings ("Heaven's on Fire", "David"), their sonic beauty is breathtaking.
Bump |
| 3.0 good | Donkey | March 19th 10 |
Not the best album i've heard but i'll give it a few more tries and see what comes about.
Bump |
| 3.5 great | john | March 30th 24 |
| 3.5 great | doofy | January 8th 24 |
| 2.5 average | progsun | November 25th 22 |
| 3.0 good | qt | March 9th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | alamo | February 8th 22 |
| 3.5 great | Ryus | February 21st 21 |
| 4.5 superb | ilia | August 19th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | zakalwe | July 13th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | Josh | November 25th 19 |
| 3.5 great | BeeRyan | November 16th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | jkoh | March 8th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | TomBrady | November 12th 18 |
| 4.5 superb | FFE135 | June 4th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | jdubbs11 | February 23rd 18 |
| 3.0 good | Gueero | February 13th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | facundo | November 23rd 17 |
| 3.0 good | Juanpa | January 14th 17 |
| 2.5 average | Brandon | December 30th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | Flitter | December 17th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | Rudy K. EMERITUS | October 28th 16 |
| 3.5 great | PaabL | September 4th 16 |
| 3.5 great | Blaacs | July 22nd 16 |
| 3.5 great | Guus | June 6th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | j7jammy | April 17th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | bmelt CONTRIBUTOR | April 2nd 16 |
| 3.5 great | Denis | March 16th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | wrecked | February 15th 16 |
| 3.0 good | SMK | November 17th 15 |
| 2.5 average | Kman418 | August 20th 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | SgtPepper EMERITUS | September 7th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | Syne | May 22nd 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | re4 | January 20th 14 |
| 3.5 great | Greem | December 2nd 13 |
| 3.5 great | ervoca | August 18th 13 |
| 4.5 superb | iGuter | August 4th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | vDrop | April 16th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | reef2 | January 25th 13 |
| 3.5 great | Peluca | January 7th 13 |
| 3.5 great | ton_ey | November 2nd 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | Zephir | July 14th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | sharmz | March 25th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | nwagner | February 15th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | Aids | September 21st 11 |
| 3.0 good | Polvo | July 20th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Opaque | July 9th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Catman | April 13th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Basman | January 17th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | bjorkil | January 7th 11 |
| 3.5 great | Hro | January 4th 11 |
| 3.0 good | Yotimi | November 27th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | mehd10s | November 26th 10 |
| 3.0 good | Roomex | November 13th 10 |
| 3.5 great | mx STAFF | September 24th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | Vwave | June 23rd 10 |
| 3.5 great | puni | June 16th 10 |
| 3.0 good | Jin | May 23rd 10 |
| 3.5 great | TheE | May 15th 10 |
| 3.0 good | idbz | May 10th 10 |
| 3.0 good | lobby | April 9th 10 |
| 3.5 great | Kiran EMERITUS | March 15th 10 |
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