Critics give Scars a B-Side Breakdown of 70 (C-), from 8 reviews at outlets we track. Scores run 50 to 80.
The verdict on Scars
Most critics weren't won over: 2 of 8 liked it.
- Highest 80 musicOMH and Consequence
- Outlier 50 Slant, 20 points below the next-lowest score
- Career #5 of Basement Jaxx's 5 albums with a Breakdown
- By the numbers Basement Jaxx's best-reviewed album here since Crazy Itch Radio (2006).
| The gist | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| musicOMH via Wikipediaby Ian Wade | 4/5 | 80 | 2009 | “Out there in between the largers and the popstrels, the chart-scalers and the club-bangers, sit Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton. Under their showbiz” |
| Consequence via Wikipediaby Alex Young | 4/5 | 80 | 2009 | |
| Pitchfork via Wikipediaby Matthew Perpetua | 7.2/10 | 72 | 2009 | “The eclectic dance duo dial it back a bit on the most effective parts of their latest album.” |
| Spin via Wikipediaby Barry Walters | 7/10 | 70 | 2009 | “For three studio albums, this London DJ duo asserted their dance-floor eclecticism with a wallop every bit as combustive as it was ornate. While 2006's” |
| PopMatters via Wikipediaby Evan Sawdey | 7/10 | 70 | 2009 | |
| Drowned in Sound via Wikipediaby Neil Ashman | 7/10 | 70 | 2009 | “_Scars_' abundance of collaborators doesn't really allow Basement Jaxx to stamp their personality on the music, which is a shame, especially consid…” |
| AllMusic via Wikipediaby David Jeffries | 3.5/5 | 70 | ||
| Slant via Wikipediaby Eric Henderson | 2.5/5 | 50 | 2009 | “The decade that began with more than a few bangers ends with a whimper for Basement Jaxx.” |
Every Sunday: the week's new albums, scored by the critics. Plus our own reviews when we post them. Free, and one click to leave.
Scars in Basement Jaxx's catalog
How these critics usually treat Basement Jaxx
- Pitchfork Kinder than usual2 points above the other critics here. Usually 23 points below on Basement Jaxx's other albums (4).
- AllMusic Harsher than usualLevel with the other critics here. Usually 14 points above on Basement Jaxx's other albums (4).
More from Basement Jaxx
More Electronic from around 2009
Would you spin it again?
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How the Breakdown works
Every outlet’s score is converted to 0–100 (2/5 is 40, 5.9/10 is 59, a B+ is 88) and averaged. Grades follow the B-Side scale: A is 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69, F below 60. Approval is the share of critics who scored it 75 or higher; the Breakdown shows green at 75 and up, red below. Divisiveness asks a different question: not how many critics liked it, but how close their scores are to each other. Five critics who all give it 50 are Unanimous, even though none of them liked it. The labels run Unanimous, Broad agreement, Some debate, Divided, and Contentious. Replay rate comes from listeners, not critics: yes counts fully, a few tracks counts half, no counts zero. The gist quotes each outlet’s own summary of its review. Published is the date on the review itself, read from the outlet’s page, so you can see whether an album’s reputation came at release or years later. Scores marked est. come from reviews that publish no number. Scores marked via Wikipedia are archive ratings, mostly for older albums, taken from the “Professional ratings” box on the album’s Wikipedia page (published openly through Wikidata); each links to the original review when we can find it online, and to that Wikipedia entry when we can’t. When an outlet reviewed an album twice, years apart (often for a reissue), both scores count, each labeled with its year.
A-Side marks the critics’ top tier. An album earns it automatically, from its numbers alone: a Breakdown of 90 or higher, from at least 5 reviews, with at least 75% approval. Nobody hands it out and nobody can buy it; if new reviews pull an album below the line, it loses the badge.
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