Early reviews. Critics give The National Health an early B-Side Breakdown of 72 (C-), from 6 reviews so far. It will settle as more outlets weigh in.
The verdict on The National Health
Most critics liked it: 4 of 6 liked it.
- Highest 80 NME, The Independent, The Guardian and AllMusic
- Outlier 40 Clash, 30 points below the next-lowest score
- Career #2 of Maxïmo Park's 5 albums with a Breakdown
- By the numbers Maxïmo Park's best-reviewed album here since A Certain Trigger (2005).
| The gist | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NME via Wikipediaby Jamie Fullerton | 8/10 | 80 | 2012 | “There’s something brilliantly knowing and straightforward about how Maxïmo Park’s comeback album begins with a one-minute piano brush called ‘When I Was Wild’, on which singer Paul Smith sings redemption…” |
| The Independent via Wikipediaby Simon Price | 4/5 | 80 | 2012 | “The National Health marks a return of sorts to what Maxïmo Park do best.” |
| The Guardian via Wikipediaby Caroline Sullivan | 4/5 | 80 | 2012 | “The formless anxiety previously kept at bay by those bright, jerky guitars seems to be getting the upper hand, writes Caroline Sullivan” |
| AllMusic via Wikipediaby Heather Phares | 4/5 | 80 | ||
| musicOMH via Wikipediaby Martin Headon | 3.5/5 | 70 | ||
| Clash via Wikipediaby Gareth James | 4/10 | 40 | 2012 | “Let’s start positively, eh? Listening to this does serve to remind you of the ferocity and frankly enormous tunes found on Maximo Park’s first two albums.” |
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.
The National Health in Maxïmo Park's catalog
How these critics usually treat Maxïmo Park
- NME Kinder than usual10 points above the other critics here. Usually 1 point above on Maxïmo Park's other albums (4).
- AllMusic About usual for them10 points above the other critics here. Usually 5 points above on Maxïmo Park's other albums (3).
More from Maxïmo Park
← Earlier Quicken the Heart (2009)Later → Too Much Information (2014)
More Indie & Alternative from around 2012
Would you spin it again?
Be the first to answer. Results show once 3 listeners weigh in.
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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