Babelsberg

"If anything, Babelsberg's weaknesses lie in its lyrics, where the mood of anxiety and despair is vague and inchoate, and too diffuse to actually have an impact - it's a record of impressions, rather than specifics. Where Rhys does get specific, suddenly the words hit home, as on Same Old Song, on which Rhys recounts how "coughing blood on an American tour / Left me bewildered / concerned for my future". And like Forever Changes again, one keeps wondering whether an album so dismally inclined should be such a pleasure to listen to".

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"Babelsberg is another great effort from the always distinguished singer/songwriter. Specifically, Rhys trades some of his characteristic quirkiness, colorfulness, and experimentation for classier and more unified slices of orchestral pop. In doing so, he offers a wise and mature sequence whose refined yet complex splendor allows it to achieve its own identity while also offering enough trademark elements to entice fans of his past triumphs".

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"So, despite the sober themes that scar its surface, Babelsberg is ultimately a sorely-needed tonic. Mellow-sounding, but hefting weighty humanitarian concerns on its back, it boasts a you-are-here focus normally only accorded to those who are about to peg it. Wherever the hell we're all going, it's a privilege to have Gruff Rhys by our side".

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