Super Critical | ||||
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Studio album by The Ting Tings | ||||
Released | 24 October 2014 | |||
Recorded | 2012–14, Ibiza and New York | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 31:38 | |||
Label | Finca | |||
Producer | Andy Taylor | |||
The Ting Tings chronology | ||||
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Singles from Super Critical | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 59/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
The Arts Desk | |
The Australian | |
The Observer | |
Q | |
Shields Gazette | 6/10 |
Sputnikmusic | 3/5 |
The Times | |
Uncut | 6/10 |
Virgin Media |
Super Critical is the third studio album by English indie pop duo The Ting Tings, released on 24 October 2014 by Finca Records. "Wrong Club" was released as the lead single from the album on 15 August 2014, followed by "Do It Again" on 22 September 2014.
Super Critical was recorded in Ibiza and co-produced by former Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor. The duo rented a rural estate in the village of Santa Gertrudis, where they started writing and recording, before moving to Sonic Vista Studios with Taylor. The album was mixed at Avatar Studios in New York City. The album was influenced by Madonna, The Beatles, Diana Ross, Prince, Fleetwood Mac, Talking Heads, Nile Rodgers and Blondie.
Super Critical received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 59, based on five reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews". Tim McNamara of The Australian called album "assured, confident and cohesive" and praised it as a "fantastic, upbeat and dance-inducing fare, signalling the resurgence of an act that has bet everything on doing their third album their way, and are set to reap the rewards." Fred Thomas of AllMusic wrote, "Though not quite as boisterous and immediate as their debut and nowhere as stylistically restless as Sounds from Nowheresville, the songs here slowly sink in and last a lot longer than anything else the band has done prior", yet concluded that "the maturation on Super Critical takes them out of the 'overbearing pop flash in the pan' category and suggests they may have even more interesting statements ahead of them."