Dolls of Highland | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 29, 2016 | |||
Length | 44:30 | |||
Label | Sub Pop | |||
Producer | Kyle Craft | |||
Kyle Craft chronology | ||||
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Dolls of Highland is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter and musician Kyle Craft. It was released on April 29, 2016 through Sub Pop record label.
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 79/100 [1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Paste | 8/10 [4] |
Pitchfork | 8.1/10 [5] |
PopMatters | 8/10 [6] |
Record Collector | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Skinny | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Dolls of Highland received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 79, which indicates "generally positive reviews", based on 7 reviews. [1] AllMusic critic Mark Donelson gave the album a positive review, stating: "Taken together, Craft delivers a fun and loose breakup album replete with colorful characters, memorable tunes, and an even more memorable vocal delivery--a noteworthy debut." [2] The Guardian's Dave Simpson described the record as a "brilliant, rollicking debut," which "hurls together Craft’s Dylan-meets- Brett Anderson holler with rollicking ragtime stomp, reminiscent of vintage Cockney Rebel or early Suede." [3] Tiffany Daniels of Paste described Craft as "an unlikely hero of rock music", stating that he’s "created a noteworthy, potentially groundbreaking debut album in Dolls of Highland." [4]
Stuart Berman of Pitchfork praised the album, stating: "Craft’s outsized personality is matched by less flashy, more fundamental skills: vivid, immersive storytelling and sharply focused, fat-free songs that have the lived-in feel of 40-year-old FM-radio favorites." [5] PopMatters' Chris Ingalis described the record as "the sound of a young man returning home to chronicle his small town roots with the use of his ample talents" and "an exhilarating ride from start to finish." [6] David Harvey of Record Collector magazine compared the album to the works of Bowie, Dylan and Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player-era Elton John, writing: "There are touches of My Morning Jacket in the vocals too, but in chief it is the already-mentioned artists who dominate Dolls Of Highland and if you’ve been missing them a lot, then this is an album not to be missed, filled with yearning and melody." [7] Uncut magazine described the album as "a head-turning mix, a sort of pop-art take on Southern gothic, and highly infectious." [9]
Nevertheless, Duncan Harman of The Skinny gave the album a mixed review, stating: "Craft’s nutcracker vocals and lyrical self-exposure never quite as endearing as they threaten to be." [8]
All songs are written by Kyle Craft.
Album personnel as adapted from album liner notes: [10]
Dolls of Highland | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 29, 2016 | |||
Length | 44:30 | |||
Label | Sub Pop | |||
Producer | Kyle Craft | |||
Kyle Craft chronology | ||||
|
Dolls of Highland is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter and musician Kyle Craft. It was released on April 29, 2016 through Sub Pop record label.
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 79/100 [1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Paste | 8/10 [4] |
Pitchfork | 8.1/10 [5] |
PopMatters | 8/10 [6] |
Record Collector | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Skinny | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Dolls of Highland received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 79, which indicates "generally positive reviews", based on 7 reviews. [1] AllMusic critic Mark Donelson gave the album a positive review, stating: "Taken together, Craft delivers a fun and loose breakup album replete with colorful characters, memorable tunes, and an even more memorable vocal delivery--a noteworthy debut." [2] The Guardian's Dave Simpson described the record as a "brilliant, rollicking debut," which "hurls together Craft’s Dylan-meets- Brett Anderson holler with rollicking ragtime stomp, reminiscent of vintage Cockney Rebel or early Suede." [3] Tiffany Daniels of Paste described Craft as "an unlikely hero of rock music", stating that he’s "created a noteworthy, potentially groundbreaking debut album in Dolls of Highland." [4]
Stuart Berman of Pitchfork praised the album, stating: "Craft’s outsized personality is matched by less flashy, more fundamental skills: vivid, immersive storytelling and sharply focused, fat-free songs that have the lived-in feel of 40-year-old FM-radio favorites." [5] PopMatters' Chris Ingalis described the record as "the sound of a young man returning home to chronicle his small town roots with the use of his ample talents" and "an exhilarating ride from start to finish." [6] David Harvey of Record Collector magazine compared the album to the works of Bowie, Dylan and Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player-era Elton John, writing: "There are touches of My Morning Jacket in the vocals too, but in chief it is the already-mentioned artists who dominate Dolls Of Highland and if you’ve been missing them a lot, then this is an album not to be missed, filled with yearning and melody." [7] Uncut magazine described the album as "a head-turning mix, a sort of pop-art take on Southern gothic, and highly infectious." [9]
Nevertheless, Duncan Harman of The Skinny gave the album a mixed review, stating: "Craft’s nutcracker vocals and lyrical self-exposure never quite as endearing as they threaten to be." [8]
All songs are written by Kyle Craft.
Album personnel as adapted from album liner notes: [10]