Rings Around The World - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

Rings Around the World received generally positive reviews from critics with a score of 86 on Metacritic, denoting "universal acclaim". The album was nominated for 2001's Mercury Music Prize and was voted the best album of 2001 by Mojo. PopMatters called the record "near-perfect" and claimed that "we all should be thankful there are bands out there willing to throw everything they've got into a record just to see what happens" while Drowned in Sound stated that it is "SFA's best album to date", calling it essential and encouraging readers to "buy! buy! buy!". Uncut agreed also calling it the band's best album, stating that it is "accessible and adventurous". The Independent claimed that Rings Around the World "represents a quantum jump beyond the Furries' previous work" and described it as "one of the year's most engrossing – and, crucially, most entertaining – albums". Tiny Mix Tapes called Rings Around the World "one of the, if not the, best releases of 2002" describing it as a "mixture of sugar pop of yesteryear and modern Britpop" resulting in a "near perfect" album. Pitchfork Media stated that the album's combination of "paisley, sun-heated, and layered" music with Gruff Rhys's "satirical and heartfelt lyrics" makes it "timeless" and the band's best record. Stylus stated that the Super Furry Animals are "Gleefully working outside of a scene or prototype ... dabbling in a world of musical influences and Western hegemony, playing the merry prankster to Radiohead's gloom – and all with a smile, and in three-part harmony" on the album. Entertainment Weekly claimed that "At its best ... the album recalls a lost Brian Wilson-style psychedelic marvel" but went on to state that it is "at times marred by forced eccentricity", citing the "heavy metal gorgon voice booming through "Receptacle for the Respectable"" and the "awful lite-rock homage" "Juxtapozed with U" as examples. Writing for Allmusic Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the record, claiming it "shines brightly" compared to the "dead world of mainstream and indie rock in 2001" but expressed disappointment that it is "the first SFA album not to progress from its predecessor". Q stated that, although songs such as "(Drawing) Rings Around the World", "Shoot Doris Day" and "Presidential Suite" are "excellent", the album features "nothing to change anyone's world" and the NME claimed that, despite containing some great songs, it is the band's worst album. The album was included in the 2004 edition of the Rolling Stone Album Guide and given a rare 5 star accolade, ranking it as one of the greatest albums of all time.

Accolades