Super Critical

Super Critical
Studio album by The Ting Tings
Released 24 October 2014 (2014-10-24)
Recorded 2012–14, Ibiza and New York
Genre
Length 31:38
Label Finca
Producer Andy Taylor
The Ting Tings chronology
Sounds from Nowheresville
(2012)		 Super Critical
(2014)
Singles from Super Critical
  1. "Wrong Club"
    Released: 15 August 2014
  2. "Do It Again"
    Released: 22 September 2014

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,[1] followed by "Do It Again" on 22 September 2014.[2]

Background and recording

Super Critical was recorded in Ibiza and co-produced by former Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor.[3] 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.[4][5] The album was mixed at Avatar Studios in New York City.[5] The album was influenced by Madonna, The Beatles, Diana Ross, Prince, Fleetwood Mac, Talking Heads, Nile Rodgers and Blondie.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic59/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
The Arts Desk[9]
The Australian[10]
The Observer[11]
Q[12]
Shields Gazette6/10[13]
Sputnikmusic3/5[14]
The Times[15]
Uncut6/10[16]
Virgin Media[17]

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".[7] 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."[10] 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."[8]

Ed Potton of The Times found Super Critical to be "breezier and more coherent [than Sounds from Nowheresville], sticking mainly to the kind of insouciant disco-funk-pop that [The Ting Tings] do so well."[15] Sputnikmusic's Raul Stanciu viewed the album as "a short and rather sweet effort that might not launch them to the top of the charts once again, but at least confirms us they're not yet ready to fade into obscurity", while commending The Ting Tings for "creating a consistent record that not only manages to mend the damage done by its faulty predecessor, but also create a coherent, fun atmosphere."[14] Virgin Media's Matthew Horton felt that "what Super Critical misses is one really great tune. The closest it comes is 'Green Poison''s soulful grind, strangely reminiscent of Stock Aitken & Waterman's 'Roadblock', yet no cigar. Otherwise this is just frothy fun, which is fine—but only fine."[17]

Stephen Dalton of Uncut wrote, "With echoes of prime-time Chic, Prince and Madonna, the intent is admirable even if too many of the songs feel flimsy and pedestrian", but described the songs "Communication" and "Failure" as "unabashedly gorgeous blasts of sugardipped synth-funk hedonism."[16] Despite stating that the album "actually isn't all that bad, and certainly marks an improvement on its disastrous predecessor, Songs from Nowheresville", the Shields Gazette commented that "there's here nothing which leaves any lasting impression."[13] Dorian Lynskey of Q magazine noted that Super Critical "sounds less petulant but no more likely to return [the duo] to the Top 10", adding that it "would be a solid album for someone like Annie, For The Ting Tings, though, it suggests there's no way back from Nowheresville."[12] The Observer's Killian Fox opined that the duo "can still write a catchy tune [...] but these songs are all surface, with only the odd hook to snag us."[11] Guy Oddy of The Arts Desk panned the album, dubbing it a "disappointment" and expressing that "it's not wholly clear whether the Ting Tings have become cultural commentators, like Negativland without samplers, and Super Critical is a prank about the vacuousness of so much chart pop, or whether they've committed commercial suicide."[9]

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "Super Critical"   3:32
2. "Daughter"   3:15
3. "Do It Again"   3:52
4. "Wrong Club"   4:14
5. "Wabi Sabi"   3:31
6. "Only Love"   3:10
7. "Communication"   3:35
8. "Green Poison"   3:49
9. "Failure"   2:37
Total length:
 31:35

Charts

Chart (2014) Peak
position
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[19] 172
Japanese Albums Chart[20] 100
UK Albums Chart[21] 111
UK Indie Albums Chart[22] 21

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Australia 24 October 2014
Liberator [23][24]
Germany
[25][26]
Ireland Finca [27][28]
France 27 October 2014 Digital download [29]
United Kingdom
  • CD
  • digital download
 [30]

[31]

United States Digital download
  • [PIAS]
  • Finca
 [32]
Japan 29 October 2014
  • CD
  • digital download
 Sony [18][33]
France 3 November 2014 CD Finca [34]
Germany 21 November 2014 LP
  • [PIAS]
  • Finca
 [35]
France 24 November 2014 Finca [36]
United Kingdom [37]
United States 13 January 2015 CD
  • [PIAS]
  • Finca
 [38]

References

  1. ↑ "Wrong Club by The Ting Tings". 7digital (IE). Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Do It Again by The Ting Tings". 7digital (IE). Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "The Ting Tings announce new album 'Super Critical'". NME. Inspire. 15 July 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  4. ↑ Sweeney, Sabrina (22 October 2014). "The Ting Tings rediscover their disco roots". BBC News Online. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  5. 1 2 B, Claire (22 October 2014). "Interview: The Ting Tings". The Ibizan. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  6. ↑ Walden, Eric (March 27, 2015). "Concert preview: Ting Tings feeling a bit less 'Super Critical' now". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Reviews for Super Critical by The Ting Tings". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  8. 1 2 Thomas, Fred. "Super Critical – The Ting Tings". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  9. 1 2 Oddy, Guy (13 October 2014). "CD: The Ting Tings – Super Critical". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  10. 1 2 McNamara, Tim (25 October 2014). "Reviews: Flight Facilities; Frank Yamma, Ting Tings; Peep Tempel; Song Fwaa". The Australian. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  11. 1 2 Fox, Killian (26 October 2014). "The Ting Tings: Super Critical review – catchy but superficial". The Observer. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  12. 1 2 Lynskey, Dorian (November 2014). "Q Review: New Albums". Q (340): 118.
  13. 1 2 "ALBUM REVIEW: The Ting Tings – Super Critical". Shields Gazette. Johnston Press. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  14. 1 2 Stanciu, Raul (29 October 2014). "Review: The Ting Tings – Super Critical". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  15. 1 2 Potton, Ed (25 October 2014). "The Ting Tings: Super Critical". The Times. News UK. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  16. 1 2 Dalton, Stephen (December 2014). "New Albums". Uncut (211): 81.
  17. 1 2 Horton, Matthew. "The Ting Tings: Super Critical Album Review". Virgin Media. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  18. 1 2 スーパー・クリティカル [Super Critical] (in Japanese). Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  19. ↑ "The Ting Tings – Super Critical" (in French). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  20. ↑ ザ・ティン・ティンズのアルバム売上ランキング [The Ting Tings album sales ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  21. ↑ "CHART: CLUK Update 8.11.2014 (wk44)". Zobbel. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  22. ↑ "2014 Top 40 Independent Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. 8 November 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  23. ↑ "Super Critical". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  24. ↑ "Super Critical by The Ting Tings". iTunes Store (AU). Apple. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  25. ↑ "Super Critical" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  26. ↑ "Super Critical [Explicit]: The Ting Tings: MP3-Downloads" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  27. ↑ "Ting Tings – Super Critical". Tower Records Ireland. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  28. ↑ "Super Critical (Explicit) by The Ting Tings". 7digital (IE). Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  29. ↑ "Super Critical [Explicit]: The Ting Tings: Téléchargements MP3" (in French). Amazon.fr. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  30. ↑ "Super Critical". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  31. ↑ "Super Critical [Explicit]: The Ting Tings: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  32. ↑ "Super Critical: The Ting Tings: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  33. ↑ "スーパー・クリティカル (Japan Version): The Ting Tings: MP3 Downloads" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  34. ↑ "Super Critical" (in French). Amazon.fr. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  35. ↑ "Super Critical [Vinyl LP]" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  36. ↑ "Super Critical (Album vinyle)" (in French). Amazon.fr. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  37. ↑ "Super Critical [VINYL]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  38. ↑ "The Ting Tings Prepare To Release New Album 'Super Critical' Monday, October 27" (Press release). Mitch Schneider Organization. 21 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
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