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A Hairshirt Of Purpose Image
Metascore
87

Universal acclaim - based on 5 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 21 Ratings

  • Summary: The fifth full-length release for the Boston band was recorded and mixed by Ben Brodin.
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Mar 31, 2017
    100
    At a time when it’s once more trendy to declare that rock music is dying, there’s a band like Pile putting lie to that hyperbole and still pushing the form to its outermost limits.
  2. Mar 31, 2017
    90
    A Hairshirt of Purpose is a remarkable, disorienting and rewarding listen that captures a band in their mature, creative prime.
  3. Mar 31, 2017
    77
    Pile could have remained in their amorphous realm of rock, but they needed to grow up. Here, as musicians, they did.
  4. 70
    While not holding up to Pile's highly-regarded past, still hits hard and reminds you why Pile deserves much more time in the limelight.
  5. Mar 31, 2017
    60
    Pile are at their strongest when involved in slippages, designed moments of elasticity and indecision, effects incidental.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. Apr 28, 2017
    10
    One of my absolute favorite albums of the entire year so far. So cohesive all the way through, so many recurring musical motifs that weave inOne of my absolute favorite albums of the entire year so far. So cohesive all the way through, so many recurring musical motifs that weave in and out of the tracks, brilliant lyrics and themes, and almost definitely their best album yet. I've always really liked Pile, but this album takes their music to another level with what it manages to accomplish as a full album rather than only consisting of a ton of tracks that are each great on their own. Each song is great in isolation, but taken with the entire album, it's really something special. I haven't been able to stop listening since it came out, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Expand