Deerhoof Noble And Godlike In Ruin
Deerhoof's Noble And Godlike In Ruin arrives as a mischievous, politically charged collage that balances abrasive invention with moments of surprising tenderness. Across six professional reviews the record earned a 73.17/100 consensus score, and critics repeatedly point to concise, high-impact songs as the album's clea
The best song is fierce, disorienting and memorable because it lands like a "sucker punch" while remaining enjoyably inventive.
Shared criticism is still limited across the current review sample.
Best for listeners looking for Frankensteinian collage and noise and invention, starting with Ha, Ha Ha, Ha, Haaa and Immigrant Songs.
Full consensus notes
Deerhoof's Noble And Godlike In Ruin arrives as a mischievous, politically charged collage that balances abrasive invention with moments of surprising tenderness. Across six professional reviews the record earned a 73.17/100 consensus score, and critics repeatedly point to concise, high-impact songs as the album's clearest victories. For those searching for a decisive verdict on Noble And Godlike In Ruin, the critical consensus suggests a largely favorable, if occasionally vexed, reception.
Reviewers consistently praise the album's standout tracks as proof of Deerhoof's sustained virtuosity and imagination. “Immigrant Songs” emerges as the frequently cited closer, a pareddown, harrowing finale praised for pairing sweetness with howling feedback. Critics also flagged “Sparrow Sparrow”, “Kingtoe”, “A Body of Mirrors” and the hypnotic “Ha, Ha Ha, Ha, Haaa” as highlights - brief, combustible cuts that crystallize the record's inventive rhythmic play and punkish pop instincts. Across reviews, commentators note themes of political empathy, immigration and alienation, and a Frankensteinian collage aesthetic where noise and beauty coexist.
Critical voices are united in admiring Deerhoof's cohesion and playfulness, while some caution that maximalist arrangements and very short song lengths can feel cluttered or underdeveloped. Some critics celebrate collaborations such as the Saul Williams feature on “Under Rats” as moments of rhetorical fury and joy, others register that the album's ambition occasionally tips into chaotic excess. Ultimately the consensus score across six professional reviews frames Noble And Godlike In Ruin as a rewarding, inventive entry in Deerhoof's catalogue that contains several of the best songs on the record and repays close, repeated listening. Below, the full reviews unpack where the record's joys and tensions land.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Ha, Ha Ha, Ha, Haaa
1 mention
"On ‘Ha, Ha Ha, Ha, Haaa’, perilously descending fusion basslines and hypnotic math-rock guitar figures"— The Quietus
Immigrant Songs
5 mentions
"It ends on a beautiful cacophony of noise that feels like a cathartic abandonment"— Beats Per Minute
Kingtoe
4 mentions
"Sparrow Sparrow" and "Kingtoe" which both have almost nursery rhyme hooks at their core."— Beats Per Minute
It ends on a beautiful cacophony of noise that feels like a cathartic abandonment
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 7 critics who reviewed this album
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Critic's Take
He revels in the album’s mess and riotous invention, praising songs that are at once overwhelming and unforgettable. The reviewer pulls no punches - this is music that may be difficult, but it arrests the mind and showcases Deerhoof’s skill at compositing disparate parts into dazzling, sometimes harrowing songs.
Key Points
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The best song is fierce, disorienting and memorable because it lands like a "sucker punch" while remaining enjoyably inventive.
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The album's core strength is its Frankensteinian collage approach, fusing noise, invention and human spirit into unforgettable, often overwhelming songs.
Themes
Critic's Take
Deerhoof's Noble And Godlike In Ruin is perversely gleeful and gleefully perverse, a record that names its best tracks with equal parts tenderness and menace.
Key Points
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The album's core strengths are its fusion of pop tunefulness with anarchic noise and incisive political storytelling.
Themes
Critic's Take
Todd Dedman writes with acerbic relish, calling the opener a "woozy, bleary call to arms" and the centrepiece "operatic, glacial, and damn well far too short", which frames why these songs stand out as the best tracks on the album. Overall, the reviewer insists this is a pointed, righteous record where Deerhoof's shapeshifting energy yields some of their most affecting moments yet.
Key Points
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The album's core strengths are its genre-hopping inventiveness, political directness, and an undercurrent of joy that offsets serious subject matter.
Themes
Critic's Take
The reviewist frames Deerhoof as improbably vital on Noble And Godlike In Ruin, praising the band’s sustained audacity and craft. The writer singles out the album’s most compelling moments as bracing, playful high points that feel earned rather than nostalgic. In a voice part-admiring, part-analytical, the critic highlights the best tracks as evidence of Deerhoof’s continued inventiveness and cohesion. For listeners searching for the best songs on Noble And Godlike In Ruin, the review directs attention to the record’s standout, immediate peaks and its expertly rendered, oddball pop.
Key Points
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The best song is singled out for being a bracing, playful high point that proves the band’s inventiveness.
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The album’s core strengths are longevity, inventive arrangements, and cohesive oddball popcraft.
Themes
Critic's Take
Deerhoof's Noble And Godlike In Ruin is at once coarse and oddly tender, a Frankenstein of mangled grooves and political bite that yields clear best tracks. Even when the record tips into cluttered maximalism, those moments of clarity mark the best tracks on Noble And Godlike In Ruin and reward repeat listens.
Key Points
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The album’s core strengths are abrasive, stitched-together textures and politically charged empathic lyrics.
Themes
Th
Critic's Take
Overall the album's social commentary and clearer production make it one of Deerhoof's stronger recent efforts, even if a few cuts feel too brief.
Key Points
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The album's strengths are instrumental virtuosity, clearer production revealing nuance, and pointed social commentary.