Du Blonde Sniff More Gritty
Du Blonde's Sniff More Gritty hits with brash theatricality and a hard-won sense of liberation, turning industry grievance and personal vengeance into taut, hook-driven rock. Across five professional reviews the record earned a 78.8/100 consensus score, and critics consistently point to stadium-ready sneers and scuzzy glam-punk choruses as the album's chief pleasures.
Reviewers agree the best songs on Sniff More Gritty are immediate and anthemic: “Next Big Thing”, “TV Star” and “Perfect” recur as standout tracks praised for combustible hooks, witty venom and pop-grunge muscle. Critics from Under The Radar and Clash highlight “Solitary Individual” and guest turns as emotional peaks, while Classic Rock and DIY note how collaborations - from Laura Jane Grace to Skin - sharpen the record's theatrical punch without diluting its DIY production. Themes of industry critique, identity, revenge against manipulative men and rebirth thread through the lyrics, giving the collection a coherent, defiant core.
Not all responses are uniformly ecstatic: some reviewers flag moments of repetition and occasional over-familiarity in the arrangements, yet most professional reviews frame those flaws as secondary to Houghton's wit, vocal vulnerability and knack for hooks. The critical consensus suggests Sniff More Gritty is a spirited, often essential listen for fans of grungy indie rock and theatrical punk-pop, a confident rebirth that balances raw emotion with sing-along nastiness. Read on for full reviews and track-by-track context on why critics call out “Next Big Thing” and “TV Star” as the record's triumphs.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Next Big Thing
5 mentions
"serves as a commentary on the patronizing "advice" and toxic behavior"— Under The Radar
TV Star
4 mentions
"spotlight the corrosive impact of fame"— Under The Radar
Dollar Coffee
2 mentions
"delivers an irresistible fusion of glam and punk"— Under The Radar
serves as a commentary on the patronizing "advice" and toxic behavior
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Perfect
Dollar Coffee
Solitary Individual
TV Star
Out of a Million
ICU
Blame
Lucky
Yesterday
Next Big Thing
Radio Jesus
Metal Detector
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 7 critics who reviewed this album
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Critic's Take
Du Blonde’s Sniff More Gritty is a defiant, triumphant record that finds its best songs in the scathing vignettes like “TV Star” and the sly, anthemic “Next Big Thing”. Andy Von Pip’s prose leans celebratory and exacting, praising how “Dollar Coffee” fuses glam and punk while the album as a whole turns industry bile into jubilant resilience. The reviewer singles out these tracks as the clearest moments where Houghton’s wit, vocal vulnerability and pop-grunge muscle coalesce into the album’s most memorable highlights.
Key Points
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The best song work combines sharp industry critique with jubilant, anthemic pop-grunge, exemplified by "TV Star" and "Next Big Thing".
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The album’s core strengths are Houghton’s storytelling, emotional directness, and the fusion of raw power with redemptive joy.
Themes
Cl
Critic's Take
Paul Brannigan writes with furious affection about Du Blonde and her new album Sniff More Gritty, arguing the best songs - notably “Next Big Thing”, “Perfect” and “Blame” - are where her anger and wry humour collide to devastating effect. He praises the record's defiant core - Nolite te bastardes carborundorum - and highlights the way Du Blonde eviscerates past abusers while still delivering moments of genuine tenderness, as on “Out Of A Million”. The review reads like a celebration: visceral, plainspoken and unapologetic, making clear these are the best tracks on Sniff More Gritty because they fuse lyric venom with irresistible glam-punk hooks.
Key Points
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The best song, "Next Big Thing", is the fiercest track because it distills industry abuse into savage, sardonic lyrics with a potent guest vocal.
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The album's core strengths are its defiant tone and Du Blonde's ability to transform personal anger into catchy, theatrical glam-punk and tender balladry.
Themes
Critic's Take
Du Blonde's Sniff More Gritty bristles with the giddy liberation of a reborn artist, and the review makes clear the best songs deliver that rush. Standouts like “TV Star” and “Solitary Individual” are highlighted for their hooky, theatrical punch and punk-infused vigor, while “Next Big Thing” and “Radio Jesus” earn praise for their scornful harmonies and joyful theatricality. The reviewer writes in a celebratory, slightly wry voice, noting how loud choruses and collaborations elevate the album into hands-in-the-air, sing-along moments. Overall, the critic frames the best tracks as the ones that let Beth be unapologetically herself, turning personal freedom into immediate, exhilarating pop-rock moments.
Key Points
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The best song, notably “TV Star”, succeeds by turning wry lyricism and bratty choruses into immediate sing-along hooks.
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The album’s core strengths are its sense of liberation, bold collaborations, and big, theatrical, hook-driven rock-pop.
Themes
Critic's Take
Du Blonde keeps delivering hooks on Sniff More Gritty, and the best songs - notably “Perfect” and “Next Big Thing” - land those grungy, massive choruses with relish. The album’s clever guest turns, from Laura Jane Grace on “Solitary Individual” to Skin on “Next Big Thing”, give the record emotional and sonic peaks without ever sounding gratuitous. Even when songs like “Yesterday” or “ICU” drift toward repetition, the throughline of sharp songwriting and collaborator choices keeps the best tracks sticky and immediate. Overall, Sniff More Gritty is another solid release that thrives on muscular hooks and well-judged features.
Key Points
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“Next Big Thing” is the best song because it pairs a huge '90s-inspired chorus with a forceful guest turn that underscores its themes.
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The album’s core strengths are sharp hooks and smart collaborator choices that lift key tracks.
Themes
Th
Critic's Take
In a voice equal parts wry and exultant the review celebrates Du Blonde's Sniff More Gritty, pointing to the bratty, gleeful blasts that make the best tracks on the album. The piece singles out “TV Star” and “Next Big Thing” as headline scorers, both full of disdain and scuzzily melodic hooks that feel like someone cutting loose. There is also warm attention to “Solitary Individual”, noted for its playful garage-pop and a guest turn that sharpens the album's outsider charm. Overall the reviewer frames these songs as the best songs on Sniff More Gritty, proof of Houghton's self-sufficient, celebratory streak.
Key Points
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“Next Big Thing” is best for its damning industry lyricism and high-profile feature that crystallises the album's outsider anger.
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The album's core strengths are DIY production, bold riffs, and a joyful refusal to conform.