GoGo Penguin Necessary Fictions
GoGo Penguin's Necessary Fictions reconfirms the trio's restlessness, marrying their jazz roots to cinematic strings and the occasional vocal turn with compelling results. Critics agree that the record's strongest moments arrive in collaborative pieces — notably “Forgive the Damages (feat. Daudi Matsiko)”, “Luminous Giants (feat. Rakhi Singh & Manchester Collective)” and “State of Flux (feat. Manchester Collective & Rakhi Singh)” — which balance intimate tension with widescreen orchestration and the live energy many reviewers praised. Across two professional reviews the album earned a 75/100 consensus score, a signal of generally favorable reception that highlights both ambition and restraint.
Reviewers consistently point to the album's sonic expansion and experimentation, from string-enhanced arrangements to modular-synth flourishes. PopMatters emphasizes patient builds on tracks like “Fallowfield Loops” and the trio's tonal alchemy, while Clash Music foregrounds cinematic piano, razor-sharp drumming and Daudi Matsiko's emotional vocal turn on “Forgive the Damages (feat. Daudi Matsiko)” as a decisive reshaping of GoGo Penguin's palette. Critics note that vocal collaboration and orchestral guests give the record a sense of self-discovery rather than mere pastiche, adding texture without erasing the band's trademark rhythmic drive.
There are divergent notes alongside the praise: some reviews frame the experimental detours as promising beginnings rather than fully realized transformations. Still, the critical consensus suggests Necessary Fictions is a worthwhile step forward in GoGo Penguin's catalog, especially for listeners curious about the band's fusion of jazz, electronica and classical elements and for those seeking the best songs on the record in its collaborative high points. Detailed reviews below explore how these standout tracks shape the album's identity.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Forgive the Damages (feat. Daudi Matsiko)
2 mentions
"The album also features GoGo Penguin’s first-ever song with vocals, "Forgive the Damages", with British-Ugandan singer-songwriter Daudi Matsiko"— PopMatters
Luminous Giants (feat. Rakhi Singh & Manchester Collective)
2 mentions
""Luminous Giants" and "State of Flux" feature violinist Rakhi Singh and the Manchester Collective"— PopMatters
State of Flux (feat. Manchester Collective & Rakhi Singh)
2 mentions
""State of Flux" comes out of the gate with more energy, as Blacka and Scott lay down a compelling groove"— PopMatters
The album also features GoGo Penguin’s first-ever song with vocals, "Forgive the Damages", with British-Ugandan singer-songwriter Daudi Matsiko
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Umbra
Fallowfield Loops
Forgive the Damages (feat. Daudi Matsiko)
What We Are and What We Are Meant to Be
Background Hiss Reminds Me of Rain
The Turn Within
Living Bricks in Dead Mortar
Naga Ghost
Luminous Giants (feat. Rakhi Singh & Manchester Collective)
Float (Loi Krathong, 2003)
State of Flux (feat. Manchester Collective & Rakhi Singh)
Silence Speaks
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
GoGo Penguin sound revitalized on Necessary Fictions, and the best songs — particularly “What We Are and What We Are Meant to Be” and “Forgive the Damages” — underline that renewed spirit. The review relishes the band’s tonal alchemy, noting how tracks like “Umbra” and “Fallowfield Loops” build patiently into kinetic grooves that should flourish live. String-enhanced pieces such as “Luminous Giants” and “State of Flux” provide sweeping grandeur, while the trio’s first vocal outing feels genuinely earned rather than tacked on. Overall, this is an album of warmth, craft, and forward motion that frames the best tracks as both intimate and expansive.
Key Points
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The best song, "What We Are and What We Are Meant to Be", acts as the album’s spiritual thesis with memorable melody and live potential.
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The album’s core strengths are tonal layering, rhythmic propulsion, and tasteful expansion into strings and vocals.
Themes
Critic's Take
Ben Lee hears GoGo Penguin pushing boundaries on Necessary Fictions, and the best songs here are the collaborative highs. He singles out “Luminous Giants” and “State Of Flux” for their sumptuous strings, and “Forgive The Damages” for Daudi Matsiko’s emotional vocal turn that reshapes the trio’s sound. The writing stresses cinematic arpeggiating piano, razor-sharp drumming and fluid basslines as the album’s backbone, while calling the modular-synth outro of “Naga Ghost” a promising sign of future experimentation. Overall, Lee frames these tracks as the standout moments that make the question of the band’s next steps the most compelling part of the record.
Key Points
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The best song is “Forgive The Damages” because Daudi Matsiko’s emotional vocals transform the trio’s sound.
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The album’s core strengths are its cinematic arpeggiating piano, precise drumming, fluid bass and successful string collaborations.
Themes
