Hilary Woods Night CRIÚ
Hilary Woods's Night CRIÚ announces a quiet, ritualized return to song, an album where minimalist melodies and devotional atmosphere turn restraint into emotional force. Critics agree the record rewards patience: across two professional reviews it earned an 80/100 consensus score, with reviewers repeatedly pointing to the stripped-back production, drone-laden backdrops and moments of childlike juxtaposition as the record's defining features. Is Night CRIÚ good? The critical consensus suggests yes - a measured, intimate success rather than a showy reinvention.
Reviewers consistently praise standout tracks as proof of Woods' reclamation of voice. Faults is singled out by both The Quietus and Clash Music as a highlight, called "one of the most gorgeous songs" and ranked among her most heart-stopping work, its funeral-like horns and hushed vocals lifting simple lines toward hymn-like tenderness. Taper also emerges as a best song on Night CRIÚ, noted for a startling children's-choir moment that crystallizes the album's darkness versus light motif. Critics also flag Endgames and Offerings for their slow revelations and concentrated emotional power.
While the two reviews emphasize different specifics, the shared narrative frames Night CRIÚ as Woods at her most pared-back and devotional, a collection where voice and melody reclaim center stage amid ritual and atmosphere. For those asking what critics say about Night CRIÚ or whether the album is worth listening to, the professional reviews suggest a modest but memorable triumph in Woods' catalog, one that rewards close, repeated listening.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Faults
2 mentions
"‘Faults’ is right up there with the most heart-stopping things she’s ever written."— The Quietus
Endgames
1 mention
"Arriving with a self-directed video... lead single ‘Endgames’ is a masterclass in slow revelation"— The Quietus
Offerings
1 mention
"she’s using her voice again, but there’s a cloaked ecstasy to ‘Offerings’"— The Quietus
‘Faults’ is right up there with the most heart-stopping things she’s ever written.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Voce
Faults
Endgames
Brightly
Taper
Offerings
Shelter
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Hilary Woods' return to song on Night CRIÚ feels like a ritual reclaimed, and the record's best songs - Faults, Endgames and Offerings - make that case vividly. In language that is devout without spectacle, the reviewer praises Faults as "right up there with the most heart-stopping things she’s ever written", noting brass that lifts the line heavenward and a hymn-like tenderness. Endgames is held up as a masterclass in slow revelation, its two-chord suspension turning longing into ritual. Meanwhile, the short, keening power of Offerings is presented as proof that Woods can summon profound feeling in just over two minutes.
Key Points
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‘Faults’ is the standout for its hymn-like tenderness and heart-stopping emotional lift.
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The album's core strengths are vocal reclamation, ritual atmosphere, and intimate, devotional sound design.
Themes
Critic's Take
The best tracks on Night CRIÚ are those where Hilary Woods pares everything back and lets melody and voice do the work; the reviewer's voice lingers longest on Faults and Taper. In the same lucid, measured tone that praises Woods' move away from dense soundscapes, he calls Faults "one of the most gorgeous songs" and details its hushed vocals, sombre drum and funeral-like horns. He singles out the final third of Taper for its startling children's choir moment, a juxtaposition that crystallises the album's charm. Overall the reviewer presents Night CRIÚ as Woods at her most stripped-back and honest, the slow-moving wonders growing in emotional steam to become the album's best songs.
Key Points
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The best song is best because sparse arrangement and dreamlike vocals deliver maximal emotional payoff.
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The album's core strengths are stripped-back production, intimate melodies, and a tension between playfulness and lurking darkness.