Jerskin Fendrix Once Upon A Time... In Shropshire
Jerskin Fendrix's Once Upon A Time... In Shropshire turns rural memory into cinematic miniature, mixing grief, wit, and theatricality into a singular statement. Critics agree the record feels both intimate and performative, earning praise for songs that memorialize place and people while refusing simple sentiment. With a consensus score of 82.33 across 3 professional reviews, the critical reception skews decidedly positive: reviewers consistently single out “Beth's Farm”, “The Universe” and “Mum & Dad” as the album's most affecting moments.
Across the reviews, common themes emerge - memorialization, nostalgia, sincere eccentricity and genre-blending - which critics say give the album its emotional architecture. Paste and The Quietus emphasize “Beth's Farm” for its plucky, eerie lullaby quality and anthemic rural vignettes, while DIY elevates “The Universe” as a wondrous highlight and names “Mum & Dad” for orchestral tenderness. Reviewers note the record's theatrical contrasts - manic, experimental cuts like the “Jerskin Fendrix Freestyle” functioning as scherzos that sharpen quieter ballads, so the tension between irony and sincerity becomes the album's engine.
While some critics register bemusement at the album's surreal flourishes, the consensus suggests Once Upon A Time... In Shropshire rewards repeated listening: standout tracks provide clear entry points for those asking what the best songs on the album are, and the collection's blend of grief and invention positions it as a memorable, artful step in Jerskin Fendrix's catalogue. Read on for detailed reviews below.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Beth's Farm
2 mentions
"“Beth’s Farm” is a plucky, sunny introduction of a lovely, provincial town."— Paste Magazine
Together Again
1 mention
"The penultimate ballad “Together Again” transforms a self-dubbed death song into a flowery, folksy, and witty piano-led tune."— Paste Magazine
The Universe
3 mentions
"“The Universe” is defined by the warmth of Fendrix’s low voice"— Paste Magazine
“Beth’s Farm” is a plucky, sunny introduction of a lovely, provincial town.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Beth's Farm
Princess
Sk1
Sk2
Mum & Dad
Jerskin Fendrix Freestyle
The Universe
King Lear
Together Again
Last Night In Shropshire
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Jerskin Fendrix makes grief feel messy and oddly celebratory on Once Upon A Time... In Shropshire, and the best songs - particularly “Beth's Farm” and “Together Again” - do the heavy lifting. The record trades Winterreise's gloss for trilling piano, delicate violins, and raw vocals that make “Beth's Farm” a plucky, eerie lullaby and “Together Again” a penultimate, folksy balm. At times he punctures sorrow with absurdity - the manic “Jerskin Fendrix Freestyle” slices through the album like a scherzo - but that tension only sharpens the tender moments. Ultimately, those standout tracks anchor an album that memorializes a place and its people with sly humor and theatrical sincerity.
Key Points
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“Beth’s Farm” is best because its sweet falsetto and eerie contrast distill the album’s blend of nostalgia and tragedy.
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The album’s core strength is balancing theatrical, filmic arrangements and raw vocals with moments of absurdist humor to deepen its meditation on grief.
Themes
Critic's Take
Jerskin Fendrix renders memory as cinematic episode on Once Upon A Time... In Shropshire, where the best tracks - “Beth's Farm” and “Mum & Dad” - locate tenderness in vivid detail. The reviewer’s ear is caught by “Beth's Farm”, with its anthemic melody and rural lyric snapshots, and by “Mum & Dad”, a pensive ballad that swells into a striking crescendo. A darker, experimental turn in “Jerskin Fendrix Freestyle” provides propulsive contrast, tying the record’s filmic textures to personal history. The result is an album that celebrates moments you can warp and reconnect to through music, balancing nostalgia and invention.
Key Points
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The best song, "Beth's Farm", is best for its vivid, memory-laden lyrics and anthemic melody.
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The album’s core strengths are its cinematic, nostalgic arrangements and successful fusion of filmic textures with personal storytelling.
Themes
Critic's Take
Jerskin Fendrix returns with Once Upon A Time... In Shropshire, a record that bulldozes through irony to land on something very human and oddly moving. The review highlights “The Universe” as a wondrous highlight, and frames “Mum & Dad” and “Princess” as key moments - orchestral tenderness and grand art-pop respectively. The tone is admiring and a touch bemused, noting how surreal visuals and sincere memories collide to make the best tracks stand out. For listeners querying the best songs on Once Upon A Time... In Shropshire, begin with “The Universe”, then explore “Mum & Dad” and “Princess” for the album's clearest pleasures.
Key Points
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“The Universe” is best because it crystallizes the album's sweet, melancholic sincerity.
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The album's core strengths are its blend of eccentricity and genuine emotional clarity across varied genres.