Kathryn Joseph We Were Made Prey.
Kathryn Joseph's We Were Made Prey. opens like a nocturnal fable, where image-heavy lyricism and animalistic imagery turn isolation and human nature into unsettling, intimate drama. Across two professional reviews the record earned an 80/100 consensus score, with critics pointing to immediate standouts such as “WOLF.&rdquo., “HARBOUR.&rdquo., “BEFORE.&rdquo., “DEER.&rdquo. and “HOLD.&rdquo. as the best songs on the collection.
Critics consistently praise Joseph's voice-forward approach, noting how her gossamer delivery negotiates jagged intimacy and threaded rage. Reviewers highlight the contrast of tragedy and softness: the feral opener “WOLF.&rdquo. and the furious bind of “BEFORE.&rdquo. sit beside plaintive moments like “HARBOUR.&rdquo. and “HOLD.&rdquo., creating a balance between anger and longing. Production choices - oscillating distortion, lost Rhodes-like keys and new electronics - give the record a restless, searching shape that frames themes of survival, evolution and religious reckoning.
While both professional reviews find the songwriting and atmospherics entrancing, critics also register a deliberate roughness in Campbell's production that can fray songs at the edges, making the album a challenging but rewarding listen. The critical consensus suggests We Were Made Prey. is worth listening to for those drawn to poetic metaphors, stark atmospheres and standout tracks such as “WOLF.&rdquo. and “HARBOUR.&rdquo.; the record stakes a distinct place in Joseph's catalog as a searching, often fierce statement.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
BEFORE.
1 mention
"the track that binds the album in its direct, angry refrains - 'Before your God…'"— The Skinny
WOLF.
1 mention
"On the opening track, Joseph laments, "I am wolf and you’re full of blood""— The Line of Best Fit
DEER.
1 mention
"Built around a melancholy piano sequence, "Deer" captures potent paradoxes"— The Line of Best Fit
the track that binds the album in its direct, angry refrains - 'Before your God…'
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
WOLF.
DARK.
HARBOUR.
BEL(II).
BEFORE.
DEER.
DRAWN.
ROADKILL.
HOLD.
CHILDREN.
FIRE.
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
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Critic's Take
Kathryn Joseph's We Were Made Prey. feels like her most entrancing release yet, with best songs such as “WOLF.” and “Dark” foregrounding the album's Hobbesian, image-heavy concerns. The reviewer foregrounds the opener's feral line, and a gossamer vocal on “Dark” that contrasts with fraying distorted chords, making them standout tracks. In this voice-forward record, tracks like “Deer” and “Harbour” further showcase Joseph's knack for marrying stark atmosphere with unexpectedly catchy rhythmic elements. Overall, the album's strengths lie in its poetic metaphors, Campbell's oscillating production, and Joseph's equanimous-yet-mercurial singing, which together make the best tracks on We Were Made Prey. resonate long after listening.
Key Points
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The best song is the opener "WOLF.", whose feral lyric and mood-setting delivery define the album's Hobbesian frame.
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The album's core strengths are Joseph's image-heavy lyricism, mercurial yet equanimous voice, and Campbell's oscillating production that balances earthly grit with celestial atmospheres.
Themes
Critic's Take
Kathryn Joseph's We Were Made Prey. feels restless and searching, the record finding its best moments in jagged intimacy such as “HARBOUR.” and the furious bind of “BEFORE.”. The reviewer's eye lingers on how the lost Rhodes-like keys and new electronics frame songs like “ROADKILL.&rdquo., and how “HOLD.&rdquo. offers a hopeful release amid threaded rage. The voice throughout is attentive to incongruence - tragedy told softly - which is precisely why these tracks stand out as the best songs on We Were Made Prey..
Key Points
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BEFORE. is best because it binds the album with direct, angry refrains and a memorable lyrical hook.
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The album's core strengths are its textural expansion into electronics and the contrast of quiet tones with intense emotion.