NewDad Altar
NewDad's Altar arrives as a guitar-forward, emotionally taut collection that translates homesickness and longing into propulsive, cathartic pop-rock. Across four professional reviews critics agree the record's strongest moments - notably “Roobosh”, “Mr Cold Embrace” and “Something's Broken” - crystallise the band's shift toward punchier guitars, atmospheric swells and sharper vocals, yielding a sense of growth and hard-won assurance.
Critical consensus places Altar at a 75/100 across four reviews, with reviewers consistently praising Julie Dawson's vocal evolution and the album's balance of nostalgia and distance. “Roobosh” repeatedly emerges as the furious standout for its scuzzy layers and snap chorus, while “Mr Cold Embrace” is singled out for its soaring interlude and luminous ache. Critics also spotlight “Entertainer” for its bristling commentary on performance and “Pretty” for its homesick tenderness, making these among the best songs on Altar.
Views are not unreservedly positive: some reviewers flag uneven moments in the sequencing and a few tracks that feel at odds with the record's stronger moods. Yet the prevailing narrative from professional reviews frames Altar as a confident step forward - a record where longing meets optimism, atmosphere meets grit, and several standout tracks make a convincing case that Altar is worth attention in NewDad's growing catalog.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Roobosh
4 mentions
"the scuzzy layered guitars on the thrillingly furious Roobosh."— The Skinny
Mr Cold Embrace
3 mentions
"the soaring interlude on Mr Cold Embrace"— The Skinny
Entertainer
3 mentions
"She explores this directly on the wry and confessional Entertainer: 'No, I won’t stop if I’m falling apart / Keep on running around for you'."— The Skinny
the scuzzy layered guitars on the thrillingly furious Roobosh.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Other Side
Heavyweight
Pretty
Roobosh
Misery
Sinking Kind Of Feeling
Puzzle
Entertainer
Everything I Wanted
Mr Cold Embrace
Vertigo
Something’s Broken
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 4 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
NewDad's Altar feels more guitar-driven and confident, and the best songs - “Roobosh”, “Mr Cold Embrace” and “Something’s Broken” - show that shift plainly. The reviewer's ear lingers on the soaring interlude of “Mr Cold Embrace” and the scuzzy layered guitars that make “Roobosh” thrillingly furious. Julie Dawson's voice is sharper throughout, especially on the wry, confessional “Entertainer” and the Galway love letter “Pretty” where homesickness shapes the lyrics. These tracks demonstrate the album's command of atmosphere while pushing NewDad into a more prestigious, guitar-forward territory.
Key Points
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Roobosh is the best song for its scuzzy layered guitars and thrilling fury showcasing Dawson's evolution.
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The album's core strengths are atmosphere, more guitar-driven arrangements, and clearer vocal presence.
Themes
Critic's Take
NewDad arrive on Altar still haunted by Galway, and the best songs - particularly “Mr Cold Embrace” and “Something’s Broken” - turn that ache into something luminous. Rhian Daly’s voice spotlights how Julie Dawson channels homesickness into confession, with the atmospheric swell of “Mr Cold Embrace” and the solace-seeking closer “Something’s Broken” standing out. Other highlights like the hooky “Entertainer” and the furious pairing of “Roobosh” and “Misery” show the band balancing pop brightness and jagged aggression. The result is an album where the best tracks crystallise longing into growth, making clear why listeners will ask about the best songs on Altar and return to these moments.
Key Points
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The best song moments, led by “Mr Cold Embrace” and “Something’s Broken”, turn homesickness into hopeful, atmospheric catharsis.
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Altar's core strengths are its balance of pop hooks and jagged aggression, and its lyrical focus on sacrifice, longing and growth.
Themes
Critic's Take
NewDad return with Altar, and the best songs here are vivid: “Roobosh” stands out for its aggression and snappy chorus, while “Pretty” charms with lush harmonies and tangy guitar. The closer “Something’s Broken” is where themes of homesickness and uncertainty finally unspool into an intense emotional release. There are missteps - “Sinking Kind Of Feeling” and opener “Other Side” feel at odds with the record - but when tracks stick they do so with super glue, making these the best tracks on Altar.
Key Points
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‘Roobosh’ is the best song because its newfound aggression and snappy chorus make it a clear standout.
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The album’s core strengths are vivid moments of melody and emotional release, tied to themes of homesickness and belonging.
Themes
Critic's Take
There is a brittle tenderness at the heart of NewDad's Altar, where the best songs - “Other Side”, “Roobosh” and “Entertainer” - marry intimate longing with sudden, cathartic release. The record repeatedly folds homesickness into huge, pop-leaning choruses, and tracks like “Other Side” and “Heavyweight” show how fragility can sound enormous. “Roobosh” is a furious standout, while “Entertainer” bristles with quiet anger about performance and expectation. By the close, with “Vertigo” and “Something Broken”, the band pivot toward surprising hope without losing their emotional sting.
Key Points
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The best song is "Roobosh" because it channels raw fury and a cathartic release that the review singles out as a standout.
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The album’s core strengths are its fusion of homesick intimacy with polished, pop-leaning production and sharper dynamics.