Nonpareils Rhetoric & Terror
Nonpareils's Rhetoric & Terror arrives as an arresting, occasionally vexing collection where theatricality and fractured songcraft collide, and critics agree it rewards attention rather than casual play. Across two professional reviews the record earned a 70/100 consensus score, with reviewers consistently pointing to specific moments of clarity such as “Opening Chord”, “Strawberry Hill”, and “Figures Of Speech” as the album's best songs and highlights for anyone searching for the best songs on Rhetoric & Terror.
Professional reviews praise the album's textures and atmosphere, noting textured electronics, angular songwriting, and a duality between composed structure and subconscious drift. Both The Quietus and Dusted Magazine single out “Strawberry Hill” for its consoling, slightly psychedelic respite, while “Opening Chord” is admired for shapeshifting post-rock and new-wave echoes. Critics also commend rhythm-forward pieces like “Figures Of Speech” for marrying sharper edges with melodic payoff. At the same time reviewers point to disjointed composition and a certain coldness that can keep the record from feeling wholly cohesive.
Balancing praise and reservations, the critical consensus suggests Rhetoric & Terror is worth listening for its standout tracks, inventive textures, and theatrical ambition, even if some moments feel like an intriguing jumble rather than a unified statement. Read on for detailed reviews that unpack parenthood and artistic life motifs, electronic flourishes, and the moments where the songs truly cohere.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Figures Of Speech
2 mentions
"on 'Figures Of Speech', it's just her in the spotlight. It's a dreamy track"— The Quietus
Strawberry Hill
2 mentions
"The album closer 'Strawberry Hill' offers some respite - it is less disjointed and more blissful"— The Quietus
Opening Chord
2 mentions
"The opening track and single, 'Opening Chord', is most reminiscent of Hemphill’s earlier work"— The Quietus
on 'Figures Of Speech', it's just her in the spotlight. It's a dreamy track
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Opening Chord
Unscripting With The Snake And The Swan
Figures Of Speech
Flowers Like The Rain
Six Six Seven (Monsieur Faux Pas)
Bring It On
The Broken Mirror Shaped Like A Day
Predictable Pan (Theme From A Book Of Perfectly Drawn Lines)
Strawberry Hill
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
On Nonpareils's Rhetoric & Terror the best tracks are the ones that actually feel like moments of revelation - “Opening Chord” and “Strawberry Hill” stand out. Puja Nandi frames “Opening Chord” as reminiscent of Hemphill's Liars past, shapeshifting between post-rock and German new-wave, which is precisely why it emerges as a top track. At the other end, “Strawberry Hill” provides blissful respite, slightly psychedelic and consoling, and thus makes the best-songs lists for anyone searching the best songs on Rhetoric & Terror. The record often feels like an intriguing jumble rather than a cohesive whole, so the best tracks are those that find clarity within the flux.
Key Points
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The best song, “Opening Chord”, is best because it most successfully channels Hemphill's Liars-era shapeshifting between textures.
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The album’s core strengths are its multi-textural arrangements and willingness to swing between subconscious lyricism and formal structure.
Themes
Critic's Take
- The reviewer's prose is measured and analytic, praising moments of textured electronics and theatrical songwriting while noting occasional coldness. On Rhetoric & Terror the strongest moments are the focused, rhythm-forward pieces, especially “Figures Of Speech” and “Strawberry Hill”, which the reviewer singles out for their textural clarity and melodic payoff. The voice remains slightly academic yet affectionate, parsing how production choices elevate songs without sentimentalizing them. Overall, the critic frames the best tracks as those that marry the album's sharper edges with memorable hooks.
Key Points
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The best song balances textured electronics with a clear melodic payoff, making it the album's standout.
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The album's core strengths are its electronic textures and theatrical, angular songwriting, even when that approach can feel distant.
Themes
