Todd Snider High, Lonesome And Then Some
Todd Snider's High, Lonesome And Then Some arrives as a mood piece more than a fully formed collection, a record where sparse production and weary delivery shape both its allure and its limitations. Critics across professional reviews note a consistent tension between moments of genuine groove and a prevailing lethargy - the album earned a 50/100 consensus score across 2 professional reviews. That middling reception frames the question: is High, Lonesome And Then Some good? The consensus suggests it is intermittently rewarding rather than uniformly successful.
Reviewers consistently point to standout tracks that break the album's minimalist blues spell. “WHILE WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE” emerges as the clear high point, praised for its piano, groove and fuzzed guitar; the title cut “HIGH, LONESOME AND THEN SOME.” and “THE TEMPTATION TO EXIST.” are also singled out for finding emotional footholds. Common themes across reviews include failed intimacy, sparse minimalism, philosophical musings and a stoner detachment that often leaves ideas undercooked. Critics note that when the full band breathes life into a song the results feel vivid, but much of the record trudges with first-take immediacy and vocals that sometimes struggle to carry the material.
Taken together, professional reviews deliver a mixed portrait: moments of fragile hope and inviting inspiration contrast with repetitive phrasing and a pervasive bleakness and loss. For listeners seeking the best songs on High, Lonesome And Then Some, “WHILE WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE”, “HIGH, LONESOME AND THEN SOME.” and “THE TEMPTATION TO EXIST.” are the tracks critics most consistently recommend. The reviews below unpack those highs and the record's minimalist ambitions in greater detail.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
WHILE WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE
2 mentions
"uses piano, a gorgeous groove, fuzzed-up guitar, and floral background vocals to excellent effect"— Glide Magazine
HIGH, LONESOME AND THEN SOME.
2 mentions
"The title track provides a stoned rolling country twang that works well"— Glide Magazine
THE TEMPTATION TO EXIST.
2 mentions
"closer "The Temptation to Exist" lets the band stretch out a bit"— Glide Magazine
uses piano, a gorgeous groove, fuzzed-up guitar, and floral background vocals to excellent effect
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
THE HUMAN CONDITION
UNFORGIVABLE (WORST STORY EVER TOLD)
WHILE WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE
THE ONE, FOUR, FIVE BLUES
ITS HARD TO BE HAPPY (Y IS FOR REDNECK)
STONER YODEL #2 (RAELYN NELSON)
OLDER WOMEN
HIGH, LONESOME AND THEN SOME.
THE TEMPTATION TO EXIST.
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 2 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
In a voice that sounds battered and weary, Todd Snider turns High, Lonesome And Then Some into a mood more than a set of songs, with “While We Still Have A Chance” emerging as the clear best track for its piano, groove and fuzzed guitar. The record often feels like first takes, so the best tracks - notably “While We Still Have A Chance” and the title cut “High, Lonesome and Then Some.” - are the moments when the full band makes the songs breathe. Snider’s gravelly delivery and pared-back arrangements make the high points stand out precisely because much of the album trudges in a lethargic register.
Key Points
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“While We Still Have A Chance” is best because full-band arrangement, piano and fuzzed guitar make it a standout.
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The album’s core strength is mood and occasional full-band moments, but sparse production and weary vocals limit engagement.
Themes
Critic's Take
Todd Snider's High, Lonesome And Then Some often skates on a thin surface, where pared-back blues and stoner detachment trump narrative development. The best songs on High, Lonesome And Then Some are plainly “While We Still Have a Chance” and the title track, moments that find a groove and a real emotional foothold. “While We Still Have a Chance” supplies a fragile hope amid ruined romance, while the title track and closer “The Temptation to Exist” provide the album's most inviting inspirations. Yet for all of these flashes, the record too often repeats phrases and leaves ideas undercooked, so the best tracks stand out mostly because they do less to get in their own way.
Key Points
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“While We Still Have a Chance” is best for imbuing a doomed relationship with fragile hope and concrete lyric detail.
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The album’s core strength is its pared-back, minimal blues mood that occasionally produces inviting grooves and brief flashes of inspiration.