Can I Keep This Pen? - Northern State
Can I Keep This Pen? Image

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critics What's this?

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Mixed or average reviews- based on 6 Ratings

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  • Summary: The Long Island trio moves away from a major label for this album.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 13
  2. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. The group's defiantly loose new disc once again kicks it independent-style, with a sparkling new set that augments signature old-school flows and girlish good humor with electro and new-wave flourishes.
  2. The beats are tight, the rhymes are tighter and the ladies seem like they're having fun without trying too hard or taking themselves too seriously.
  3. 80
    Best of all are the lyrics, with fragments of nursery rhymes, playground chants, witty wordplay and light hearted braggadocio which, rather like The Go! Team, will leave you with a big, stupid smile on your face. [Oct 2007, p.101]
  4. 60
    Some halfhearted rhymes linger, but contagiously energetic political jams such as 'Cold War' make it easy to forget that it's been three years since anyone heard of Le Tigre. [Sep 2007, p.136]
  5. They can't be accused of not making spirited music, but Northern State are still looking for the right words to express their sensible worldview.
  6. 60
    'Mother May I?' and AdRock's 'Oooh Girl' are the most engaging and enetertaining of a solid selection. [Oct 2007, p.106]
  7. A handful of songs, like 'Things I'll Do,' find Northern State at their zenith, perfect storms of concept, beat and lyrical cleverness. Others are catchy but inane. Enough are just insipid.

See all 13 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of
  2. Mixed: 0 out of
  3. Negative: 0 out of