We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves

John Maus in 2011

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Pitchfork	(8.4/10)[2]
Tiny Mix Tapes	[3]
Drowned in Sound	[4]
The Guardian	[5]
The Guardian	[6]
Fact Magazine	[7]
BBC Music	(Positive)[8]
Slant Magazine	[9]
Q Magazine	[10]
Metacritic	(75/100)[11]

We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves is the third LP from the American electronic musician John Maus, released in 2011, on Ribbon Music in the USA and Upset the Rhythm in the UK.

Track listing

1. "Streetlight" – 2:52
2. "Quantum Leap" – 2:52
3. "...And the Rain" – 2:46
4. "Hey Moon" – 4:08
5. "Keep Pushing On" – 3:33
6. "The Crucifix" – 1:15
7. "Head for the Country" – 3:16
8. "Cop Killer" – 2:41
9. "Matter of Fact" – 2:16
10. "We Can Breakthrough" – 2:08
11. "Believer" – 4:05 ^[12]

Notes

Track four, 'Hey Moon', is a rework of a song released by Berlin-based Swedish synth-pop musician Molly Nilsson on her self-released 2008 CD-R, These Things Take Time.^[13]

Tracks seven^[14] and 11^[15] have music videos, both of which feature Maus and are inspired by vintage film.

Reception

Pitchfork gave the album a rating of 8.4 and awarded it a Best New Album title. Likewise, the track "Believer" was awarded Best New Music.

On the aggregate review website Metacritic, the album has a rating of 75/100, meaning "generally favorable reviews" (15 positive; four mixed; and one negative review).^[16]

Slant magazine gave the album a 0/5 star rating, citing derivative synth instrumentation and the validity of Maus's philosophical work. It was the only negative professional review.^[17]

References