If you don't like this album...there may indeed be something wrong with your ears:
351115
Wow...just wow.  They spent a lot of time in the studio recording this.  They didn't leave the studio until each person in the band was happy with each track, sound or noise.
It shows.  This album is very lush and has a lot of dynamic.  The only disappointing thing about this album is that it was the last one for Hum to put forth.
Great album.
2610696
I'm one of those rabid Keith Jarrett fans that hangs on his every phrase.  This album gives us a nice musical experience, but upon listening closely, I'm hearing quite a bit of distortion.  Perhaps that cannot be avoided in a live album ... except for yes it can.
4619535
...and, hey, some people don't like "Sgt. Pepper" either. But I almost agree with the insane reviewer who says this is the best album he's ever heard. Just as "Pepper" may have been a bit too much for rock, "Substrata" may have just a bit too much going on to really qualify as Ambient, but I can't imagine putting any other label on it. The chords, the slight melodies, the sampled voices, the weird time signatures (15/8 time, using a synced delay) - you can either zone out or listen closely. As a bonus, many of the sampled voices are from "Twin Peaks", including a great monologue about a dream of perfect contentment.

"Highly recommended" doesn't begin to do justice to this CD.
1284181
I like this album too, but I must vehemently disagree with the other reviewer about the sample at the start of the album. It's a terrible choice and sticks out like a sore thumb. It's instantly recognizable, even if you've only seen previews of the movie Malice. Even if I didn't know the quote, I think I would immediatly know it was Alec Baldwin speaking... and his persona doesn't exactly coincide with the mood of the music. I know it all seems like a minor point. After all, it's only about 5 or so seconds of speech. But it's the first thing on the album! It just sets the wrong mood.  One could turn on Turner Classic Movies, and in a matter of minutes come across a better quote to use, and one that most people have no previous associations with. Why would I want to be reminded of a subpar 90's thriller right as my mind is open, anticipating listening to and evaluating a new piece of music? I really wish bands would stop using such recognizable quotes. It takes you out of the music in a most unpleasant way. And this quote is just terrible anyways... nonsensical even. I remember it being extensively mocked actually when the movie came out. Really, quite lame... it's just such an awful choice for an otherwise good album.
3566539
I believe I know why this album is getting more bad reviews than the norm. It's because Mumford and Sons is evolving as a band. Some will follow them and still love them, while (undoubtedly) others will say how bad the band is now and will stop following them. It happens to every band. Here is my take on the album. The first time I listed to this in its entirety, I did NOT like it. Even though I KNEW going in that they ditched the banjo, and based on listening to their single, Believe, I had a hunch as to what to expect from the third studio album. However, I still did NOT like it. Then I listened to the album again, and again, and again. With each new time in listening to the new sound, I must say I still LOVE this band. They sound different musically, but they still have the same great lyrics. My suggestion is you can learn to adapt with the band or be left behind in the crowd that doesn't get and or like the new changes. Either way, Mumford is not going away anytime soon!
782958
There's another version of this on amazon, a remastered version with only one cd, and the sound is horrifying on that one.  This is the one you want, unless you want to go deaf.  Yeah, it's a great album, real genius and musical talent involved here, but you have to be careful that you buy this version instead of the other version here on amazon, which is un listenable.
2269988
Look, you either love this band, hate it, or have absolutely no emotion regarding it whatsoever.  If you're in the group of people who loves it, this is a fantastic album, go for it.
3788859
Do not buy this album if you do not like to have fun!  Stay away if you are offended by danceable rhythms, compelling lyrics and lush tapestries of orchestrated awesomeness.  Please, for the love of god, do not even think about previewing this album if you think the '70's are dead, mouldering in the ground and condemned to the inequity of obsolescence.  If on the other hand you are a free minded lover of music by  artists that know no bounds and are unburdened by tapping the wellspring of previous expeditions that laid the groundwork for the bold  yet jaded and misguided scions who looked on their forbearers labors with newfound admiration and respect, then it is possible that you will not only love this band, but this band will love you, for their ambitions are clearly displayed in this cosmic voyage of audible bliss.  Now, I have to ask, who in this day and age is going to do that for you for under $20?  MUSIC GO MUSIC!
2854184
The album starts with Rage Against the Machine by way of a James Bond movie, and ends with dubstep and the END OF THE FRIGGIN' WORLD, and nothing in between those bookends makes any more sense than either of them, and it's fabulous.

"But I like my music and albums to maintain a coherency and a general sense of order an--"  BYE.  Go away.  Wrong album for you.  Matt Bellamy appears to be a musical Godzilla who can do whatever he wants and has decided to just go ahead and do that, without regard for his listeners' or his own sanity.

And good for all of us.  I liked many of their previous albums.  This one outshines them all on pure balls and pure comically unfettered creative adrenaline.

The highlight of the album without question is the duo of "2nd Law" tracks at the end.  One of my fellow critics here dismissed them with a simple "these are not songs."

I guarantee, if you agree with him, you will dislike this album.  But if you sit there listening with a goofy grin on your face, feet subconsciously tapping out the bass drum lines, awash with the excitement of something which didn't exist before, and wondering how the same band that made this made the dance-pop "Panic Station" or any of the other inexplicable joy that came before it, well, you'll get it.  And you got it.

FIVE STARS.  If you don't like it, your soul has died.
417057
It's funny... I listen to a lot of John Zorn, early Frank Zappa, Mike Patton, and (original) Smile-era Brian Wilson stuff, so I don't even think twice about fragmentary music that changes every 10&ndash;45 seconds. When I heard this, it didn't even consciously occur to me how often the music changed, and I just sat back and enjoyed the pretty melodies and the general sense of fun. It wasn't until I started reading all the reviews that say things like "These guys must have ADD! This is nuts!" that I realized, yeah, I guess it does change direction pretty often compared to most music. Well, whatever. I guess it really depends on your temperment. Are you looking for music exclusively to soothe you or to dance to? Are you annoyed by music that strays too far from the reservation? Well then, this is probably not for you. If you want music to challenge and distract you, then pick this up by all means.

One more thing. There's nothing wrong with not liking this album. But calling it a "con game", and accusing people who do like it of being mindless sheep, suckered by trendy indie magazines, is the worst kind of snobbery. Do try to consider that people might honestly have different taste in music, and that just because they like something you don't doesn't necessarily mean they're stupid poseurs.
3870727
I think the reason why this album has gotten reviews so polarized on opposite sides is a matter of taste. The truth is, that if you listen Avril, Ashlee, Gwen, or even those mass produced "punk" bands permeating our music today, you probably won't like this. For Smoosh, like Bjork or Portishead, isn't for everyone, and is if nothing else is a bit of an acquired taste in music. So either you get it (if you're predisposed to the whole trip-hopish genre) or you don't (if you prefer easier understanding, unchallanging, standard music). Cheers to broadminded music lovers everywhere!
2072999
This album really grows on you, but it definitely takes at least a few listenings to appreciate it.  Reading about the album, I learned that during the recording period, that things were very chaotic, with band members routinely not showing up for recording, going to jail, etc.  Richard afterwards called the whole album a "load of s***", and the writers tell us that the whole band was on drugs the entire time.

Well, that all may be true and though the songs at first seem scattered and poorly put together and the whole album initially just sounds like a bunch of never before rehearsed sounds, but after listening, you realize that there is a whole lot of really cool experimentation going on, and that a lot of the random sounding things are related to the melodies.  The melody is there and all the weird sounds just make it more fun to listen to.

The lyrics are stupid when I listened to them and then read them, to be honest, but the whole thing reminds me more of the Beach Boy's experimentation with Pet Sounds or even Smile...or should I say Brian Wilson's experimenation with sound.
It's a fun album, probably under appreciated.
1047042
The sound for this album is really muddy.  I know that it's a live album, and an mp3 version of the disk instead of the original, and I'm not a real audiophile if I'm willing to listen to either.  That's fine, I'm willing to accept that.  But the quality of this is much worse than I'm used to for either mp3s or live albums.

(Why does this mp3 album no longer show up when I search for Joy Division & Unknown Pleasures?  I could only get to this item by going through my download history.  Maybe I'm not the only one who had problems with this?)
3798061
More often than not I read reviews or hear talk that this album a "downer".
If you think that is the case then you're probably not listening to it in the right context.
If by the end of this album you're not inspired to be a better you, then listen more closely.

On a side note, I somehow got a limited edition copy of this album which was completely unexpected.
So that was cool. Shipping time was much faster than anticipated, even with delays. Completely satisfied.
800901
out of curiosity from reading someone's review of this (someone who wrote some quality reviews prior to this) i humored myself by listening to a couple previews. she might want to get that electronic throat of hers checked out.  poor girl, it sounds mighty uncomfortable to live with! apparently it's contagious as all the other pop artists on the radio seem to be catching it.
1858003
how bad this album is, and yet how much people like it. I realized, many people (the masses) just don't understand what they are listening to because they aren't musicians who have recorded, and then unfortunately some know but just don't care.  If it tastes like bubble gum, chew it, who cares if it's got aspartame in it. Some I guess just like the sound and his voice, which I can't understand, but to each his/her own. This 'album' describes without words how twisted and fake the music industry has become, and how advertising and money have skewed the public's opinion and understanding of what not just 'good' music is, but what true music is. That is to say, what it was before the technology and software that now exists to clean up any vocal or instrument track, and make even Ashlee Simpson sound good. Technology can be used in good, non-invasive ways to enhance music, but this isn't that case. This is about people taking a marketable kid, making him a star, and continuing to throw the coal into the furnace to power the train onward. Real music is an art that takes many years to develop and master.
48589
This album came out during the beginning of my deployment and I knew there would be something wrong with it the minute one of my Clearchannel loving friends said "I cant believe you haven't heard the new Modest Mouse song, its, like, all over the radio!"  It was months before I realized that I had indeed heard the new Modest Mouse song, I just didn't realize it because it doesn't sound like Modest Mouse.  At least, it doesn't sound like the Modest Mouse I've been listening to since I was a freshman in high school back when everyone said I listened to weird music and I needed to ditch college radio and get with the times, or some such garbage.

The song, and the album, isn't that bad in general, I guess, it sure beats this bubblegum punk that the kids are so keen about these days, if you don't know its Modest Mouse, its actually quite good.  But once I found out that Modest Mouse was responsible for that catchy little jingle, it made me want to puke.  I guess I just hold them to a higher standard than the average musician.  In other words, the album is great pop, its awful indie.

Maybe it just irritates me that the music I have listened to for years because I felt connected to it, because it had meaning and depth, is now being sold to ditzy yippies and white caps like its some sort of trend.  If its being played on a Clearchannel station its not innovative or unique, it's just another marketing ploy.

Try checking out The Moon to Antarctica.  Modest Mouse before it was a fashion statement.