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Drowned In Sound

Tarot Sport doesn’t pause to bang or whimper. Tarot Sport accelerates.

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musicOMH.com

And such are the music's joyous highs, subtle thrills and rich and deep layers, they can undoubtedly be judged one of the most worthwhile and special bands currently at large.

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Pitchfork

"Street Horrrsing" was a great record, but Tarot Sport is a cut above. Perhaps surprisingly, it's also a welcoming album--and one of the best of this already fruitful year.

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Urb

Tarot Sport goes far beyond it's sonically daunting reaches and succeeds at being a deeply emotional experience.

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Lost At Sea

While the celestial exploration is briefly juxtaposed with sci-fi experimentation on the Autechre-like 'Rough Steez' and 'Phantom Limb,' those detours only here to provide respite from and not actually disrupt an ultimately delightful, delirious headtrip designed to push your fuckest of buttons.

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Paste Magazine

The album as a whole, though uneasy listening, is big, powerful, and often overwhelming.

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All Music Guide

A more hypnotic and lulling ride overall, Tarot Sport may lack some of "Street Horrrsing's" pure visceral impact, but it's just as satisfying on its own terms, as well as an impressive step forward for Fuck Buttons.

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Mojo

If "Street Horrsing" was a bit of a lark, then Tarot Sport plays an altogether more serious game. [Nov 2009, p.92]

Q Magazine

With Tarot Sport, Fuck Buttons have made a career-defining album that will resonate with anyone who has ever spent a night with their head in the speaker stacks and gone home marvelling at the ringing in their ears. [Nov 2009, p.106]

New Musical Express

Whereas Mogwai’s more recent work threatens to make a formula familiar, Fuck Buttons’ fizzling DIY laboratory still has the invention and ingenuity to surprise.

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The Guardian

Fuck Buttons have less in common with the overly cerebral noise boffins they're compared to and more with the likes of Ennio Morricone: sonic explorers mapping out the landscape's emotional terrain, albeit one that exists in some far-off galaxy.

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Tiny Mix Tapes

For about an hour, if you can allow Fuck Buttons to control your responses, to embrace the clusterfuck of noise and emotion, then Tarot Sport might be one of the strongest albums of this year.

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Slant Magazine

Tarot Sport makes its mark: easy and challenging at the same time, a mix of harsh and smooth sounds that mirrors the prickly juxtaposition of classic jazz.

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Dot Music

As much U2, New Order and Jan Hammer as they are The Field, Harmonia and Black Dice, ultimately F*ck Buttons are in a league of their own--and with Tarot Sport, they just bettered themselves.

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PopMatters

There are, however, occasional stumbles that suggest that some lessons cannot be learned quickly, and that melody is an essential component of their sound that needs more attention. For now, though, this is much better.

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Dusted Magazine

The main problem with Tarot Sport is that it sometimes seems to be trying too hard, building drama into repetitive riffs by sheer force, urging greater and greater effort on listeners who are already a bit out of breath.

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Under The Radar

Tarot Sport is an act of patience that pays back the time you actively spend with it. [Fall 2009, p.58]

No Ripcord

The album definitely has its moments, and the first half is very engaging, but they lose it in the long run.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 30 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

John W. gave it a1:
WOW really? This is not good at all...it doesn't take much these days to be highly acclaimed does it? Just push a bunch of "buttons" and make noise no one has to have any real musical talent to play this crap..I could make better jams on garageband using apple loops!

Michelle F. gave it a10:
This album is sick in the best possible way. No other band is culling these kinds of sounds to the transcendent payoff that F**k Buttons are. Tarot Sport is both an electronic and post-rock masterpiece, with each track flowing seamlessly into the next to form one glorious record. I was afraid the rest of the record wouldn't hold up to the great opener, "Surf Solar", but it does. Oh, it absolutely does. If you're a fan of both Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Justice, you would be crazy to skip this one.

Peter M. gave it a10:
The songs on this album have more room to breath compared to the debut album. It is also infinitely more accessible.

Nacho C. gave it a10:
You know those electronic/ambient albums by a band who you think can't get any better? Well this album is certainly not one of those bands because their sophomore album blew me away. Tarot Sport is one of the best electronic albums this year.

p money gave it a9:
Muscular, menacing, monolithic. This album has IT ALL. A spectacular tour de force for this English duo. They've gone more melodic, more anthemic with throbbing, stabbing beats and soaring chords. Completely and totally kick-ass display.

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