The Endless River: Pitchfork and The Guardian Reviews vs. Meditative Praises

The Endless River splits critics almost exactly along the line of whether ambient music is boring or beautiful. Pitchfork’s Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it “a fitting farewell … but not an involving one,” giving it a 6.5 and framing the album as tasteful wallpaper rather than a living testament to Rick Wright. The Guardian’s Alexis Petridis was harsher, awarding two stars and describing it as “safe, polite and ambient” – a gentle wash of sound that never really lands.

But other