Why Was Pitchfork's 6.4 So Far From Metacritic?

One panelist calls the record a fascinating new take on pop and a liked album. He believes the average on Metacritic is 8.8, and he puts the reception near a 9.4. He says Pitchfork scored it 6.4.

Only Pitchfork and the Guardian rated it under a nine, he says, and the album has just ten reviews, so the total is not a huge stack. He still finds the gap interesting: Pitchfork normally sits in the Metacritic range and does not land so far outside it. Another panelist says the score is unexpected, even with Pitchfork's flashpoint deviances.

The 6.4 is the break they dwell on. A small review pile still leaves Pitchfork and the Guardian alone under a nine, which is why the panel treats the number as out of step with the rest of the early scores.