Rolling Stone (6/24/99, p.64) - 4 out of 5 - "...embraces both hip-hop syncopations and...early-twentieth-century African American folk music to create time-traveling beatbox rhythms....Moby sing-speaks, plays innumerable instruments and crafts complex soulful harmonies..." Rolling Stone (1/18/01, p.56) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...Continues PLAY's fusion of traditional blues with house beats and club ambience with old soul..." Spin (9/99, p.128) - Ranked #20 in Spin Magazine's "90 Greatest Albums of the '90s." Spin (7/99, pp.125-6) - 9 (out of 10) - "...To hear an electronic dance album looking backward as intently as it dreams forward is a real-time jolt, and Moby rides the groove with a buzz reminiscent of his early, techno anthems....It's as real an image as rave,or alternative, culture has ever imagined." Entertainment Weekly (6/11/99, p.68) - "...techno imp's best album since 1995's EVERYTHING IS WRONG....setting snippets from old blues and gospel recordings to new rhythmic settings....PLAY is music that truly moves back to the future." - Rating: A- Q (10/01, p.54) - Ranked #35 in Q's "Best 50 Albums of Q's Lifetime" Q (1/00, p.84) - Included in Q Magazine's "50 Best Albums of 1999." Q (6/99, p.109) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...Moby's visceral use of early blues samples is at the heart of PLAY, creating achingly emotional pieces...before the choirs, liquid piano runs and swirling analogue synthesizers kick in..." Alternative Press (8/99, p.67) - 4 (out of 5) - "...pushing the [electronic music] genre in new directions....[PLAY] draws you in with its beautiful combinations of sound...." Muzik (6/99, p.86) - Stars 4 (out of 5) - "...Moby operates in his own sonic vacuum, where gospel angels ride with outlaw cowboys and b-boy wannabes, just becuase they can. Idiosyncratically brilliant, as ever..." CMJ (1/10/00, p.3) - Ranked #4 in CMJ's "Top 30 Editorial Picks [for 1999]." CMJ (5/31/99, p.5) - "...Relying heavily on vocal samples of great Southern spiritual and blues singers, he has crafted an album of uniquely affecting soul....this onetime hardcore kid has found a way to match studio grooves with gospel harmony and deep blues..." Mojo (Publisher) (1/00, p.31) - Ranked #23 in Mojo Magazine's "Best of 1999." NME (Magazine) (5/15/99, p.31) - "...PLAY encompasses hip-hop beats, funky grooves, samples of old blues hollering, big house emotionalism and slow, smoldering soul....ploughing a unique furrow in pop music, he demands your enjoyment as much as your respect."

Rovi