Hello Cruel World is the third studio album by Sole and the Skyrider Band. It was released on Fake Four Inc. on July 19, 2011.[1][2] Music videos were created for the following songs: "Napoleon",[3] "D.I.Y.",[4] "Hello Cruel World",[5] "Bad Captain Swag",[6] and "Immortality".[7]
At Metacritic, a platform that collects music reviews from leading mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 66, based on 6 reviews, indicating a "generally favorable review".[8]
Tom Briehan of Pitchfork gave the album a rating of 6.1 out of 10, stating that "Sole has largely curbed his frantic, out-of-control, sometimes-arrhythmic rap style, going for a measured and controlled thing instead."[11] David Jeffries of AllMusic gave the album 3.5 stars out of 5, writing, "the album's title references Sole's desire to bring the underground angst to the masses, injecting a little ugliness and art into your everyday programming."[9] Thomas Quinlan of Exclaim! said, "While it's unlikely Hello Cruel World will reach far beyond Sole's current fan base, it should continue to impress those who are already fans, offering a slightly different perspective on the unorthodox MC."[10]
Westword included it on the "Denver's Best Music Releases of 2011" list.[15]
