Reviews (page 4 of 7)
I really dont understand why this album is on the list and I bought it at the time. It’s high quality scousedelia, and the sax really lifts it as does the crisp production. In many ways the world should hear this kind of music. I’m still outraged that weed bus by the stairs isn’t the biggest selling single of all time but there’s probably more deserving albums for this list
Not bad had not heard them. Good lyrics and instruments
A couple catchy songs but nothing to get too excited about.
There are better Scouse indie bands. I don't hate it but nothing stands out for me. A 3 by default I guess
It wasn’t bad but it was also kinda forgettable. I was expecting worse.
There were moments when this almost won me over.
Decent overall indie rock album. The prominent saxophone helps keep the album fresher than other contemporary records from the same genre, but veers into more a derivative sound for stretches. top tracks: Pressure Point, Havana Gang Brawl, Dirty Dancehall
It was fine? I didn't have much else to say about it really.
This is decent. My expectations were low going in, so maybe they’re not as good as I might think tomorrow. But in this moment, they’ve got game.
Fun! Not life changing, but fun! 3.5/5
Of all the bands that supposedly saved rock music in early 2000s, The Strokes, White Stripes and for example Interpol are deservedly on this list. I can also understand including lesser bands (like the Libertines), but The Zutons? This is not a bad album but forgotten for a reason. Instead of The Zutons, you could listen to these albums from 2004: - Saturday Looks Good to Me: Every Night - Jens Lekman: When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog - The Zillions: Play Zig-Zag Zillionaire EP - The Go! Team: Thunder, Lightning, Strike - Madvillain: Madvillainy and/of MF Doom: Mm..Food
a bit of fun
A bit twee
As soon as the opening guitar riff opened the song, I just knew it was a garage rock revival album. I can just sense it! The Zuton's have a strong indie sensibility when it comes to their vocals, sounds like of like the Strokes lead singer. The first track frazzled my mind, it's like bloody alien invasion happening during the song. "Haunted Dancehall" has a similar vibe. Had my teeth shivering. The album overall had quite a psychobilly (not musically but aesthetically) and campy attitude. Highlight Song/s: "Zuton Fever" and "Confusion"
Do I get it? No. Do I like it? Maybe…? It’s not the most horrible album I’ve heard to be fair. (13 songs, 42 mins)
This was fun.
nice sound on here nothing stands out though
interesting
Pop-psych-Indie. Very Liverpool. Wouldn't ever say they were essential, but it's very hard to dislike.
I think I felt neutral?
It's alright. Fun! Really liked dirty dancehall.
Liked a few songs, but this flavor of early 2000s rock is very hit or miss for me
I dig it. Solid little indie rock album. Sounds like a less pretentious Radiohead. Sort of lost me with the last two songs, but otherwise an enjoyable listen. Cool cover too. 3.5⭐️
I quite like this, it's fun, poppy with fits of 60's rock and much more. But the songs are not that memorable and they don't really do me very much. A big fat 3. Nice, but not something I consider "must hear".
...
No está mal.
Decent album but not entirely sure why it’s made this list. Fairly average indie pop. 3
Pretty cool and unique 2000s British indie rock. I was drawn in by the bass lines that keep this grounded. As well as the fun guitar riffs and vocals. It’s a little eccentric, but not over the top and not boring. I enjoyed this.
#126/1001 🇬🇧🎷 This takes me back to a time when the music industry was feeling quite bloated and riding that final wave from the 90's when it seemed that any band with guitars and a haircut could get signed. Indie Landfill. Zutons were and still are an honest band and entertaining to watch live. In terms of rating albums here on the basis of influence and importance there isn't much to shout about but it is entertaining. I think the key part of the sound is the saxaphone which does set things apart from other music at the time. Best tracks: Pressure Point, Remember, Dirty Dancehall.
Album #88, The Zutons, Who Killed…… The Zutons?, ⭐⭐⭐ Kind of a pleasant surprise of an album, this one. I didn’t think much when it came up. I mostly knew The Zutons for “Valerie”. I remember hearing that long before Amy Winehouse’s version, which obviously became enormous and is still played everywhere now. That was pretty much the extent of my knowledge of them. But they sounded like a decent indie pop band, and that’s pretty much what they are here. It’s a better record than I thought it was going to be. Again, it’s one of those bands that mixes a lot of different styles while still staying true to themselves. They always sound like themselves, even though there are a lot of different influences and sounds going on throughout the album. They’re mainly indebted to 60s and 70s British rock and roll. The two bands I hear the most are The Rolling Stones and a bit of Britpop, but especially The La’s. A lot of that is probably because the lead singer sounds a bit like Lee Mavers from The La’s. His vocal is probably my favourite thing about the whole album. I think he’s a great singer. I don’t know if I’d say he’s a great lyricist exactly, but the lyrics are grand and the album is packed with little hooks and catchy songs. I think it starts off stronger than it ends. Funnily enough, I think it gradually dips in quality with each passing song. But none of it is bad, apart from maybe “Dirty Dancehall”. At the same time though, none of it really blew me away either.
Never heard of them. Grew on me as it went on. Kind of fun and quirky
Pleasant to listen to. Not overly produced.
I have heard of this album and band, but never heard the album. 2004? It couldn't have done well commercially and certainly didn't have any radio hits, it never hit my musical radar. Liverpool, England. Imagine my surprise, another unknown album from the UK makes the T1001. It has some White Stripes, a little Queens Of The Stone Age, a pinch of country rock, a touch of Raconteurs, a dash of 70's rock. "Nightmare Part II" is a total Jack White vibe. It doesn't sound British, but it also doesn't sound like a Top10001 album. The songs are all OK, nothing I felt I needed to skip over, but a few tracks were a minute longer than they should have been. I was very surprised to see one track with 6M listens and a few others with over 3M. I'm glad I got to hear this and understand the band but it's not a must hear album on any level. 3 stars.
Very mid 60s, more laid back than I thought, was honestly thinking something more like Man? Or Astroman? And got more The Corral. Overall fun.
Pretty decent album. Good sound throughout the album. Kind of a blend between QOTSA and Radiohead. There were definitely some songs I wasn't feeling too much but also some cool ones
Wasn’t too bad. Could probably get on board with a few more listens.
First song set a really good time and energy that didn’t really carry through to the test of the album. Listened through it twice though
Feels like standard naughties indie/guitar-based band stuff. Perfectly listenable, but nothing really stood out in particular. Think I'm more excited about the cover art.
There is a loose, almost scrappy charm to this record, blending indie rock with bits of funk and soul influence. The ideas are there, and some tracks stand out with strong hooks and personality, but it lacks the consistency and depth of the others listed here. It feels more like a collection of good moments rather than a fully cohesive statement. Enjoyable, but not something that pushes boundaries or sustains a higher rating.
Hadn’t heard of this before. It was nothing special.
Listenable
I own this album but probably haven’t listened to it in a good 15 years. I can see both why I bought it and why I don’t really revisit it - it’s fun but forgettable.
The Zutons are groovy like crutons
A light 3, I probably wouldn’t return to this one, but it was perfectly fine. The first and last song were like goofy intro/outro, and the sax added some depth even if the songs themselves weren’t super strong.
This album is a perfect example of the early 2000s movement. Like extreme millennial optimism. It’s fun and taps back into a progressions of the 50s & ups which I really mess with, but doesn’t have much replay value. Highlights: Confusion, Not A Lot To Do
The Zutons are okay. Conventional songs nicely arranged. For some reason I find the grade 3 saxophone quite charming.
I had The Zutons on regular rotation when I was 13 but have had a 20 year gap in my listening. My wife walked in whilst I was listening and started doing a sort of barn dance. I don’t know if that says anything. The part that stands out most positively oddly is what my dad accurately described as the “grade 3 saxophone” which is fantastic in its own way. I can hear why a time came when I stopped playing this record. While there are some more memorable songs in the second half, there is not much to it and it's quite ploddy. The compositions are “nice” but bar from the rare hectic moment (“pressure, pressure, pressure, pressure”) there is not much to get your pulse racing. The Beatles are overly credited with influencing every band under the sun, but I think it's fair to say in this instance that one's time would probably be better spent listening to them.
Pretty decent indie rock
Okay album.
3 1/2
A nice collection of above-average songs, without really a standout song. They nod at a few different genres without really owning any of them, but they maintain a consistent personality and tone throughout. Probably won't return to much of this but it was an enjoyable listen.
Great pop rock here. Glad I held on and listened. Like Elliot Smith if it wasnt so soft and sad. Excellent interaction between instruments I liked Pressure Point, Confusion. Railroad has a really nice end section jam. Somewhere around 3.5 stars
A fun albums and nice representation of early 2000s garage rock revival but in no way a must listen album of any kind. Be serious British rock journalist.
It was an album. Some of it good. I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to, I'm a sucker for weird names honestly. It was an album you could put on at a party for background music and no one but the music nerd would get upset. It's just kind of... There.
Oh wow, more 2000s British Indie Rock. Just what this listen need. Yeah, this is arguably the closest that this album list gets to "landfill indie." There's nothing bad on Who Killed...... The Zutons?, but there's absolutely nothing special whatsoever. I guess there's a saxophone on some songs. That's kinda neat, but there are other bands that have done this better before and since these guys. Besides, the saxophones aren't really used in a way that rocks my socks off. They're there and they're alright. That's pretty much what this album is to me. It exists and it's alright. The album is very average. There's nothing wrong with that, but that also gives me nothing to work with. I can't even talk about how the song "Valerie" got a successful cover from Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse because the original version of that song isn't even on this album! I could talk about the other songs, but I really don't have anything remarkable to say about "You Will You Won't" or any of the other songs. The album's singing and songwriting are passable. The music itself doesn't command the attention, but it's not aggressively repetitive or boring either. It's just kind of fine. And no, I don't know who killed the Zutons. Quite frankly, I don't really care enough to do the research necessary to answer that. Low 3/5.
NOT MINE
Lots of fun and energy! Enjoyed it
Fun listen but nothing really stood out. Someone referred to this as "Scooby Doo music" and that feels accurate.
Hmm ok.. wanted to like it, moments of semi-relevance interspersed with moments of WTF ? Some sonic pop brilliance does emerge occasionally.
I can't imagine why this is on the list. Seriously. There's just no feasible reason. No matter how high the quality of the music, a post-Y2K record with so few listens is just not influential enough to justify a spot amongst the 1000 greatest. Now, that being said... the quality is better than expected. Another reviewer was bang-on-the-money by calling it "Scooby-Doo music". Every track emanates this bizarre, tiptoey, faux-espionage mood, and is about as cheesy as one can imagine while still technically being produced and performed well. Zuton Fever is pretty much what you'd expect of a quirky 2000s spin on glam, if maybe a little simplified. The melody is cliché as heck, and the MIDI-esque sax sounds like it was taken straight off MuseScore 4 – but the tune as a whole unironically slaps. A little bit. You Will You Won't makes for a more convincing "hit" track, incorporating glitzy (yet musically very simple) elements you might hear from Iggy Pop or T Rex (that chorus could easily fit in on Electric Warrior). Confusion is aptly named because it sounds like a completely different band, with only the horrendous saxophone noises remaining consistent with the earlier songs. I do love me a good chill acoustic ballad. Speaking of which, Railroad does something similar, yet also stands out as the first track that omits that extremely bad MIDI horn I've been complaining about the whole time. (Frankly, I'm surprised more people aren't talking about it.) Nightmare Part II (where's Part I?) is overwhelmed by its boingy sproingy sound effect. But it's kind of a groove, so I'll give it a pass. Later on side 2, Remember Me has a hook that's almost too catchy. And little effort is given to making other elements of the song more interesting. Ah, well. It's still good. 3/5 Key tracks: You Will You Won't, Confusion, Railroad
3.5/5
À réécouter
1999 until about 2014 marks a 15-year window in which I was more in tune with what was happening in the music world than ever. This is especially true of non mainstream music. Alternative rock, edm, folk music, I was into it. In fact the more popular it was, the less likely I probably cared for it, but I still generally had an idea what was going on. So, when I see an album from that time period that I've never heard of, especially a band I'd never heard of, I am immediately skeptical. So far on this website, when that has happened, my skepticism has been warranted. Those albums haven't been good. Many of them I at least knew the artist or band and just wasn't familiar with that release, and still couldn't understand why it would be included in this list. For others, the artist somehow escaped me, the album definitely was something I had never heard before, and I realized that was for good reason. Furthermore whenever I see something I haven't heard of and it's some British Rock band, I have come to assume that it's some band that's the curators of this list loved, but not one that necessarily needs to be a must listen for music fans. I say all of this because with The Zutons, I am fully expecting this to be a waste of my time. Not to say I won't like it, I might, but I'm wary of The Zutons being a band that I'm wondering where they've been all my life (or at least the latter half of it). My immediate impression is that they sound like a lot of the bands from this era that were going for that post-strokes raspy alt-rock feel a la The Hives or Jet, except they added horns. This isn't a bad thing. I love a lot of that particular style. As I got more into the album, I realized their sound was a bit more diverse than that. Reminded me of Spoon somewhat and the Eels. Either way, I think even though I really dig their sound and there are a few standout tracks for sure, and nothing so bad that I'm just waiting for it to end, but I can't help but feel that there are just many better and more worthy albums for this site, even if we only were counting obscure, hidden gem alternative rock albums
Väldigt middle of the road
Ok. Right. So that was ... The Zutons. A slightly retro sound, even for 2004, and perfectly acceptable. Just Mid.
Had this album. Likeable stuff. Feels a bit like the US Kinks for the noughties.
Un disco alegremente retro, no parece de su año 2004 si no de 30 antes. Buen descubrimiento, aunque no merece estar en la lista.
I’m not sure why this is on the list. Maybe if this was a UK-specific list… I mean, it isn’t bad but it isn’t particularly good either. Nothing particularly stands out on the album. This would be good background music, particularly for a time-passing montage, I think (particularly songs like Not A Lot To Do). Album 10, March 8, 2026
Have reasonably fond memories of this but haven't listened to it in over 20 years which says a lot. Songs are pretty good, quite quirky and a lot of variety, has a lot of ska elements from early noughties albums.
Fin plate, men føler det kunne vært gitt ut en plate som heter 1001 album fra 2004 som høres akkkurat lik ut som denne.
Snerten indie. Nok en gang litt forvirra over valg av plate, men men!
Hørt til og fra jobb. Hmm. Litt kjedelig? Hyggelig bakgrunnsmusikk. Fant også ut at Amy Winehouse har covra, det er jo interessant!
This album had it's moments. Thought first 3 tracks were the best with Pressure Point the stand out song. This is how I feel at work the last several months. Downloaded this one right away. Times he sounded like Jack White, especially Pressure Point. This was a decent album. Seemed to get pretty generic by the end, but overall pretty good listen. 3
3 Like many others I’m sure, the only song I knew by The Zutons going into this was Valerie, though funnily enough, it was during my time with the group here that I learned Amy Winehouse’s version is the cover and not the other way around. Either way, Valerie is a great song. Unfortunately, Valerie is not on this album, and there’s nothing to be found that rivals it. Ultimately, this is another one of those albums that I would say I generally liked but have no clue why it’s on a list like this. It’s such a typical slice of the early 2000s alternative rock scene that it almost feels like a boiled down amalgamation of the more popular bands that defined it. The most immediate line I can draw is to The Coral, but on any given track, I feel like you can detect traces of White Stripes, Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, Strokes… hell even a dash of early Radiohead here and there. It results in perfectly listenable music but not something that feels like it really has an identity of its own - I’m going to chalk it up to this list’s British bias again. You can tell they were trying to go for some variety in the songwriting, but despite their best efforts, it never resulted in anything that felt memorable, noteworthy, or, again, entirely like their own. I’m happy to have grown more familiarized with the group, but this also feels like the kind of thing I’m going to be upset with when we reach the end of this list, and I realize some of my personal all-time favorites didn’t make the cut.
3⭐️/5 02.24.2026
Pretty decent listen
This was nice but I would be lying if I said by the end it wasn’t just going through one ear out the other. Everything is well constructed and I actually enjoyed all the vocal performances, but sadly this feel into the trap for me that a lot of British Indie bands do, that is that all the songs begin to sound the same, and the album overall has no real identity. Still fairly nice tho.
Definitely on the high side of a three
Es un disco entretenido. Con una producción vacía de las que se lleva jade unos años, todo fingidamente crudo... Lo de siempre, les falta verdad. Aunque realmente las canciones están bien.
Take it or leave it
Competent album. Nothing outstanding, but decent guitar songs. You Will You Won’t was probably the standout. The follow up album was better, with the excellent original version of Valerie’s.
Quite a mix of vocals. Weird in places, some tracks were forgettable, but others I quite liked. The album is fun. I'm not familiar with this group.
Strange, eccentric—an interesting package. Definitely a surprising one.
I really wanted to love this, but it felt like the singles then some forgettable filler. Pity as the singles were great!
2/15 Pretty good
This was an interesting one. There are some moments here (especially at the beginning) that are very reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age/Desert Sessions. But then it settles into a modern-Kinks sound. Everything here is totally fine, but the songs just don't stick. They should! There are some fun melodies here. Maybe this one needs some time. Anyways - for right now it's THREE STARS
Definitely that 00s indie sound that I’ve never really got along with that well. The albums decent but I struggle to give it more than 3 stars.
3/5 inoffensive
Meh, sasvim ok indie rock i apsolutno ništa posebno.
Perhaps I am biased in this review, since I had to go looking for who these guys were and why this album is here, because my first impression is: ok, it's listenable, some tracks caught my attention, but is it really an album you have to hear before you die? Hence my 3. In practice, it's something I can and do listen to, and even enjoy, but it undoubtedly falls into the category of thousands and thousands of others like it. And that's it, tomorrow I won't remember them :-(
3.5!
Sort of fun!
Some good tunes, but overall largely forgettable
eh... not my thing I picture a guy with a top hat on and some gears.
3/5. Não tenho muito a dizer. Ouvir isto meio a dormir depois de um dia cansativo. Mas mesmo meio a dormir gostei.
Kul album! Många trevliga detaljer. Gillar saxen. Stark trea
Roligt och quirky sound. Ibland lite spretigt men det gör det inte dåligt. Gillar sångarens röst, känns för mig som en mjukare variant av Jack White, gillar också saxen. Mot slutet blev det lite väl gulltralligt kanske. Kan tänka mig att det är bättre live än på skiva. Kommer nog lyssna mer på dem. Gillar omslaget. Stark 3a!
Det här är EXAKT det jag vill ha av den här listan, kul saker jag aldrig hört talas om! Genremixen är rolig, retro men samtidigt inte lök-nostalgiskt. Kul texter också, kommer återvända!
Helvete va sångaren låter som the cult i sista låten. Hatas ICKE! Gillade detta skarpt. Bland övriga brittiska rockband som av oklara skäl finns med på denna lista (super furry animals) är det här skoj, svängigt och soulful. Gillar sångaren och charmas av hur de använder blås. Extra plus för mungigan i nightmare part II. Som sämst är de när de countryfolkar i moons and horror shows. Trök. Men, sen blir som sagt avslutningen the cult-sång med blås-glad-rock vilket är najs. 3an är återigen urstark.
Rätt kul lyssning! Det är classic Devils tritone som ger spooky scoobysound va?
Leuk en lang niet meer gehoord. Maar voor mijn gevoeg niet super baanbrekend of heel erg interessant...
A pretty good and unique indie rock record, but I'm kind of confused why it ended up on this list? They seem like kind of this tiny little band that made a good record and broke up. Maybe whoever was making the list was just a big fan and thought they needed to have a little bit more recognition.
Ändå bra, tror jag
Good, not great. I suspect this is here because of the UK bias of this project... though it wasn't even that popular in the UK.
It might not be an album I'm gonna come back to, but it's not bad really. If you're really into early 2000 indie rock, you're probably gonna like this! It's a bit generic but at the same time I hear plenty of sounds that I like anyways, I can hear a bit of Franz Ferdinand on the dancier track for example like I can hear Idk The Doors maybe in the melodies of another. Shouldn't be on here, but it's ok. Best tracks: Zuton Fever You Will You Won't
This was a surprisingly funny and cheerful album, definitely a revelation since I was not familiar with the opus of this band 👍
Who Killed The Zutons? Certainly wasn’t me, because they put me to sleep! I mean it’s ok? Doesn’t really do anything really interesting, and the quality of tracks really seems hit and miss. Just felt like another standard indie rock album.
Always dismissed them so was surprised how fun this album was! Like The Coral with Sax and some female vocals.
Pretty not bad. 3/5
This was a pleasant album. More listens might make it a great album. I had never heard of this band (or album) so didn't even know the genre before listening. A day later I don’t remember anything about this album… I wasn’t annoyed by anything but nothing stood out as “I have to put that on repeat.” Need to relisten to become more familiar with this album.
Who Killed....my memory of the Zutons, blast from the past to your eardrums.
This was a fun album to listen to that grew on me the more I listened to it.
Hm, fairerweise muss ich sagen das laut Youtube in der Playlist zwei Songs fehlten. War ganz okay, halt wieder so n Folk Album was zum Schunkeln und Bier trinken einlädt, aber auch keins was aus der Masse, die wir hier schon gehört haben, hervorsticht.
Sehr angenehm zu hören, aber auch nicht mehr. Solide.
Noch nie von gehört. Solide 3, mehr aber auch nicht, mit 1-2 Highlights
Started iiff brilliantly then tailed oiff but enjoyable listen
This band sounded familiar and then I realized they did Valerie. But this album does not have that song, and none of the songs really stood out to me. Low 3.
Sounds like a modern indie slop precursor. Even had some stomp clap bullshit in there. Obviously this take comes from a place of ignorance and hatred, as do most of my reviews; but it does kinda sound like it opened the door for a lot of the formulaic overproduced "indie" shit that's so popular today. Much more interesting than a lot of that stuff, but still
I only knew these guys from being the original writers of Amy Winehouse's Valerie, so I was kind of blind going into this. On one hand, it's a 2004 british indie album, the epitome of what people despise on this site. That said, this was a fun listen. Never felt boring, had some unique songwriting and was all around a pretty fun listen. The sax was noteworthy too. Very nice to see a 2000's indie album that is actually fun and upbeat. Still not really my thing but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
One good song
Not terrible but not great. Sound like a British Strokes (might be a stretch). Enjoy the use of a broader range of instruments.
Jefferson Airplane and Sublime
I liked it! It was like white stripes and black keys ish - classic 2000s rock. Would have played on KJEE.
Pretty good
It was nice. Putting "Pressure Point's" on the playlist.
If I walked into a bar and this band was playing, I'd mention later that it was a pretty good band - kinda quirky and fun. Did I buy anything from their merchant table? No. Do I remember their name? No.
The bassist is crazy and in some songs who ever played the sax went dumb
What an odd album, punk, emo, ballad all in one.
It's fine. Nothing really noteworthy, but never annoying either. It's a decent pop-rock album. Certainly nothing I'd share or include in a book of must-listen albums. They sound like a good bar band that got a chance. Musically it's fairly well constructed and they add in some interesting bit, but again, nothing really sticks out. Sounds like a decent album to have on in the background of a mellow party where people are just standing around talking. If they would have spent more time making something very interesting, I'd have spent more time writing an in-depth review. It's a 2.6 album for me and I'm going to generously give it a 3 because there really isn't anything terrible on it.
Decent listen
it was pretty fun to listen to
This was fun, especially some of the instrumentation, but nothing about it really stayed with me.
first song def gives a opening scene of a movie based in the 60s & i love the vibe.
Fun.
As a fan of 2000's Indie Rock I am required to like this, even if the British-ness of it got to me at times. 7/10
I thought it was just okay. This sounds like something that a performative male who smoked weed would listen to in the mid-2000s.
sehr kreativs album het mengmol nocj white stripes mengmol noch CCR tönt has sehr gnosse. geg de schluss simf es paar tracks chli abgflacht.
A mixed bag, which is to be expected on an album where they're intentionally going for a variety of sounds. Some songs are quite good, but I kinda dislike this as an album. I wish it were more cohesive and consistent. 2.8
I found this to be a solid indie record, but not one that I particularly thought “I get why this is on this list” after finishing. There is some British bias in the list and I think this is a prime example.
Mostly pleasant; the sax was occasionally grating. But decent enough.
Couple of good solid music I like 3/5
This album always feels like it should be more exciting than it actually is. On paper, it has all the ingredients of a great mid-2000s indie record: funky basslines, scrappy energy, a bit of attitude, and songs that clearly want to be catchy. In practice, a lot of it lands in that frustrating middle ground where nothing is bad, but very little really sticks either. It rolls along pleasantly enough, but rarely grabs you by the collar. There are moments where the band’s personality shines through, and you can hear flashes of something sharper and more distinctive trying to break out. The problem is consistency. For every track that hints at character and swagger, there are others that feel underwritten or just oddly forgettable. The album never quite decides whether it wants to be gritty, quirky, soulful, or straight-up indie pop, and that indecision dulls its impact. And then there is the elephant in the room. Let’s be honest, the album’s legacy is completely overshadowed by what happened next. “Valerie” escaping this record, being reworked, and then absolutely flattened into pop history by Amy Winehouse feels like the final nail in the coffin. In that sense, the answer to the album’s title feels cruelly obvious. Valerie killed The Zutons, with Amy Winehouse performing it. The album itself is not awful, just a bit meh, and forever remembered as the thing that accidentally gave the world something much better.
Radiohead without as much detail. Very nicely built album. Enjoyed.
I loved the Zutons when they burst onto the scene, mainly because I've never played a saxophone, but I'm 99% sure I play saxophone at the same level or better as Abi Harding... Anyway, back to the matter at hand, who killed The Zutons? Their record label dropped them in 2008 some 4 years and 2 more albums after this, pretty much right after Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson made their version of the song "Valerie" a bigger hit than Zutons could ever dream, so lets say them... Still blows my mind that they did "Valerie" originally.
6.4
Playful classic rock vibes.
Ahhh the early 00's where nearly every indie band started with The. Honestly, apart from Valerie (which is on the follow-up) I have not heard the singles from this debut since then. Honestly listening to this, its not a bad little album, but apart from the singles, there's not much else that sticks with me.
502/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
Half decent music and vocals.
The Zutons existed before Valerie. And I was in love with their saxophonist. I think I might have had this on CD. Jangly bluesy indie. Better than I remembered.
Dad rock. Decent but I got bored not long before it ended. I can probably play all the sax parts and that's not a compliment to anyone involved.
Day 112 I’ve tried to avoid looking at what albums are on this and seeing this one caught me off guard as I had no idea why it’s on here despite being a fan of The Zutons. Don’t get me wrong they’re a cracking local band, I’ve seen them live several times and always had a great time but I wouldn’t really call this essential listening. 6/10 Highlights Remember Me Dirty Dancehall Moons and Horror Shows
I know this track "pressure point". Cool stuff. Not for me.
Pretty good 6.5/10
Hmmm.
Intriguing, my big sister would like this
faixa favorita: Railroad letra favorita: "Then I dream of moons and horror shows / And then I'll wake up fresh and new tomorrow" - Moons and Horror Shows como me senti: Numa trip de cogumelo resumo geral: Um indie rock desgrenhado que mistura energia caótica com um charme meio sujo, meio divertido, sempre flertando com um som urbano, noturno e um pouco bagunçado. reação pessoal: Eu gostei, tem qualidade sombria que me lembra filmes com edições frenéticas e 007 dos anos 60. Fora do tema mas a identidade visual é marcante e cabe perfeitamente com a banda.
This was OK. Not bad, just not great. I am not unhappy to have listened to this album.
Never heard of them, but not bad.
It was ok
I intended to be pretty standoffish about this, but I’ll be damned if the saxophone didn’t start winning me over 45sec. into the first track. Sadly, the sax is only a part-time contributor on this record; I guess a little bit is better than nothing though. I'm not sure I absolutely needed to hear this album, but it was fun. It's predominantly early 00s indie rock (think Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, The Strokes, etc) with some heavy nostalgia for classic rock of the late 60s and early 70s. IDK whose friend the saxophone player is or how they got involved, but it's an endearing addition to the sound. They seem to wander around from hard rock to folk rock and everywhere in between. That approach is probably useful when you're playing small clubs and trying to win over as much of the audience as possible, but it doesn't lend itself to a totally coherent album.
I got the Zuton Fever. Pressure Point goes hard. You Will You Won't falls off. Confusion slows down and stabilizes. Havana Gang Brawl picks it back up. The slide back to chill songs with Railroad. Alright I don't think this album ever makes a comeback from there...hold in Dirty Dancehall though. Actually meh back half. 6 aliens out of 10 lizard wizards.
easy. tried a bunch of genres but others have done those sounds much better
Aside from the singles i dont think there is sny particularly soecial about this album. Yes it’s enjoyable. Plenty of brass etc but just a solid album. If i’m hobest i think yheir debut album is better
My knowledge of The Zutons extended only to “Valerie”, which I don’t mind, but generally I assumed they’d not overly be my bag. Which turned out mostly to be the case. The first 3 tracks of this album I really enjoyed, to my surprise. Had that level kept up, then this was maybe my first surprising 4* album. As it turned out, it didn’t keep up. By track 4, I began to lose interest and the remainder of the tracks didn’t spark anywhere close to an enthusiastic level.
A different sound than other rockbands from the 00s, but nothing mind-blowing
Just an OK album. A bit country but not overly so.
An assembly of similar-sounding, skiffle-inflected catchy singles filled with kitsch hooks. Ends up feeling a bit of a 1 trick pony and a retro rehash without the overwhelming power of Oasis or even Ocean Colour Scene. Well-made but lukewarm and a bit damp
Funky album, but nothing that stands out for me
Good rock-y album. Classic indie rock reminds me of the strokes/the coral
goeie
Surprisingly enjoyable! Would be a solid 3.5.
Not bad, but not necessarily memorable or what I would call an "essential" listen. Has some decent indie rock vibes for the early 2000s mixed in with a bit of a retro rockabilly sound. The sax gives it an interesting twist too. Solidly middle of the road.
This was a fine album, but ultimately forgettable.
Not a bad album, but not overly interesting either. There is one song that was kind of familiar, but I’m not sure that warrants the album being on the list. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
Surprisingly good. Surprisingly scottish. Scottish?? THREE!
Not as good as I’d hoped
Better than Coldplay
It’s alright, pleasant enough have a copy of it somewhere, couldn’t remember a thing before played again today. As said pleasant enough listen but now still can’t really recall anything. Not sure it’s got that thing, any excitement to be essential listening. Since early 50s literally millions of records, must hear top 1000?? Subjective and all but. Straight up it’s ok rock from 2004, probably won’t be listening again for another 15 years, but it’s an ok 40 minutes if not too memorable. 3 Star
120 Con aires a Franz Ferdinand a mi gusto. Estuvo entretenido, pero al final me aburrí un poco.
non male dai
I was digging this band. I figured they were some forgotten band from the 60s, until I saw the album came out in 2004. They really nailed the sound.
pretty good listen 3.5/5
Neat
Fire, love the classic vibe.
Prob 3.5. starts pretty strong and fades
Surprisingly this was a lot better than expected. I hate their song Valerie but luckily it's not on this
Cool rock music from the lesser known corners of the 2000s garage rock scene. It’s got what you want, the riffs, the songs, the performances, but I just don’t know if it can stand up to the scene’s legends. But I am glad I heard it. I will note that the production here is kind of unique, so it does stand out of a crowd. A couple of favorites are Zuton Fever, Pressure Point, and Dirty Dancehall, but the country leaning stuff here is also largely cool. Probably not essential, but very cool! And I’ll leave it at that.
Good indie record, not impressed by it. "Confusion", "Remember me" and "Not a lot to do" are highlights
Who… cares?
While i didn’t hate this album, none of these songs really held my attention. In fact, I forgot I had listened to it within two hours after the last track ended.
A three point five if there ever was one. We’re out here in the city of culture but everyone’s whacked and look like vultures.
Shmeh. Not bad, nothing special.
схоже на рок 90
I know this one and I was SO excited to see it come up, but besides that first song it is just okay. The fact that I knew of it for so long but it's not really in my rotation says something.
Some of it sounds like generic 2000s garage rock revival. Some of it was more interesting/enjoyable. Probably gonna need to check them out some more.
I think this would’ve been a 4 had the album given more since it's my kind of music, but there was nothing that really stood out or made this album special. Solid songs but it lacked anything surprising about it to boost it above middle of the road stuff.
Not too bad. Quite fun saxophone parts but not something I'd go back to really.
The Zutons zitten toch wel in het hoekje waar ik altijd blij van wordt. Het is een bijzondere blend van wat verschillende genres maar klinkt vooral ook super zeroes. En afkomstig uit Liverpool zijn natuurlijk the Beatles ook nooit ver weg (zeker in bijv. Remember Me). Al klinkt de stem van zanger Dave McCabe wel echt anders. Ik begon niet zo enthousiast maar werd dat gaandeweg het album wel steeds meer. Het is geen pop plaat met makkelijke nummers die zo naar binnen glijden, maar het album is geheel is ook geen complex werk geworden. Er zitten genoeg leuke dingetjes in om het tot het einde toe spannend te houden. Sommige dingetjes werken beter dan andere (Dirty Dancehall) maar maakt het wel een interessant plaatje. Leuk. 7/10 Highlights You Will You Won't Not A Lot To Do Remember Me
Nothing special. 3/5
There were certainly some head bopping musical high points in this album for me. However, when the name of the band is also included on the name of the albums AND the name of the first song, I begin to question the bands creative capabilities…
Catchy and fun, but not something I gravitate toward.
I somehow missed this when it was new. I think I'll give it a second listen.
It's gently nice. Musically they're doing some interesting things. There's a variety of instruments and approaches, and the song structures aren't always typical. I give them credit for that. The majority of noughties indie just really doesn't do it for me though. This is better than some of the others in my opinion, even if it's never elevated above a 'generally nice listen'. I'll also give props to the cool album cover. A thoroughly cromulent 3/5.
nice and relaxed
Fun and competent without being spectacular. A generous 3.
Lo primero en que pensé al escuchar la primera mitad del álbum fue en como me pegaban las canciones con la vibra de Tales from the Borderlands. No sé muy bien por qué, pero eso es algo muy bueno, porque le guardo mucho cariño. Supongo que me recordó a los temas de bandas que suenan en el juego como The Heavy (aunque sin llegar a sonar tan bien como sus mejores hits), The Rapture u otras británicas de la escena indie como Will and The People. Por esa razón, la primera mitad me resulta muy entretenida. En la segunda decae ligeramente pero es una escucha agradable, no es precisamente un álbum para atesorar pero sí diría que está un poco underrated para lo que es. Favs: Pressure Point, Confusion, Dirty Dancehall
I've avoided this band because of the gimmicky name but it's honestly better than I thought they would be. Sort of a white stripes vibe. Not reinventing the wheel, but not terrible
We finally hit a more modern album. I appreciate that the novel appreciates that it for being a debut that experiments and was refreshing from nu-soul singers. Do I love it? Not really. Jeez I'm handing out 3 stars like candy.
3.5
I just reviewed Amy Winehouse's album "Back To Black" prior to getting this one. She did the vocals to Mark Ronson's cover of Valerie, originally by The Zutons, which of course everyone knows and damn well should ;) I was disappointed it's a different album because I really like that song and think it's way better than what Mark and Amy did it, although they did a good job. Anyway, I digress... Don't know Futons incredibly well. I've previously heard "Pressure Point" and "You Will You Won't". This isn't a bad album, I think it has some of their most known songs but it's not much more than a standard offering for the sound of UK indie rock in the 00s. Perhaps their timing was off, or perhaps their exposure was marred by lack of originality? I admit I do prefer Kaiser Chiefs, Franz Ferdinand and even The Kooks a bit more. But they all have similar kind of sounds. It's not a bad album, by any means.
Classic rock filtered through the lens of turn-of-the-century indie rock. The horns on this are a real treat. This is at its strongest when it leans into its quirkiness, like the angular riffs on "Long Time Coming" and the percussion and jaw harp on "Nightmare Part II." When it hews closer to classic rock riffage and vocals like on "You Will You Won't," it's weaker. It's a fun listen, but even the more interesting moments don't quite have the hooks to fully sell this sound.
Ihan menevä pop-rock-levy. eipä muuta
Ok Album with creative Moments and nice Songs. I enjoy it.
This is an interesting album. The band starts off as another ‘00s garage rock contender, done pretty well. Then they veer into some eclectic choices, going almost folk country at one point, also done well. A tip of the hat for bringing variety to that era. 3.5
got me sometimes, lost me sometimes Will I listen to again: 7%
What’s a Zuton? TIL what a Zuton is. Anyhow, kind of fun, sure doesn’t sound like anything else I was hearing in 2004. Almost favorited a track in my streaming library. I won’t say I’m super excited about this band as a discovery, but I wouldn’t be mad if I heard it again. And when it came up, I thought, oh boy, here we go, another weird one. It wasn’t, it was just regular music.
I went in not knowing the Zutons. It was decent- they kind of reminded me of a less in-your-face White Stripes. Kind of the border of harage rock and alt rock, with a sillier tone. Overall- prerty good
Pleasant indie rock - not particularly memorable but also inoffensive.
A bit odd but not bad.
This was pretty solid.
Mouef
3.5
Tough to decide between 3 and 4 here
Enjoyable but not memorable
senza pile
An album I’ve never spent any time with, but enjoyed more than expected. The fusion of genres was interesting, but at times the horns seemed a bit out of place. Overall an enjoyable listen, but not anything I’ll revisit.
solid.
Elevator music.
I've never listened to this album (8). It was okay, well done but pretty forgettable.
Pretty good little collection of retro throwbacks that combine together suprisingly well, with a decent coat of spooky-themed paint over it. "Havana Gang Brawl" slaps.
Not bad, a couple good hits I liked.
a nice mix of tunes
Almost painfully unremarkable. The okayest of okays. Its fine, its whatever, these sometimes make me more aggravated than bad albums.
This was an interesting album. Not a bad listen.
Good songs!
pourquoi y’a autant d’albums british boring at best, annoying at worst
This album's musical style is all over the place, but in a good way. Each track was refreshing to listen to, and I am a fan of the 60's psych influence throughout.
Perfectly fine.
I think I enjoyed it, despite the lack of memorable hooks or identity
Fun but very weird album
= the Beatles It's fine... I guess.
yes well. somewhat enjoyable. would I listen again? I wouldn't leave a room because it was playing. there is a remote possibility I'd appreciate it more if I listened again.
Fine I guess. hints of radiohead. not blown away, but very listenable
this was cute i wasn't mad!!
2.5
I don't know who killed them, but I'm glad they were at least able to put out this album before it happened. While I'd probably argue its place on this list, I had a good time listening to this one. Catchy, harmless garage rock that blends in well with the musical landscape of the time.
Inoffensive but not ineffective, The Zutons defy death in a musical birth worthy of mention in conversations about nearly-forgotten indie bands of the early-to-mid aughts.
Saxophone goes oddly hard
Never listened before. I found it to be an enjoyable listen but nothing earth-shattering.
im gonna be honest. im bored as fuck and im two songs in. i dont really care about this album so imma just give you a 3
Another band I've never heard of. I really enjoyed this one! Not sure if it was just the production, but the band sounded really tight... and I'm a sucker for a rock n roll sax.
Good mix of instruments.
British punkish rock. Astonishingly mid. Some fun tunes but the songs just didn’t have much depth . 6.5/10
I quite enjoyed this album, although it was nothing special. probably just in a 1001 rut and anything above a 2 is special!
Started out ok but quickly became underwhelming.
Favorite songs: Zuton Fever, You Will You Won't, Railroad Least favorite songs: Havana Gang Brawl 3/5
I was pleasantly surprised by this, there are 3-4 singles that were massively popular at the time and as such, overplayed and I had a feeling of indie landfill for this one. It was a Sunday morning listen and maybe that was just was a good time to listen. It’s upbeat and the addition of a saxophone just seems to make it feel more varied and interesting. I’m not sure I’d seek to listen to this again but probably wouldn’t be averse to hearing it, although I may want to skip a couple of the overplayed singles.
English (psych?) rock. Did not trigger a lot of feelings or emotions for me. Felt blunt or pale.
Who killed the Zutons?
I liked this. Fun mix of styles, but I’m not sure this is really essential listening. Favorites were Zuton Fever, Pressure Point, Long Time Coming, and Remember Me.
Very listenable, strange in a good way
I didn't find this to be too bad, pretty good British indie rock.
I’m not sure about this being something I need to listen to before I die, but I’m guessing someone saw importance in it. There were a few tracks that I really like. Dirty Dancehall was one. The album was all over the place and I think I’d need a lot more time with it to truly rank it.
Quite good Indie pop, but nothing really grabbed my attention.
yet more quirky indie rock. i'll remember "remember me" for being hella gay.
There’s nothing offensive about this album. It’s good background up-tempo music. Probably won’t listen to it again.
Confusion
I'd never heard of them. Competent, but second tier. I just don't hear the spark which would justify their inclusion.
This was fun and catchy but don’t think it’s really for me. 2000s British indie rock that had a bit of an edge to it and their own style but still felt a bit shapeless overall.
pressure point is incredible, what a fucking banger. love that song, wish the rest of the album was as good.
Ok
it's very reminiscent of older british punk and rock, which I enjoyed
It has its highlights but seems to be included as a representation of exactly that- what you heard everywhere around the middle 2000s
This garage rock/roots rock-inspired record is reasonably well-played and the production is sharp. It has a couple of standout tracks ("Havana Gang Brawl" and "Nightmare Part II") and it gets a bonus point for having a saxophone and some decent vocal harmonies. In general though, it doesn't have much else to distinguish itself from the great number of albums that covered the same musical territory in the early 2000's.
Not the most original sounding band, but the confidence and sincerity of the singer's voice means I can't help but take it seriously. Unspectacular but fun.
No conocía ni había oído hablar de The Zutons. Una especie de indie rock típica de principios de siglo que... bien podría no estar en esta lista. A ver cuántos discos de Charly García salen...pero me da que no habrá ninguno y hay por lo menos 10 mejores que este de The Zutons.
The first listen was very fun. Zuton Fever is an instant earworm and sets up the vibe of the album pretty well - a kind of wacky vibe that's also present in the cover art. I liked that every song feels very different from one another, while staying coherent with the sound of the band. Unfortunately a lot of the weirdness and wackiness that was fun and interesting the first time around, got real old on further listens. I found myself skipping a lot. It's a tough one to review then, because I truly enjoyed it a lot at the beginning. Standouts: Zuton Fever • Havana Gang Brawl • Not A Lot To Do
I enjoyed this. It doesn't seem groundbreaking or really worthy of this list but I liked it.
It’s ok
Alright
Not bad at all.
I enjoyed this, not super memorable but the vibe was fun and I would be happy to listen to this again, very easy to digest
It was alright. Some songs were notable, but overall it was pretty much background noise with occasionally interesting instrument choices. It was like it wanted to be experimental but wasn't brave enough to actually follow through with anything actually strange.
More like who are the Zutons?? “You Will You Won’t” was the first song to grab my attention after a few snoozers. The album picked up from this point on. The lead singer had a bit more personality from this point on, the band peppered in some cool things like the horn/woodwind on “Confusion”. “Havana Gang Brawl” had a cool progression and some playing that reminded me a bit of the y2k trend of blending surf rock, ska punk influence, and pop-rock influences into one thing. “Nightmare Part 2” was spunky, fun, vivid, and had a great pocket. I pick this as my highlight of the project, easily. Right after, “Not A Lot To Do” also impressed me with that slide guitar at the end. The last few songs aren’t as impactful, ending the album on a bit more of a hazy note. Not sure if I loved this project. I loved moments of it in the middle, which is strange, usually more pop-leaning albums are front loaded with the good stuff. Some JAMS, some snoozers, maybe not quite unique enough for me to remember in the long run - soft 3/5.
I usually sigh when all these americans critisize all the english band, when there's too much american crap on this list. This however is an english release that has no urgency, and has very little right to be on the list. I don't see any influence on future bands or releases. It's just decent rock.
Not bad - Breakfast Burritos and Babies, good nights sleep. Amelia likes Theo
I had forgotten all about the zutons, this is a decent enough album, but is one of only 1001 you should listen to. Probably not.
An interesting listen, plenty of variety. 'Nice' probably covers it but surprised it's in the 1001 albums we must hear.
Country of origin UK? ✅ One obscure single that some people may know but most likely don’t? ✅ Sold less than 600k albums? ✅ Congratulations! You have qualified as an essential album that people simply must hear before they die. Don’t get me wrong, I actually did enjoy this album, it’s decent. But to pick this over MF Doom, Tool, Heart, Bill Withers, Chuck Berry, Stone Temple Pilots, Blink 182, Weezer, Stevie Ray Vaughan, They Might Be Giants… I could go on… seems crazy.
This was an ok album another brit-rock that was neither bad nor amazing, but I didn't hate it!
It’s fine, nothing to write home about. I don’t think I’ll ever listen to this again, it was just kind of bland pop rock. Plus one for horns.
paar zeer goeie songs...
I kinda dig this. Probably never listen again but it’s alright.
Funny to hear an MVP Baseball 2005 song (Pressure Point) on this list of greatest albums. I think it’s a fun pinky record but I really didn’t think was that great— not bad
Pretty good sound. This is the type of album I’d probably like more and more after multiple listens.
A poor man's Modest Mouse. That seems harsh, but it's got that same playful earworm sound, but not quite as elevated. Light, digestible, but ultimately forgettable.
Pretty good
It’s not bad and I can vibe to it. But did I need to hear it? It’s not a standout compared to the other records on here.
I used to love this album - it's faded into a mid-ground one for me as I age.