Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Nothing stood out to me. If you told AI to make an 80s album this would be it. But maybe because it’s iconic and created the 80s sound?
Фоном слушается, в принципе, нормально, спокойный такой рок (иногда даже слишком). Несколько однообразно и монотонно, правда и ни одна песня не цепляет, если вслушиваться. Поэтому только 5,5 из 10.
This album was definitely a better experience than Psychocandy I got as a daily pick on this challenge. Off the bat I found myself already nodding along and enjoying the music so much more. Makes me wonder why the other album is even on this list, when this one is that much better. I went from dread to enjoyment.
So forgettable, that I forgot the album was on halfway through. The biggest hit of Darklands was extra slow and boring - it was actually a pretty good representation of the whole package. It wasn't the worst album ever, not even close to the worst on this list, but certainly it was a wasted time with ol' Jesus and Mary.
Enjoyed this actually. To my surprise
What a name for a band. This was alright
This is nice. Not very catchy, but a pleasant listen.
Very not what I was expecting
boooorrringggg
its aight seems like really good roadtrip music
Noisy awesomeness.
Meh
30 seconds in I thought, ‘this sounds like Primal Scream’. Then I found out Bobby Gillespie used to be in The Jesus and Mary Chain and thought it made sense. Then I found out that he was the drummer in JMC and actually left before this album. So who knows. I guess he just sings a lot like Jim Reid. Quite enjoyed this a few times but I can also take it out of rotation now and probably won’t really miss it. I liked the vibe without actually getting attached to any of the songs in particular.
Indy
Great alt rock album
the jesus and mary chain is a hard ass name for a shoegaze band. Too bad this is just another alt rock album, albeit a good one. why is this even listed as shoegaze??? This album is good but their previous album psychocandy is so much better and far more interesting. This such a downgrade
this was ~ok~ It's easy listening, I just probably wouldn't throw it on.
Great album from a criminally underrated band.
Very nice. All sounded like different versions of "Head On".
nice melancholic indie stuff, good time
Lekker hoor!
It’s was ok.
Grunge precursor in many ways. I don't enjoy it as much as the music that it inspired later, but it isn't bad.
Kind of sounded like one long monotone song. Not bad, just boring. Singer sleepy mumbled most of the album with no range.
Sad indie rock that wasn’t really doing much for me.
Mixed bag on this album for me. While I like the album as a whole, it's not something that I go back to and say, this is amazing. Actually, I like their 21 Hits compilation better, it's got more stuff that I like on it. This is a good album though and deserves to be on this list. 3.25/5
I like a lot of parts of this album and I really don't like a lot of parts of this album.
I just don’t care enough sorryyyyy
Vibey, I liked this
Такой приятный ностальгический саунд ранней альтернативы 80-х, очень лампово и кайфово. Забытая музыка для меня, рад, что появился шанс вспомнить.
The soundtrack to a straight to video movie that takes place in a goth bar, but the band that plays these songs in the movie clearly never touched an instrument until 30 seconds before they started filming. The bar is just a set from golden girls lit like an operating room with two bats on the wall. Guess what I'm saying is they clearly don't live up to their name.
For an album titled 'Darklands' this was very happy and hopeful sounding to my ears. The kind of music you'd listen to while falling in love with someone.
Far less noisy than their debut and obviously pushing harder on the side of the softer and sweeter songs they had on Psychocandy. I was never a fan of those songs really (I'm not crazy about Just Like Honey either) but I guess moreso because their debut is split between such cool noisy songs and more mild and sweet songs, with this one being mostly mild songs with 0 distortion you'd think it would be a dud but... no! I think the focus on sweeter, janglier rock with the Reid's disintrested demeanor really works a lot better for me. I think too that these are dreamy songs that don't feel skeletal or boring in their writing so that helps too, it's good!
There's something kinda drunk and dopey about this guy's voice that I can tell people think it's romantic or sexy but I don't enjoy it enough to say I like it. Pass. 2 stars
Good stuff. The band evolves from their first album while retaining what made that one interesting.
3.4
I hear the influence on alternative music to come but it kinda drags. A bit monotonous. 2.5 rounding down
Super cool.
Good.
3 stars
Never really clicked with these guys. It's decent enough. High 2s
escutei esse voltando pra casa num busão lotado, debaixo de uma chuva catastrófica, com todos os semáforos no caminho pra casa desligados. demorei saudáveis 1h10 pra fazer um trajeto de 2km. e o mais assustador é: eu tava feliz com a chuva, e tava feliz com as memórias que o darklands tava me trazendo. adolescência é foda galera, só dá pra ser jovem esquisito uma vez na vida. o que fica são as lembranças borradas.
tinha ANOS que eu não escutava esse aqui inteiro, eu adolescente PIRAVA demais. era o album perfeito pra ir pra aula 7 da manhã num dia chuvoso. no mais, é isso aí. bem mais pop que o psychocandy, mas é lindíssimo também. evoca memórias demais de ter uma franja torta e jogar truco no recreio. happy when it rains é um clássico absoluto
Mary Chain minus the characteristic layer of beefy screeching feedback. All of their Shangri-Las and post-heroin Velvet Underground-isms laid bare. For me, the point of it was that you had to ‘find’ this stuff in the mix and I can only conjured so much enthusiasm for a dozen slow songs about rain (typical Scots, eh?).
Good album. Seems to be a pretty typical album for the time.
Feel good pop, pretty good, nothing really to say about this as there’s nothing crazy unique about this or anything, although I will say this seems a bit ahead of this time, it feels like something from the 90’s like Cocteau twins but it comes a few years before which is cool. Standouts for me are pretty much the singles and the fall.
Not as good as Psychocandy, but still really good.
Decent new wave, slightly boring
I remember liking these guys in Jr High but onlyh a couple of tracks - this faded into the background - and my mom said, what is that crap you're listening to .. LOL
Oddly enough, when this one popped up, I realized it was never a go-to for me. It's in the exact spot that triggers me to daydream. It's not bad, but it means I never really hear the songs. I think it's the vocals that are often soft and airy.
Loved this album I high school when 9 Million Rainy Days resonated a lot more than it does now. The metaphorical clouds have lifted and the Beach Boys grooves and melodies are much more resonant. The first five tracks left me with the same dreamy - but with a good beat - feeling I had almost 40 years ago. And NMRD is still a great jam. As is often the case with "albums" when they still made albums - I was curious for side two. It's been a minute since I've been down that road. So when you flip it over what's waiting for you - none other than April Skies. And the dream continues...at least for one more lap...there's something warm about the rain.
Not too bad
Bueno
I realize I've never listened to this group before. I enjoyed it a whole lot
Sounded really nice. 4 stars
Really enjoyed this one. Those late 1980s UK bands like J&MC that followed the Smiths and The Cure and others really carried the sound into the 1990s. 3.75
Probably their best album of work - good sounds
I missed this, too, at the time, but would have loved it. I wasn’t listening to college radio which I think was probably the only place to her Jesus and Mary Chain in 1987. They sound much like other indie rock I love, like the Cure and the Smiths. The 80s had some really prime alt rock.
I feel like it's the same song written 10 times
fantastic
Thin and shadowy rock music, buzzing with feedback but also chiming with melody. Great atmosphere and great songs. For my money, this is the successful master release that follows the rough pre-alpha build that was Psychocandy. Best song: Happy When It Rains
nice and dreamy
Wow, this afternoon was even worse than I expected!
Dull
One of my favorite albums of all time.
Lame 2/5
This is one of those bands that I should like on paper, but don't like on their records. Nothing much happens on this records. The songs are not bad but very basic, the singer sounds uninterested, guitars are straight forward and predictable, drums are computers. Boring.
Another alright album Musically, it was fine. It sounded familiar in parts - probably heard a song on an advert or something. Nothing to write home about Sadly sounded like a lot of other albums I've heard on here so far. Nothing unique or memorable for me personally 3 ⭐️
The only track I liked here was “Happy When it Rains”. The vocals are boring, guitar solos are uninspiring, and I couldn’t care less about the lyrical content. I’m getting tired of all of these 80s records that are a slog to get through.
I close my eyes and I am in a John Hughes movie and I love it.
6/10. It starts off nice, but the listen gets tiresome as it drags on.
Like the soundtrack to a cool 80s movie
Not terrible. For some reason was thinking Metal and not 80’s soft rockish. It’s not bad but it couldn’t keep me interested.
I'm not going to say this was bad, because I don't think it is. However, it is more boring than listening to paint peel. 2/5
Pretty good. 80s production both helped and hurt the album. Very goth and gloomy. It was alright.
I had never listened to this before. It was basically what I thought. I didn’t mind it.
This is just good. Not much more to say about it. Doesn't overstay its welcome, doesn't try to wow you with unnecessary theatrics, just presents good music and gets outta there in 36 minutes. Perfect.
Actually very good, glad I finally checked it out!
First couple tracks, I was thinking, "I like the guitar vibe, but i wish the drums were hard and dark." in the third track the drums kicked in. Great sound. Still wish it was a bit more powerful. 4/5
Like this one
I think the hardest albums to rate on this list are the ones you can appreciate and respect, but don’t feel any affection towards, no matter how many spins you give it. Darklands I like that for me. The Jesus and Mary Chain are a band I recall my high school girlfriend really loving. She was a goth in a sea of 2000s emo kids, and she got me into a lot of those classic goth bands, including The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Still, I was always an emo kid first, so while I found something to love in a lot of the music she showed me, the post-punk spacey vibe was never for me. Even my favorite albums from The Cure are the ones that lean more pop-oriented. Of all those classic bands, though, the one I never understood was The Jesus and Mary Chain, though I think if I sat 16 year old me down today, she’d say it was mostly because they sounded dull. Listening to Darklands now, I think I basically have the same critique. There are certainly some good songs, especially the ones that feel more upbeat, more like college rock or alternative rock radio. “Happy When it Rains” and “April Skies” are both very good songs, and while still more goth-y, hit my emo kid heart in a spot that still works. In fact, I think I like the majority of this record. I’m pretty much all-in on Side A, minus “Nine Million Rainy Days,” which is too drone-y for me, and I do almost feel that way about “Deep One Perfect Morning.” Side B is a little spottier, but I think if it didn’t crawl to a halt on the last two-ish tracks, I’d be more of a fan. If I summed the parts, you’d think I like Darklands. And maybe I do, actually. It’s a short record, economical in more ways than one; I love how natural the drum machine sounds; I think there’s some great songs on here; it certainly made an impact. But when I pit it against all the other records I’ve heard so far, I realize I would rather just listen to most of them over this. And it’s purely because of the aesthetics, which just aren’t my preferred style. Again, there’s a lot of post-punk drone on this. It’s about half the record. So while I can say that it’s well done, I wouldn’t say it’s for me. I can like “Deep One Perfect Morning” and “Cherry Came Too,” yes, but if I’m not going to seek them out on the daily and can’t even hum the melody without playing the song, that feels telling to me. Do I honestly enjoy it, or am I just tolerating it while it’s on? The other half of the record, yes, it does work for me, but it’s always in a way that’s like, “Oh, yeah, I guess for a style of music I typically despise, this is pretty good!” Literally, if you took out the singles– “April Skies,” “Happy When It Rains,” and “Darklands”– I would have nothing else I’d gravitate toward, nothing that would get stuck in my head, nothing I’d want to listen to again. In fact, played front-to-back, I’d even argue that the songs start to blend together, and not in a way where it’s simply the band’s aesthetic, but where the songs literally sound like they’re using the same chord progressions. Darklands is just one of those records where I like it more when it’s on than I do after it’s finished. It doesn’t leave any mark on me. I know what it’s doing, and I think it’s doing it well, but it doesn’t sink its teeth into me. That’s strictly a me issue. That doesn’t make Darklands bad, it just means it’s not my vibe. I want to rate it higher, but I know it won’t grow on me, because I know what type of music I like, and it’s not this. Even among well-made albums ✨not for me✨, this ranks pretty low. I’m sure this album is for somebody. In fact, I once knew a somebody who it was for, 100%. But I am not that somebody. I get the appeal, but Darklands does not appeal to me personally.
enjoyed the album. I knew a song or two from them, did not realize they have been together o long. good indie album fully accessible
okay, yeah
Pre-listening thoughts: listen idk who these guys are BUT with a name like “Jesus and MARY Chain” I thought (hoped with no shred of real evidence) that one of em would be a woman. The representation on this list sucks so bad that’s how desperate I am for some female contribution. Post/during listening thoughts: ok so this is going to sound weird but I can genuinely hear how people took inspiration from this and then proceeded to make it boring. My opinion is if you have vocals that drone, you need to have instrumentation that doesn’t. This does that. Future indie artists do not do that. So much of 90s/00s shoegaze drones in EVERY aspect. But this was a pleasant listen. 7/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: Darklands, Happy When it Rains, Down on Me, April Skies, Cherry Came Too Least fav tracks: Fall
Feels like I’m smoking a cigarette, walking through the city streets, staring down at oh my god that’s why they call it shoegaze.
Very middle of the road. I’m starting to feel there’s too many 80s/90s rock albums on this list already. That’s not to say I didn’t like this, it’s easy enough to listen to and the songs about rain were fitting as I was driving through rain, it’s just mid, as the kids would say. Very forgettable. Top tracks were Happy When It Rains (more for agreeing with the title’s sentiment than anything) and April Skies.
One of the things I love about this project is trying to understand why I like the music I do. What things are universally good, and what things are subjectively good just to me? I still can't quite work it out. Why did I enjoy this album more than the other alt-rock albums I've had to listen to? Is it slightly more crisp? Is the singing slightly more melodic? Did it just feel a bit less whiny? I don't know, but I'm enjoying the process of working it out. 3.5/5 stars.
Really a pleasant album. I've never heard of these guys before, so I'm glad I found them. Some great starts to song, and a good sound throughout.
I’ll give them an extra star for being Scottish?
Love the name of the group and love the sound
there are some pretty decent moments on here, but overall, i was pretty unimpressed. to be clear, there was nothing truly awful here. mostly just too dull for me. no real highs, no real lows. very in the middle. the highlight to me was 'down on me' which i thought was a fun song that reminded me a little bit of the replacements. but otherwise, not much going on here for me.
Wow! Actually very good. A nice discovery.
I don't know why so many people have rated this album as 5/5, it's a mediocre album at best.
There's something really hypnotic about this band to me, and I love it
The descriptions calling this post punk, shoegaze etc had me expecting something much noisier but it's more an indie rock/power pop style. The guitars are a bit shoegazy at moments, like on Nine Million Rainy Days A bit morose and moody but in an easygoing kind of way. Nice as some chilled out background music. Full of nice vocal harmonies and guitar hooks I can imagine this being really nice on a rainy day, which makes sense since they're from East Kilbride 3.5 Highlights: Down On Me, Fall, Nine Million Rainy Days
Great album for anyone to ease their way into shoegaze. And you can hear the inspiration for so many other bands in the tracks, to the point where I thought I was hearing the other bands songs and not the JAMC song.
Yeah, ok.
7/10. Would play this while driving alone at night. Dated but interesting
Chill
So many band I love directly owe much of their sound to this band and album. The mix of fuzz and noise with pop sensibilities is such a perfect combination and evokes such a warmth.
Have not fully listened but is very good so far. Might rate 5/5 on full listen.
Molto simpatico!
Shoegazing, melancholy and melody are 3 things I like. Was already familiar with the hits.
Remember going to see these play live at the Royal Court (Liverpool) 1987. Short but sweet. Always found these to be the better of the 1980s dreamy guitar type bands. Highlights include Darklands, Deep one perfect morning and about you. 4 stars from me.
какой-то скучнолэндс, вроде вайб присутствует но я почему-то потяжелее ожидала звучания
bro this is just the same song forever
So sad. 2/5
It took me three listens to really understand what made this album/group unique. Great, deep vocals, and some interesting song structures and hooks. Some of the songs are pretty basic and uninteresting, and generally this album sounds like more of a 'vibe', but not bad. 3/5
Energetic but not too energetic. When the guitars get going, the sound gets richer, the feel gets going, the album gets going. Drags with the endless rain--we get it. Not quite enough variety to the rain. When they depart from it, they kick.
See my previous review about why I fell out with the Jesus and Mary chain. Turns out I really have forgiven them. I put this on thinking I would fall asleep to it. But instead, it just carried me along and energised me. Love The brooding Scottish rain-drenched ambiance.
I have never been a JAMC fan and I guess it’s just because I didn’t hear them enough. This album is great!
After the personal affront that was Psychocandy, I am really hesitant to give this band another chance. But here goes... "Darklands," the opener, sounded like New Order's "Love Vigilantes" (I want to see my family...) meets Bowie's "Heroes" within the first 20 seconds of the tune. Beyond that, I guess I couldn't care less about these guys. At least I didn't despise it as much as the other.
Some bands just don't do it for me. It's not necessarily their fault, I just can't get into them. TJAMC is one of those bands.
While familiar with the name of this band, I would not have been able to recall a song or their sound. I loved this!
Good album sounds like it was made a decade after it was.
Well constructed. Great rock & roll.
Went on far too long, and nothing really stood out to me. Not willing to listen to it again to figure out if there are actually good songs on it.
ja sama paska jatkuuuuuuuu äääääääää paska valuu ja valuu meikäpoika suu avoauki, apposen auki ottamassa vastaan kakkavettä.. päivästä toiseen tämä jatkuu niele gulp gulp niele niele älä lopeta gulp gullp guulp gulp gulp ahhhhhh lisää paskaa.... one of the most influential bands of their generation and beyond,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,ei ole. hupsista keikkaa taisit laitta jotain väärin koska ei vittu ole. ketään ei vittu kiinnosta. hupsista keikkaa siinä hmm olisiko jonkinlainen transmutaatio tekstiin tarpeellista, koska siinä meni ehkä pikkusen ohi sen totuuden kertominen tälläpä kertaa jotain jotain virheellistä misinformaatiota taisi nyt pikkaisen näyttää kyntensä.... fall
Some songs sounded too similar for me to rate any higher even though I somewhat enjoyed it
i might just not get it but i didnt like it as much as some people on here.
Pop art masterpiece
Not so great for me.
Sounds remarkably similar to early Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, which appears to be by coincidence, but who knows? Regardless, the power-pop, shoegaze rock is infectious. The wall of sound never becomes aggressive enough to drown the passion, the vocals are diverse and always welcome and the little guitar medleys are a delight. When the music hits its climactic convergence, the emotional punch is palpable. This is beautiful and simple at the same time. I can hear so many styles that appear to have influenced contemporary indie bands to pop bands. Perhaps the singleness is fooling me into thinking this isn’t incredible, or perhaps I just need subsequent listens, but this teeters on a 5.
This reminded me of high school, but at the same time, I haven't listened to it since high school, so I'm not sure that it was all that revolutionary that it needed to be listened to people before they die. It's a good example of late 80s alternative, but as with a lot of music of that era, it's a bit repetitive and thematically one-note. Good for the era, but nothing I'm seeking out on the reg.
Mid 3
Really vibey, I liked it!
Good stuff!
This album is depressing dog shit 1001 album worthy: No - 24/43
4- Stars (10/15)
Like Goth Lite but not very interesting to listen to. A star for being Scottish but wouldn’t listen again. Nothing catchy or evocative
One of my favorite Jesus and the Mary Chain albums. I love every song. Easy 5 stars.
never heard of them, had no expectations, ended up really enjoying this album!
I enjoyed this album a lot. Great pop album, sort of a bit of the more poppier version of Echo & The Bunnymen
Good
Loved this. I had always known this band exists, but never paid much attention to them. Great album. Will definitely listen again. 🤩🤩🤩
Not bad, but I got bored pretty fast.
They are like the sad stone roses. Too many songs that sound the same. Overall good sound and some good songs
Fuhgetttaboutit!
Did not bring me joy
Not my cup of tea, but i understand the efforts. This kind of music is rather on the “safe” side and i would get why many people would rather listen to this. I enjoy the sound tho.
Its just Ok nothing special I can point out.
yayyyy
Completely forgettable pop rock
At least it's a short album? Really average stuff here and another British bias inclusion on the list. I don't even know what to say about this album it's so unnoteworthy. 4.25/10 (2.125/5)
Nah.
This sounds like a soundtrack to a movie. Not complaining but not loving.
Gorgeous sound on this album.
4.5 rounded up fire highlights: darklands, down on me, april skies (jan 15 2024)
A bit more accessible than Psychocandy and not quite as powerful - although still has Jim Reids gravelly voice and enough atmosphere to nudge a 5 for me.
Приятный альтернативный рок. Очень удивительно, что музыка такого жанра была записана ещё в 80-ых годах. Опередили своё время, звучат близко к современным инди-проектам.
Lyder vildt godt! Har aldrig hørt dem før, de gav mig store Joy Division vibes
Lækre sange, selvom jeg foretrækker deres debut som er lidt samme slags sange bare med meget mere støj
Cool sounding album. Love the style.
Pretty unremarkable if we're being honest
3.75
Dark
2.5 really
Exceptional journey through the Reid’s minds
Wasn't available on YT music. Didn't really matter that I found it on YouTube, nothing really stood out. Easy listening, '90s soft rock.
JAMC play such a massive part in my music discovery. Psychocandy was a massive influence and in my top 10 important albums. This is equally as important. To me its a 5 star album just because of nostalgia. I played this non stop and i can still listen to it today and enjoy every single song
"Darklands" is the kind of album that takes all the shoegaze filth and turns it into something beautiful, yet profound. And yes, the vocalist's voice can be a bit annoying to me, but that can be overlooked when you look at the overall result of the album. I wish I could say I didn't like this album, but I'd be lying if I said that.
чилловый
Good stuff from a good era. I'm in.
Good album.
Boring
Depressing and high energy. Unsurprisingly lame.
Yep still not for me
Really surprised me how much I enjoyed this album. I had never heard of JMC previously, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I had read some reviews comparing them to the Cure or Joy Division, who don't get me wrong, I love a song or two, but couldn't really face into listening to a whole album. The opener is really strong, sort of familiar? I don't know enough about JMC if they were influencers or the influenced but either way, great opening track. Only reason for the 3 (maybe a 3.5 but, I'm gonna round down) is that based on my own rating system, I can't see myself revisiting the whole album on a regular basis but still a few songs will definitely make their way into my rotation again.
Sounds like a mixture between "Sisters Of Mercy" and "Travis" to me😉 Nice listen but I´m missing at least one banger.
This sad boi music is trynna gaslight me into thinking its happy
This was pretty good. Haven't listened to this band much but they aren't bad.
First track is good with all the duh duh duhs Album got better with every listen tbh. It was a lot more hopeful and happy that I thought it would be. Started off scratching a 3 but definitely on the higher of the 3s for me now
Enjoyed this ...remember their name from back in the day but none of their music. Trippy and relaxing... Good background music when you're trying to work. Not good enough to warrant for stars... Try harder Jesus.
Better than their first album. Jesus and Mary Chain should have been as popular as Joy Division or the Cure
Man, this guy really likes the rain
Somehow reducing the drums to a machine has made this even better. Lush, open distorted guitar, simple but catchy chord structures and beautiful harmonies. Drum machine just sits in the background like heartbeat.
I fell asleep whilst listening to this album, but I don't think it's the album's fault... in fact, I'd say the album does a lot of great things, despite abandoning the noisy elements of their first album. It has a solid alt-pop sound, and fits right in at the time of jangle innovation. It feels a bit too wishy washy at times for my taste, and that led to an album with a lot of "almosts," but I can still see the appeal as a picture of bands changing with the times, and in that aspect it isn't amazing, but it is neat.
Pop-rock cansino. Un 2.
Indie 90's tranquilo oscuro.
Quedé agradablemente sorprendido con este trabajo de The Jesus and Mary Chain. Una estética oscura ejecutada de forma perfecta como una mezcla adelantada a su época entre rock gótico, shoegaze y new wave. En ciertas partes del disco puedo notar la tremenda influencia que New Order tuvo en esta agrupación, con extractos del LP sonando bastante parecido a "Brotherhood" de la banda que se desprendió de Joy Division. Recomendable, pero si me tuviera que quejar de algo es que a pesar de ser corto (con su tracklist original de 10 pistas), puede tornarse repetitivo a veces. ¿Debería estar en la lista de los mejores álbumes de todos los tiempos? Creo que sí. Pixies, una de las bandas más influyentes de finales de los '80s no podría haber encontrado su sonido sin la influencia de The Jesus and Mary Chain.
I listened to this while I put together a miniature book nook and drank tea and just had a grand time.
Mmm not for this listener!
Now THIS is more like it! Brooding, melodic, cathartic indie rock. A real surprise as I’d only heard Psychocandy prior to this and both albums are excellent! In many ways this is more accessible maybe than their debut album and proves there’s more to the Jesus and Mary Chain than just feedback and squalling, squealing, loud guitars. Bloody brilliant!
Really good, easy to listen to 90s rock
Enjoyed it, but the shocking sound of the debut has gone away.
un cambio de sonido interesante.
Nice and melancholy.
First song? Awesome! Rest of the album??
nice mellow dark-mood album, doesnt change up much but it keeps the vibe and im biased
Just the most boring forgettable album I’ve heard in a long time.
Not bad. Like it better than Psychocandy
Sounds like very modern but just mid indie rock.
dark is right. moody. old dad indie guitar. jangle. cure like. a bit harsh. shoegazey. spectacular. this one is where we should all wish to float along the river of life. calm and freeing.
pre: I only know the name and have a vague note in the back of my head that people I respect respect them. nope nope nope. I recognize this period of this genre as important in linking music I like to music I like, but I do not like this specific period. I fully support everyone's right to be whiney about they emotions, but it needs to be better music for me to listen. Listened to the first two songs then sampled every other song, nothing for me here.
There were a couple cool guitar riffs, but overall it’s not really my style.
Not bad - very mellow and easy to have on as background music. Not really what I expected, much quieter than anticipated.
First couple of songs, Just ok, nothing spectacular so far. Full album -- meh, nothing really caught my ear.
Some nice songs
pixies, evil twins, blonde redhead?
Not what I expected, very chill
Enjoyed
Well that was a pleasant surprise! I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this. I might have to come back to it.
This opening track is great. And I didn’t not expect to like anything on here. Really looking forward to this now. Thanks his album is fantastic. It still feels fresh even though it’s 37 years old as of today (10/23/24).
Can’t see how this is a groundbreaking album of note. Just normal stuff I’ve heard a million times before. There are at least 1001 albums better than this. 1/5 22/10/72
I listened to this yesterday and now can’t remember a single thing. Neither positive nor negative. It just washed over me. 2.5/5
I didn't dislike it, but I don't know if it was the mood I wanted.
Not my style of music I guess. Wasn't too keen on the mix, and choice of feedback. But good at creating a vibe.
What a pile of nothing. I remember the era where anybody could be a "singer". I don't miss it. At least it didn't irritate me, that's why I gave it a 2.
This was fine, just unremarkable.
Geht so
Liked some of this, was bored by a lot of it. I suspect it's a "grow on me" kind of album so I'll bump it up from a 2 to a 3. Wish I had more energy for a dedicated listen of it on first go, but I got a bit behind while a friend was visiting for a week and I am wanting to work on catching up so this unfortunately is just going to get the gut reaction. Who knows though, if it is a grow on me type of album like I suspect I could maybe see this being as high as a 4 for me.
Very good
not bad
Moody alt shit. Somewhere between Velvet Underground and The National. I dig it, even if it didn’t blow me away
Poppy
So many 90s bands came along and ripped this off. I've never heard of this album or this band, but I feel like I've heard a lot of these songs in various forms before. To see it came out in '87 was interesting.
Pretty mediocre. I haven't heard anything that brought my attention. 2.5/5.
It was pretty chill. The faster songs have a 60s sound to them, but just the right amount
most of my reviews are just repeats of the same 5 complaints. one thing they have in common with this album
good stuff. indie esque, doesn’t get too fast a tempo
I would have so hired them to play at my school's dance in 1987. Unfortunately for The Jesus and Mary Chain, I am no longer judging music by 1987 school dance standards.
J&MC: 🎶 Me: This is pretty good. Sounds like a bunch of other early 90s indie though J&MC: 🎶 Me: What do you mean this came out in the mid 80s? Nice tunes. 4/5
I think this is a very good album, but it's impact is really more in how influential it was and helped establish a genre of music that would continue thereafter. I was surprised to hear a lot of similarities in this album and bands like The Psychedelic Furs. Overall, I really like The Jesus and Mary Chain, but this album mostly passes by. I much prefer "Honey," one of their later albums. I'd probably give "Darklands" 3.5 stars, but I am going to round up, because I do think they are a great band and very influential.
Do do do do do.
slow, dark and dull rock. So many bands seem to use this mantra as a magic wand to make boringly written songs sound ”deep”. I guess it somewhat works
# Playlist track - Darklands # Notes - A pretty cool surprise. I knew nothing about them. - Got hooked pretty much straight away. - What's with this album and rain? - Definitely worth the listen, and I look forward to getting to know others too.
saw shoegaze and was expecting some smashing pumpkins-like stuff but its very popish and even though the lyrics are sad most melodies are happy, i guess its just the 80s effect... anyway not a bad album, but not impressive either
Time for another band that I've vaguely heard of! I knew practically nothing about the Jesus and Mary Chain until today, so I didn't have any specific expectations. I've gotta say. This is some great music right here. I like this. The sound is pretty cool. It's pretty chill. It's somewhat fun, but there's also some noise there. Fortunately, it's the kind of noise that doesn't hurt to listen to, which I think works very well in an album like this. The singing is pretty interesting. I think it works very well with the feedback to create a unique vibe that I really like. The writing is pretty good too. Songs like "April Skies" are just wonderful in many regards. My biggest complaint is that there's just not enough of it! This album is only 36 minutes long, so I feel that I really didn't get to appreciate it as much. Fortunately, the Jesus and Mary Chain's debut album, Psychocandy, is also on this list. Apparently that album is even better than this one, so it must be pretty great. Still, Darklands is a really good album. 4/5.
I've heard this sound before; that widescreen, reverb-heavy thing - often just two major chords alternating at medium pace. When successful it creates a cinematic and melancholic atmosphere. Did TJAMC pioneer this sound? Kudos if so, but I find it kinda samey when there's a whole album of it. Also, to let so much 'space' in, it seems you often have to sacrifice interesting songcraft. That said, I didn't get bored, as such. It was a nice enough half hour of music. 2.5 / 3
Nine Million Rainy Days // April Skies //
This is way less abrasive than their first album but also somewhat less distinctive. Still good solid, chill post-punk.
This is a slow boring album. Definitely some Pink Floyd blended in, but I’m not a fan.
It could be a four star album with a live drummer.
I think 13 year old me would have loved this, but it's a little too of it's time for me now.
Melodic and easy to listen to but not something I'd seek out
Piss
Sorry JMC busy with the JC album, no time 2waste
I enjoyed this, hit hair was nice and he sang very well, Clive aged 7
A small shit and a chain
Fair to middling
I like the sound and feel of this album, but after 2 listens it doesn't really stick with me. I'm guessing if someone put this on one side of a long play tape for me with a Smiths album on the other side back in 1989 I would defend it to the death.
Moody, catchy, just plain good.
Darklands Less dark and oppressive than Psychocandy, there is a palpable lightness to the music on here, and whilst keeping to the same general template, there are some great little pop hooks and moments - the slowed down bubblegum surf pop melodies that were under the gloom of Psychocandy show themselves here, emerging without the dark and claustrophobic tone and mix of that album. There are still some punk riffs and still some of the same atmosphere, but there is definitely less shade and dark corners. There are some great little guitar hooks and moments, combining some overdrive with jangly pop and drones, which, as a consequence of the lighter feel, are more apparent than on Psychocandy. There do seem to be a lot of lifts from other songs, which I don’t particularly mind, Darklands pretty much lifts the melody from Love Vigilantes by New Order for the riff and the Oooh Ooohs on Nine Million Rainy Days are quite Sympathy for the Devil. I could also hear a touch of Sweet Dreams on Cherry Came Too. But that doesn’t really matter too much as they conjure up some very good songs, Darklands, Happy When it Rain, Nine Million Rainy Days, April Skies and it is nice and succinct at about 35 minutes. Even if some of the songs aren’t quite as good, they all work with the atmosphere and sound of the album. Like Psychocandy this does depend on whether you like their template and formula, and like Psychocandy, I am a fan. Although the template is similar, this does have that different end result, less moody and less aurally confrontational, subsequently it's a nice complement and partner to Psychocandy. I gave that 4 and I’ll do the same with this. ✝️✝️✝️✝️ Playlist submission: Nine Million Rainy Days
Always liked the band from the odd singles, but I don’t think I’ve listened to an entire album. Really liked this and some of the content of the extended version was reminiscent of Nick Cave.
..
Blah
3.5
Fine I guess, but I found this pretty unremarkable.
Darklands is much like the last offering we had from TJAMC, where I said it's hugely atmospheric and has some impressive guitar work and composition, but I can't get on with the vocals. Think this is better than Psychocandy but it's still a shade of 3.
This is quite a cool sound, but it never quite gets going for me. Another that ends up on the pile of influential and inspirational for better stuff that comes later, really. Definitely preferred it to the previous album, but doesn't quite take hold. 3/5.
This was wild. Really very good. 4.5.
Had only ever heard Psychocandy and I think it caught me off guard that this sounds like.. the Smiths? Velvet Underground? It’s a solid alt rock album with good vibes but did not meet my expectations fully I’d have to say.
Not particularly inspired by this but enjoyed it still!
as a guy with a newly broken heart this was not fun to listen to
They were fine.
Smiths cure dark sad vibes Very good
Great
I understand and appreciate just how influential and important The Jesus and Mary Chain are, I just don't like their style of music that much.
This was an interesting listen. I didn't love it, but it had some cool sounds and was pleasant enough in the background. Three stars.
Its catchy enough pop but in the end its just work to listen to.
I don't like the lazy 80s sound of this whatever.
An enjoyable listen, I wouldn't say I have strong thoughts but I found it pleasurable
This album is as dull as a Sunday Catholic mass. The livelier songs sounded overproduction.
It's just great to listen to
as my introduction to the jesus and mary chain, this album certainly did them justice. i absolutely love the sound, with no one song being overly complicated, yet still achieving a near-perfect shoegaze sound. the ability to compose songs that are not intricate as such, but still work beautifully on an album requires a lot of talent, and they managed it brilliantly. songs that stood out - darklands, cherry came to and on the wall. possibly there were some slower parts - nine million rainy days - but that hardly affected the overall excellence of the record.
Weak everything
I knew a few songs from TJAMC, but never listened to one of their albums. You have to be in a very specific mood to listen to this or need to get into a brooding, melancholy, ennui kind of mood. Decent music……but only at times.
For some bands the jangly guitars are just that much more janglier. This is one such band of that late 80s shoegaze alternative scene, miles better than the earlier review Psychocandy album, the noise and distortion has been pared back significantly and the jangle pop is starting to rise.
It's not bad-bad but it's pretty boring 2.5
Somber sound but with a groove. 80s rock isn’t my thing usually, but because this has a darker vibe to it, I can dig it. I’d revisit this one.
Scottish rock band - 80s shoegaze, noise-pop. It ain't bad, just ain't my bag
Boring 80s.
Not bad but not really my sound. Very 80s sounding.
Yes yes yes kinda inaccessible and takes a few listens to unlock the majesty of this album! An absolute corker
Had listened to this previously and it's definitely an album that gets better the more you listen to it. Happy when it rains and April skies are instant likes, but tracks like Nine Million Rainy Days and Fall in particular grow on you over time.
Less Psycho, more Candy: “Darklands” sees the Jesus and Mary Chain tidying themselves up a little, and dusting down the same three-chord rule books that inform their whole career. “Darklands” came two years on from Jim and William Reid’s debut record as “Jesus and Mary Chain”. Their twenty-minute live shows were becoming increasingly nihilistic and violent, drummer Bobby Gillespie had jumped ship, and the brothers Reid had split with manager Alan McGee. In response, they crafted an album with a much more palatable shape, full of instant hits like “April Skies” and “Happy When It Rains”. While I enjoy a lot of the songs on “Psychocandy”, I find the infamous “wall of distortion” production a little wilful at times. “Darklands” may be less incendiary or revolutionary, but it is more listenable, giving more room to the songwriting craft the boys had in them from the start and leading to their only UK top ten album. It’s difficult to say whether the Reids had cracked pop’s magical alchemy here, or just stuck in their lane riffing on classics. Case in point: the opening title track sets up exactly what the next forty minutes have in store, front-to-back, like a giant, wailing table of contents. Time after time across the rest of the album, we hear the same “Be My Baby” bass drum rhythm, the same crashing major chords, the same baritone quiver. Music enthusiasts may enjoy either deconstructing the songs or sniffily calling out the influences (“On the Wall” is very Velvet Underground… “Fall” is Iggy Pop reincarnate… “Nine Million Rainy Days” feels kind of Cure… “Darklands” is like a Phil Spector joint… etc, etc.) The influences are worn proudly on sleeves here, with the glorious highlight “Happy When It Rains” even reusing a riff from the band’s own repertoire (“Something’s Wrong”). This “JAMC comfort zone” is great news for fans of the band’s sound (like me) but won’t do much to win over their sceptics. Perhaps the biggest diversion comes at the very end, with “About You” stripping (almost) everything back to clean rhythm guitar and vocals. It’s an effective comedown to end with, leaving the haze, distortion, and glory days of Jesus and Mary Chain in the rear view mirror. Above all, “Darklands” is epic and ecstatic: credit song after credit song to the greatest films not yet made. They make me feel that if I had a car, I’d get in it; if it had a sunroof, I’d pull it down; if there were a sunset, I’d drive into it; if there were a speed limit, I’d ignore it… all the way to some new beginning. Cinema.
kind of bland album, probably won't go back to it.
As far as alternative goes, very essential 80s album
Very good music
Writing melodies is hard, eh Good news! The lead singer has such a limited range that it doesn't really matter! Not my thing.
J'ai clairement plus aimé que l'autre que j'ai eu, mais il faudrait vraiment que je redonne une chance à ce band et l'autre album considérant l'impact de ce band sur la scène shoegaze. Généralement j'ai trouvé ça s'écoutait bien, meilleure production que sur l'autre, plus de variété de son. 7/10
Better than expected
Plenty of rainy-day gloom within this album. Despite being released in 1987, Darklands would certainly fit the mid-90s sound. While this album is seemingly innovative, my ears are so accustomed to the various grunge and alternative bands of the 90s, that this record unfortunately sounds like a pale imitation of them. This is not to say that Darklands was a tortuous listen, though. This record still carries the dark and carefree spirit of post-punk, and a song like “Fall” demonstrates this. Overall, this album merits a 3.5.
Good goth
Haven't listened to much of this band's music before although I knew of them. I enjoyed it. Good guitar sounds throughout, good vocals. Worth a listen
Rating: 8.5/10 Great album, they toned down the noise on this one while still being incredibly catchy and melodic.
Good music, but worn and dated. Listenable in mellow setting but I wouldn’t seek it out or buy it.
Calm, soft, chill, and with some nice harmonies to top it off. This record was a bit of a sleeper but in a good way. Good vocals, solid production, and some decent lyrics. At some points I felt it was a bit too calm and soft that it got a little boring but not to the point that I'd just fall asleep. Very good background music if imma keep it a buck. Would listen again tbh. Best - Happy When It Rains, April Skies, and About You (MPF) Worse - No bad songs 3.25-3.50/5
I’m only familiar with one song by the Jesus and Mary Chain, “Head On,” but I really like that song, and I was really excited to see Darklands pop up for me to review today. If this album is anything like “Head On,” I think I’m going to have a good time with this one. I really wanted to fall in love with this album, but sadly, that didn’t happen. I thought Darklands was really good, but it’s the type of album where I’m much more likely to only revisit certain songs instead of the whole album. I did enjoy the overall sound of the album, which was really well defined by some great guitar parts. I loved the shimmery, echoey sound that was utilized, and I thought the drum machines did a great job of adding some darkness that contrasted with the bright guitar tones. This album reminded me of Echo & The Bunnymen’s Ocean Rain, in the sense that the sound was big, but everything about the album managed to feel really intimate. I enjoyed the songwriting, and the vocals did a great job of carrying the melancholy lyrics. “Happy When it Rains” was my favorite song on the album, but “Darklands” and “April Skies” were almost just as good. I also liked “Deep One Perfect Morning” and “Cherry Came Too.” Even though I didn’t fall in love with this album, I enjoyed it, and I thought it was objectively a really good and unique album. I’m looking forward to reviewing Psychocandy some day.
Ég hafðu aldrei heyrt um þetta band áður en ég hlustaði á þessa plötu og þótt bandið og tónlistin sé mjög ljúf og þægileg áheyrnar þá mun þessi hljómsveit fljótt falla í gleymsku meðalmennskunnar
Felt that this was a super generic album. Forgettable sound. Didn't really stick with me, although not bad per se. 2/5
This is a great way to channel montage moments even if you’re standing in your kitchen doing nothing!
I don't have any connection to them and listening through a couple times didn't really do much for me. It's not offensive, I'm actually surprised I didn't care at all about it, haha. Just made me want to listen to other bands exactly like them. Might be the drum machine 🤷
Friggin' cool album. Geggjað. Þægileg plata með vinnu. Hef lítið hlustað á TJAMC en mun henda því í róteringuna það er klárt.
The Jesus and Mary Chain voru frábær viðbót í indíið á sínum. Besta platan en Just like honey þó alltaf besta lagið og það sem heldur nafni þeirra á lofti.
4/5. Dark and brooding, a little too edgy sometimes but cannot deny the accessible, sometimes catchy, post punk songs. Hooks mixed with punk lyrics is an interesting choice and I think they found that nice balance. Don't think I'd listen to it on repeat but it is a good one to throw on now and then, when I'm feeling happily depressed. Best Song: Darklands, April Skies, Nine Million Rainy Days
Hell yeah I love the rain
While I like the abrasiveness of Psychocandy, it was nice hearing something that felt cleaner and more restrained, resulting in some nice pop songs. A strange counterpart to their debut, which in places here, feels like it falls heavily on the singles while a few other songs fade into the background. Nonetheless, this is indeed a pleasing listen.
Ganske ait 3.5
The Jesus and Mary Chain was a band I overlooked in my youth. I was reintroduced, because of this list, with Psychocandy. Something clicked with that album, probably the heavy Lou Reed influence and I decided to take a deep dive into these guys. TJAMC are now one my favorite bands! This album is so refined compared to Psychocandy, but the different styles helps me appreciate these guys even more. Me and my wife will be seeing live in Detroit come October. Back to this album, I pretty much have most of this album downloaded and Happy When It Rains is right near the top of my favorites songs. These guys have a great sound, some wonderful lyrics that you could just put their entire library on and enjoy whatever you are doing. Beers on the porch in the summertime comes to mind! Not a bad song off the album and was really excited to see this on the list after a string of some mediocre albums. Looking forward to seeing live. 5