Darklands

5 Due to travel and some time spent at home with the fam, this is probably the longest I’ve sat on a review since starting this list, but I’m kind of glad how that worked out, as it gave me the time to really dive into this album. I mean, I knew this was going to be something special even upon my first listen, but having this stuck as my current album enabled me to keep putting it on, at first just to keep it fresh on the mind, but ultimately because it’s just damn good. With every subsequent listen, I felt myself becoming more and more drawn to its sound and aura, and sitting here now, I have got to say, what started as a strong 4 for me is now slowly crawling into the territory of all-time favorites. The first thing noticeable upon listening to this album is how different this is from Psychocandy. The boys' songwriting abilities have grown quite a bit in just the two years, and with it, their sound went through a major glow-up. Now, normally I’m the epitome of the “their older stuff is better” music snob and hate when bands try to polish their defining sound, but I was totally sold on what they did with it here - rather than feeling sterilized, it genuinely feels more fleshed out, and what it lacks in flashiness, it makes up for with an immersive, moody atmosphere that’s as compelling as it is brooding. As much as I appreciated the feedback-driven sound of Psychocandy (especially on tracks like Just Like Honey - still probably their best song), I never really found myself missing it here. This album really succeeds in establishing its own identity while retaining every ounce of pop sensibility and edgy, “cool factor” as its predecessor. No track ever feels out of place or unwelcome, though I have to point to Darklands, Happy When It Rains, and April Skies as highlights and probably among the best of JAMC’s catalog. I’ve listened to this probably 10+ times now, and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon. The vibe here is unlike anything I’ve heard anywhere else and manages to keep hitting harder and harder as I continue to listen. I’m not going to endorse any kind of substance abuse here, but if you’re going to do it anyway, this is the exact kind of thing to put on once you’ve found the perfect buzz - whatever your vice of choice may be.

It's not bad. Not great either.

Okay this is something different than the last one. Much much more gentle and approachable. Maybe too much so. But I'm nodding my head at some of this and it's all quite nice. Not great, but good.

File this under bands I’ve heard of but didn’t know any of their music. Well that mistake has been rectified. This was great!

Overall pretty good, but a little forgettable. I found myself having to listen a few times just to remember most of the songs. I liked "Happy When it Rains" and "Fall"

I didn’t give them enough credit back when I got Psychocandy. Good stuff that fits a mood. Probably would give a 3.5. Favorite songs are Darklands, Happy When It Rains, and April Skies.

It was fine. But didn't hold my attention.

Not particularly memorable. I was hoping for a little more.

Sounds somehow uninspired and „bored“. Bit not in the good, post-punky, way.

Perfectly corpulent.

Never could get into it.

I knew ahead of time that there's quite a shift between Psychocandy and this album, but boy, I was not expecting what I got. I actually listened to Psychocandy for the first time about a week prior to getting this, good luck of a kind I guess. The difference in genre is quite big. It might not have been historically seen as that different in terms of the label they put on the music, but in my eyes (and ears), it is a lot more common to hear music that sounds like this album rather than Psychocandy. Dinosuar Jr. is pretty much the closest I know of (so far) that incorporates noise similarly to this band, but they take it much further into the rock direction. Most bands do a worse job at this dream pop style, but at the end of the day, I don't see this album as groundbreaking. I did enjoy it quite a lot though, their strengths in simple pop composition still shine through in this album, and they fill the room created by stripping back the noise very well with good production and a clean drum machine. It's a little difficult to assign a rating for this one. Pretty much any other album in this genre I've listened to would get a three at best, but this album is the best of its kind I've heard by far, and I feel like it might break me into more dream pop stuff, so I'm choosing a four for this one. This band is overall really impressing to me in terms of how much they've stretched my appreciative ear, they've surprised me across both albums I've listened to from them so far.

Fan alltså album e typ för långa ska inte ljuga.

WTF älskar det här albumet!! Min mamma gillar gruppen sen innan men aldrig riktigt lyssnat. Men detta var ju alldeles underbart kommer lyssna mycket mer. Vet inte om det kan klassas som britpop, men ger mig samma magiska känslor som många band i den genren så jag är helsåld Favoritlåt: nine million rainy days, darklands

Tråkigt album, låtarna var helt okej men inget att komma ihåg direkt Bästa låt: About you

I've never been a huge fan of The and Mary Chain and Psycho Candy is probably their classic and only "must hear" album, but I've always preferred that one over it. Even if it's less daring and its predecessor, at least it's more consistent.

A sound that I prefer to Psychocandy, but not a band that I idolize in the genre.

Alternative rock for alternative people.

Jasus

I really liked it! Cool alt rock!

I liked it. Honestly, the most solid album I've heard by them

I think I prefer My Bloody Valentine to this…

Trashhhhh

listened on 07/08/25 whilst looking for jobs (3rd listen)

They took their iconoclastic distortion and turned in down a notch, cleaning up the production for a more accessible sound. It still sounds catchy even with its roots in the underground. “April Skies” is a standout and along with “Happy When it Rains,” the case is made that The Jesus and Mary Chain are direct descendants of The Ramones. Both seem obsessed with crafting what are essentially ‘60s Pop songs with a gritty, alternative edge.

Strong, mellow alt-rock with a throwback style of songwriting. It reminds me of Roy Orbison and artists from that early 60s pop era. There’s a new indie band called Dehd that I like and I was struck by how similar their sound is to this album.

I've been hearing about this band for decades and never listened; for some funny reason I thought that they were a 90's Seattle grunge band lol. It's alright. Really pretty uh "mid" to my ears. I think a 3/5 because nothing was offensive and that's both a compliment and an insult. Didn't love much but didn't dislike much either.

Sleepy and dull Not a fan 2/5

pretty average work on this album.

Love love love. A wonderfully weird mix of noise and melody, a precursor to shoegaze and dreampop, a front to back ethereal beautiful assault on the senses. Very much up my alley.

I don’t get it. Fine, but left my brain just as quickly as it entered it

A staple shoegaze band although this record feels a lot closer to post punk stuff of the 80's. I suppose this was right before the 90's shoegaze explosion to it may be considered a stepping stone record. Overall not a bad listen. I'd recc the first four tracks, April Skies and On the Wall for listening.

Pretty sure I caught these at Primavera one year, a lot feels familiar and took me back anyway. I thought I was only familiar with Pyschocandy but recognised quite a bit of this. Big fan of this sound: sort of dirty, dreamy indie. A clear influence on lots of bands from the 2010s, but despite racking my brains I cannot seem to put my finger on who. Definitely maybe Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Sunny Day in Glasgow, but I’m certain theres someone more obvious. Perhaps its because there’s a lot of Velvet Underground in this, and there’s a lot of VU in more bands than I’ll ever know. Either way, I like this. Will be back.

I thought jesus and Mary chain were shoegaze, so either I was wrong or I still don't know what shoegaze is. It was quite good though, reminded me of the cure a lot, must have been influential on a lot of bands to come. Once the album finished there weren't any tracks that stood out but it definitely warrants another listen, 3.5.

Down on Me is pretty good. Doesn't sound very 80s, they must have been pre-punk post-punk. Overall listenable but nothing else stands out. 3.5 would be perfect, but rounding down for being a bit bland on the latter half of the album.

Thought this was alright but those last three tracks drag this album down for me. It goes by so quick that it doesn't overstay its welcome but I just wish it had a stronger finish. Highlights: Nine Million Rainy Days April Skies Fall

Did enjoy this, but after the first couple of songs, I thought I might enjoy it more than I did. Still good though.

A very monotonal effort; not bad, I could sense shoegaze elements mixed with Beach Boys rhythm at certain points, but nothing really held my attention and it was, unfortunately, a bit boring. It was also difficult to track down and so had to listen on YT, but it loses no points for that. Title track "Darklands" is a standout.

pretty solid shoegaze album. fit the vibe for my day, which might've given it an extra star.

Ehh. Not memorable. Also why are 3 songs about rain?? Endearing in a way tho

Emo

It took me a long time to fall in love with The Jesus and Mary Chain, and this album in particular. It's totally my era, but I don't recall knowing anyone who was in to the band back then. And I was listening to more prog rock style of music. So, no one to borrow the album from, so I didn't listen to it until I came across it via Spotify a ew years ago, And I love it. I don't know if I would have been open enough to it when I was 18 – it's the sort of thing I might have rejected as a teenager, because, frankly, teenagers know fuck all about what makes music great. I love the rock and roll style to this and have listened to it hundreds of times over the past few years. It's just got hooks to die for. One of my favourite albums.

Easy listening

Old school goth, not really my bag

Meh

2+

It's not as good as Psychocandy.

Pretty dull.

Happy when it rains Feels very boring. Background music for sure.

A cool and darker style album by The Jesus And Mary Chain, with an overall great alt-rock vibe. Random aside, but there were a couple of songs that had the essence of the HP & Goblet of Fire Yule Ball band song, which I thought was pretty strange but neat. Best: April Skies Worst: On the Wall

It was pretty good.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it is that I like about this record. It should be droning and whiny and repetitive. And it is all of those things, but good somehow. It shouldn’t work at all. But it’s genuinely great. 4/5

I must have listened to this eight times. I just couldn’t warm to it.

Not bad at all. Nice melodies, nice vocals, nice instrumentation.

Cool record. I am not sure I like it as much as Psychocandy. The move to drum machines, and it feels a bit more post-punk than that hard reverby noise and shoegaze sound that I liked so much on Pyschocandy. Still a good record for sure.

Good album, not great.

Another nice 80's standard. Not amazing though.

Alt rock, jangle pop. A very clean and refined album, I really enjoyed the somber, melancholic attitude of this album. Strong themes of rain really makes me want to listen to it when it's pouring outside. Like a nice summer fall rain. Jangly guitars with plenty of fuzz and pretty monotone vocals make a very atmospheric soundscape, however the drum machine really holds this album back. Like it could be so raw but the drums make a touch TOO refined. I liked the sound of the album, which is good because they have one sound and really stick with it. I feel this is the kind of album that has a good setting or mood to listen to it in, otherwise it's just kind of good. The length helps this though, does not overstay its welcome. Overall a great listening experience, very relaxing, but it feels like its missing something. Would revisit in the right setting. 4/5

I don't know what it is about TJAMC, but they make me happy. Always have

Pretty solid. I dug it from top to bottom. Nothing stuck out as particularly genius, but I can't really find anything negative to say about it either. It's just a good listen.

Great album. Better than the last JMC album we listened to. I think I have been sleeping on them a bit in my regular listening...will have to come back. 4.5/5

i don’t know… this one was kind of boring to me.

I’ve heard of TJ&MC for a long time but never listened to their music. I will continue to not listen to their music because this was like The Cure if The Cure was boring and utterly forgettable.

I love the driving energy of this album. It has a kind of innate coolness to it. The only thing is there's not tons of variation, and a bunch of the songs sound quite similar. It's a good listen though.

As a child of the '80s, I had heard of this band before, but I didn't know of their music as I didn't hear them on the radio or see them on MTV, so I didn't know what they would sound like. Besides the gated reverb drum sound, which I don't like, this is not bad. I might listen to this one again. Favorite track: April Skies

Excellente surprise.

It’s SCOTCH MUSIC TIME again. Another one where it’s probably great when it’s really really loud. But when it isn’t loud, it isn’t great. I think seeing them live would be great, but it’s not going to be my dog walk music.

Not a bad listen, thought it was going to be crazy distortion like the other one

Not bad, but I might be missing whatever it is some people think is great. 3/5

I’m not sure why, but I enjoyed this a hell of a lot more than I did Psychocandy. I made the observation with my review of that album that although I like a lot of the music that Paychocandy inspired, for the album in and of itself, I was never a fan. Darklands may have changed my mind. And the baffling thing is, I really don’t think it’s that different. Darklands has maybe a fuller sound, and relies less heavily on the crushing distortion. I think the real difference is that they stopped overtly ripping off their influences in the Ramones and the Stooges, and instead focused their effort on incorporating them into much better songwriting. The only complaint I have is that Psychocandy has Just Like Honey, which is an all time classic Pop song, and Darklands just doesn’t have that standout track. If it did, it’s be an easy five stars. As it is, it’ll have to settle for a four, and the knowledge that I’m definitely gonna go back and give Psychocandy a second shot, based on my much I enjoyed this one

So awful. Barely escaped a 1 star because I was bored to death but my ears didn't bleed

Another one of those bands that I had always heard about but never listened to. Fairly representative of late 80s alt rock/punk in the spirit of Husker Du, Psychadelic Furs, and Sonic Youth.

A little more than a 3 but not quite a 4.

Pretty good - nice and loose guitars and raw emotion

As a kid who grew up and discovered alternative music in the 80’s this is one of the albums that’s like musical comfort food.

Excellent album. Original sound. Loved it

While I think I prefer the noisier sound of their first album, you can definitely tell that they have improved as song writers on this album. The songs are more complex and more atmospheric. This isn't my favorite album ever, but I will relisten to it at some point. 4.5

love extended version etwas zu extended aber trotzdem

Good album. Easy to listen to. Loving the guitar.

Calm rock from the 80s. The lead singer has a slightly sweet, wistful tone. I dig it even if I can’t figure out what makes it so special. “Deep One” and “April Skies” are great.

Maybe closer to a 3 for me if I'm honest but rounding up to a 4 for the immaculate vibes

Depressing sounding, but actually not a bad album. 3.5/5

I was slightly familiar with this group going in but never listened to anything on this album before. I was a great listen for an early (5am) Saturday morning. I would certainly put this on again.

Just happened to get this on a rainy March morning. Fits the vibe just right.

Gave it 3 listens. Some good lyrics, but the music sounded very generic to me. Nothing really stood out. 3/5

Better than expected, but nothing I would listen to again. Tracks, that stood out to me: "April Skies" and "Cherry Came Too"

Better than I thought!

I think I’ve heard of The Jesus And Mary Chain before but I’m not certain. I hope it’s not a bunch of nuns caterwauling because that would just be too much. I don’t think it is, but I’m really unsure if I’ve heard them before. Let’s listen! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: April Skies, Happy When It Rains I really am a sucker for vocalists who sound like they’re making no effort and don’t want to be there at all. This is exactly that, and it sounds delightful. This is 80’s alt, goth, something and it’s got all of the things you expect. Apathy is abound, yet the music is so tightly woven that they’re not fooling me. They cared about this and wanted it sounding great. And it does.

ok

The thing about Jesus and Mary Chain is you kinda always know what you're going to get. This might be another one that is more notable due to its (sizable) influence rather than its inherent quality. A very enjoyable listen but nothing that is going to challenge you.

Ok

Melancholic and slightly mundane, I feel this album is more about lyrics than the melodies or musicality, not something I’ll be interested in again likely unless I take a deep dive. 2.4

The beginning stages of shoegaze. One of the most annoying genres. Only about half of the songs actually have that vibe luckily. Darklands, Happy When it Rains and Cherry Came Too are my favorites. Low 3

god idc 2.5

So boring

Nothing special

3.5/5

Pleasant and chill, reminded me a little bit of My Bloody Valentine but stripped down to a simpler form

I'd previously only ever listened to Psychocandy once and only thought it was decent, so I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Some really good tracks on this and it makes me want to go back to their other music. Fav songs: Happy When it Rains, April Skies, Darklands

I wasn't sure if I would like this one going into it, but it was actually pretty nice. Absolutely gave 80s movie vibes.

Great album, great band! I enjoyed this one a lot, being super stoned right now probably aided in that because it might just be a little too slow otherwise. Still great though.

An interesting blend of Ramones meets Beach Boys. I sort of like it, I sort of could do without it. Nine Million Rainy Days and Cherry Came Too are the best trax IMHO.

TDS-lite, not in sound but in subject matter. In short, very depressing. Not much stands out and it's very samey. Not a fave of mine, but I see the appeal.

Pretty dull and disappointing. I've never dug in to this band but I assumed they had something interesting. I didn't hear that here

80s vibes

Not a memorable song or one I’d want to hear again.

There are no fillers here, just 10 shimmery, beautiful, danceable shoegaze pop songs. Perfection.

Better than psychocandy!

Good listen.

Passlega þunglyndislegt.

Great album.

This is the kind of music made for my teenage self. Nowadays, it's just tedious. 3 stars for the memory.

Two Jesus and Mary Chain albums in one week, what are the odds. That said, I enjoyed this far more than Psychocandy. The album felt a lot tighter and I liked a fair number of the songs. Lots of groovy riffs and catchy hooks throughout.

Heard of this band, never listened to any of their music. Interested to listen to this. Very 80's-goth type. It's cool, not my style. I'll give it a couple more tracks.

Sonically very interesting album, I really love the overall vibe put forth from this. I think it conveys so much mood with tone

I like this type of music but the songs didn’t seem to go anywhere 3/5

A good dose of Scottish alt rock! Lovely stuff.

Thoughts before listening: One of those bands I've always heard of but know very little about. This album is not one that even looks familiar to me...Psychocandy is the album I typically see getting praised by music sites. Dark brooding indie rock or maybe gothic punk I think. Review: Definitely not as dark as I was thinking. This sounds like a lot of 80s indie/college rock...especially the Pixies who famously covered one of their songs. This is a sound I connect with and enjoy, and while nothing on this album is blowing me away, it is certainly enjoyable. "Happy When It Rains", "Down On Me", and "April Skies" are very good songs that I'm happy to add to the playlist. 3-stars.

Need a half star here (3.5). I’m not new to Jesus and Mary Chain but had never fully listened to this album. Definitely solid!

This might be the first album from this list that I liked without previously knowing that I already liked it. Sounds like the missing link between Leonard Cohen and Kevin Morby mixed with occasional early American rock and roll.

The first time I heard these guys was on The Crow soundtrack. Snakedriver. But other than that I don't think I've heard anything else from them. I'm enjoying it. It's got good energy. I'm leaning towards 4 stars here. Yeah this was a good album!

A significant act foretelling many later developments of the "rock" idiom taken in its largest sense, which is why it is still remembered today, I guess. Compared to debut *Psychocandy*, this one is more restrained and less noisy, obviously. Oddly enough, you don't really feel like the first album had a real drummer (Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie), and this one had a drum machine, ha ha. Those horrid eighties "gated drums" aesthetics are to be blamed here, that goes without saying. Apart from that, a cool LP, drawing as much from the Velvet Underground as it draws from the Beach Boys. The best of both worlds for me (and probably the *worst* of both worlds for some other listeners, lol). 4/5. Number of albums left to review: 288 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 315 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 174 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other records are more important to me): 231

Easy to listen to. Good background music. I liked it.

This is a more accessible, more pop-driven album by The Jesus and Mary Chain, following the band's classic, feedback-laden debut, Psychocandy. Although the band retains much of their sensibility on this album, the replacement of a live drummer with drum machines diminishes a certain texture from their sound. Additionally, I didn't particularly like the 3 tracks with William Reid on vocals, who really has a flat voice compared to his brother Jim. When the band gets it right though, they really get it right, creating a rainy day album for the ages. Jangly, dreamy and bittersweet, the songs lack the aggressive noisiness of the band's earlier work, making for a much more pleasant listen. The lyrics are typically gloomy for JMC, but they really work with the whole mood of the album. Although I personally tend to prefer Psychocandy, Darklands is in a lot of ways a more listenable and more successful album. It's probably the better album to start with if you're new to the band. Fave Songs: Happy When It Rains, April Skies, Fall, Deep One Perfect Morning, Cherry Came Too

I almost fell asleep

Easy listening and nice.

Rock, wave, industrial, ballads, male, mid/slow, quite boring voice, way too much delay on drumset, has a vibe, but expected more due to "shoegaze pioneers" and Roadburn24 billing...

Shoegaze isn't my favorite genre, but just like the best of The Smiths and The Cure, The Jesus and Mary Chain at their best strikes a certain mood pretty perfectly. This is their album I like most, and at 10 tracks in 36 minutes I appreciate that they could be moody without killing the pacing. Highlights - Happy When it Rains, Down on Me, April Skies, Fall

The tunes were catchy enough but there's a fatigue to the music that was hard to shake. The production had a real echoey effect that added to the dreariness. I don't know how this would have been received in its time of release, but I am struggling to hear anything remotely mindblowing.

Fine enough for those who like it, repetitive but bearable for those who don't.

6.5/10

Probably some hidden genius to this record i don't get. Right now its a solid noise recoed in a pop format. Feel kind of indifferent to it.

Inoffensive, but no substance. 2/5

Great album Very cold 80s sound I find the album sets a chill ambiance 3.5

Once again, expected more and was disappointed.

Pretty good

Love this Album

Jezus and Mary Chain, Joseph has gone douing some carpenter work I guess. Beautiful album, best are Happy When It Rains and the title song, 4 stars and not 5 because have to compare it to the brilliant noise of Psychocandy, their 1st and best album, and the once email address of a very dear one.

This is absolutely NOT what I thought The Jesus And Mary Chain sounded ilike. This will be interesting...I always enjoy being proven wrong. Plenty of heavy jangle. Like that the drums are right out front; cheers to the drummer. Oops - just read that they used drum machines on this. Still... I find the faster tunes much more enjoyable than the slower ones. Still, this is one of the better albums I've been introduced to so far in this 1001 project. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ __________________________________ 🎧 # of LPs reviewed: 21 🎧 # of LPs left to review: 980 🎧 # of LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 4 🎧 # of LPs I *might* include in my own list: 9 🎧 # of LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine: 5

Hele chille muziek!

High 3 but not a 4

3.5

Great album.

Darklands - not too bad. Listenable, but boring. Deep One... - carbon copy of the first track Happy when it rains - not something I'd listen to, but it's ok. Pure pop. Down on me - best track so far Nine Million... - back to boring again. April skies - like the Ramones. Nothing interesting or complex Fall - exactly as per April skies Cherry came too - too Pop! On the wall - Zzzzz About You - simply boring Some Candy Talking - also boring Enough of this album, it's a 2 star at best

Boring

Muito bom!!! Gostei bem mais do que esperava. Delicioso de ouvir!

Have heard the band before and was looking forward to listening to this. But I must say my previous assessment of the band still holds, it just doesn't quite hit the spot for me. It's a bit hard to put my finger on exactly what doesn't work for me. I think it's partly that it sounds like the sort of music where it'd go into a really punchy and catchy chorus, but it never comes. If it instead is going for a more subdued alternative vibe throughout, it doesn't quite have the quirkyness, the interesting vocal melodies, or the raw emotion which I think such music calls for. Like, I dunno... The Cure perhaps, to take an example of the same era. I would like to give this a few more listens. I do like the sound generally, so it's a bit disappointing that it just doesn't quite hit for me.

Classic 80s

I enjoyed this. Perfect vibes for the morning. 3.4.

It was kinda nice for the background, but it didn't wow me.

I want to like them; I love just like honey, but they are too much of a "mood" rather than something I will listen to often

i mean not bad but incredibly unmemorable

ok

I’d heard of them, but couldn’t have named a song they did however nice sound welcome in my random play list any time.

It was a nice combination of pop rock with a little more emphasis on the rock.

Quite good bit too long

Wow I originally thought I was gonna hate this. I actually really enjoyed it. Super sad boi 80s indie. Some proto-shoegaze vibes in there as well. Reminds me a bit of The Smiths.

Couldn’t finish, not into it

Better than the last heaping pile of garbage from this band, but still just generic, bland, bad 80's music.

Darklands passt als Titel super! Obwohl ich nicht auf die Texte geachtet habe, war ich ab dem ersten Song allein in einer düsteren Stadt Mitte der 80er die nachts nur von wenigen Laternen ausgeleuchtet war. (Bildlich habe ich mir die Intro-Bilder der Spiegel-Doku von den Kneipenterroristen vorgestellt:D) Hat mir gut gefallen, da ich es seicht durchhören konnte und nebenbei nichts negatives aufgefallen ist. Hätte ich mich ausschließlich auf das hören eingelassen, wäre ich sicherlich noch besser in das Album abgetaucht. Ich kannte weder die Band noch irgendeinen Song. Mir hat es atmosphärisch sehr gut gefallen. Letztlich ist es aber aus meiner Sicht kein BangerAlbum, dass ich einmal die Woche anmachen müsste, es war aber ein nicer Exkurs in eine düstere Traumwelt. Es zieht sich bei mir durch, ich gebe aber sehr gerne 3 Sterne. Für 4 blieb zu wenig hängen, für 2 ist der Wiedererkennungswert deutlich zu groß.

- Irgendwie echt nicht schlecht, aber auch irgendwie ein bisschen langweilig - Fühlte mich hier und da ein bisschen an Echo & The Bunnymen erinnert, aber leider nur an eine weniger spannende Version - Ich hatte bei keinem Song das Bedürfnis zu skippen und handwerklich war das auch alles in Ordnung und größtenteils mochte ich auch den Vibe total, aber so vollends abholen konnte es mich dann doch nicht. - Vielleicht muss ich hier irgendwann nochmal reinhören (Grower Potenzial) Rating: 3/5

- Puh, fand ich irgendwie schwierig. Das Album hat natürlich eine eindringliche Atmosphäre und eine gewisse Ausstrahlung, klar, aber so richtig ist der Funke auf mich nicht übergesprungen - Es fehlte mir leider etwas die Abwechslung, wobei ich mir gut vorstellen kann, das Album im Hintergrund in bestimmten Situationen laufen zu lassen. 2,5/5

Nicht schlecht, aber auch nicht gerade ein Album, das einem die Latschen auszieht.

Thought I'd hate it, few tracks were alright, most were not.

Didn’t really add to what I thought they were from the few songs I’ve heard. Then again, I’m not huge into Velvet U. Can hear influence on bands like Brian Jonestown Massacre.

Decent effort, I like the Langois atmosphere of the production. 2/5

Like Joy Division and U2 had a baby except that both those two bands are better. This one is dull and after almost 400 albums I've realized that shoegaze really isn't my thing. However this one is better than the material from MBV and Cocteau Twins.

Very calm start to the album, soft rocky. Not my type of album, very calm, but not bad quality. 2/5

Just kind of boring. 8/1001

Inoffensive to the ears but p bland 2.5/5

This is like the Smiths for people who can’t stand Morriseys vocals

01) Darklands - 7,5 02) Deep One Perfect Morning - 7,5 03) Happy When It Rains - 7,5 04) Down on Me - 7,5 05) Nine Million Rainy Days - 7,5 06) April Skies - 7,5 07) Fall - 7,0 08) Cherry Came Too - 7,0 09) On The Wall - 6,5 10) About You - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,25 (73/100) I should love this more than I do. Good, but nothing special.

Great album

Wasn't looking forward to this due to the album art and shit name. But it's actually decent album

This is my second album from this band. I remember being kind of ambivalent about Psychocandy, but I definitely liked this. Again, their music has a super familiar quality to it even though I'm fairly certain I've never listened to them. During "Fall" I realized perhaps it's because a newer band I like, La Femme, sounds slightly like it, despite being a totally different genre. So maybe that's it. Anyway, I wasn't enamoured with this but I liked it enough that I'm going to make a point of listening to it again.

Combine dark and light to create moody bliss - a dead simple but totally effective formula. A brooding reverby atmosphere pierced by bright melodic lead guitars playing simple major key melodies that soar over gloomy the distortion. Hit a big minor chord to kick off the bridge and release the tension back into a major by the end. The vocals seemingly straining their limits even in a pretty modest range make it somehow vulnerable and poignant. Contains one of only like 4 songs that get away with a 'do do do' chorus. A punk approach to loud stripped back musicianship combined with a pop melodic sensibility, an ear for richly layered guitar texture, unhurried songwriting and the patience to dwell in an atmospheric slow (maybe a bit too one-speed) zone make for a gem of gothy proto-shoegaze near perfection

Thought this was gonna be Christian rock... glad it wasn't. ✝️✝️

Not for me

SOLID shoegaze album

Not quite Pycho Candy!

Great album, not quite as good as Psychocandy but still great. No sure why they iliked to bang on about 'rain' so much.

Yeah. Fine, but not really that interesting. Nice and short.

Enjoyed it well enough, kind of music you'd listen to darkly brooding in the shadows.

Test

Scottish alternative rock band. Des balades alternatives. Pas deg, mais pas fou non plus. Le pace et les chansons se ressemblent pas mal toutes.

Good vibe, didn't blow me away in any direction but a nice listen.

The name of the band seems a little corny. The album is pretty good. I'm just not in the mood for melancholic music. Cherry Came Too sounds like a Beach Boys Song

Synes det var fint intet specielt. Må indrømme jeg nok kunne have lyttet mere efter

It's great

Never really listened to J&MC but it's really good!

A Great Album!!

4/5 where is the shoegaze?

It was solid. It was a bit boring at times and felt longer than it actually was. Probably not something I'll return to but I didn't dislike it.

Nothing really stood out for me, wouldn’t listen to this album again.

have historically not been too hot on j+mc, but they've grown on me over the years. somehow i've now heard darklands and automatic but not psychocandy lol. anyway, this is nice and jangly and i kinda liked it. 3.5/5

Darkland is an album that I often listen to, so this review may be biased. I think this is a brilliant example of Scottish noise pop. The album has a captivating and immersive quality, and some of the songs, such as April Skies and Happy When It Rains, are really outstanding. However, I do think that this album is not as good as Psychocandy, their debut album even though both sound very different. I prefer the live drums of Bobby Gillespie over the drum machine used here, and I also like the more abrasive and noisy sound of their first album. This album is still a great melodic album, but not their masterpiece. I give it 4 stars out of 5.

Ok didn’t listen to all of it

Quite forgettable.

Classic 80's vibes. Feels like it could be the soundtrack to a John Hughes movie.

I honestly thought I’d hate this way more than I did. I still thought it was pretty damn boring overall, but not the worst thing I’ve heard yet.

Didn’t expect to like this as much as I did. Listened to it twice because I wasn’t quite paying attention the first time. I’d say it was worth a second listen. I’d never heard of this band before but now I think I’ll need to check them out. Had a good time with this album. 7.5/10 Top 3: 1. About You 2. On the Wall 3. Happy When it Rains

Melodic romanticism with post-punk vibes? Now this is 80s music I can get behind!

The Jesus And Mary Chain fully embrace their romantic side on Darklands. And while it works (more than) great, I’m still left missing parts of the noisier approach of their debut.

If "inoffensive pre-grunge/indie rock from the 80's" was embodied into a singular album, this would be it.

not bad

78/100

I liked it. Moody, but oddly relaxing.

This was alright. I think I liked it in the beginning but then it just got meh in the end. Just not anything exciting or influential in my opinion!

I often look back at many of these 80s bands/albums with nostalgia - even if I didn't like them much at the time - but this one does almost nothing for me. Melodic sure but nearly catastrophically-predictably dull progressions topped with by awful dense/reverb-drenched late 80s production. And programmed drums to boot. Oh and vocals that are just a bit too much like a Lou Reed who can almost sing. At best they're indicative of a slightly more upbeat (emphasis on "slightly") early shoegaze. Not entirely awful but not at all interesting either. 3/10 2 stars.

Har aldrig tyckt att Jesus and Mary Chain varit särskilt bra. Tycker jag fortfarande inte.

The Ying to Psychocandy's Yang. Its very solid shoegaze

I have been listening to this several times and found it enjoyable. Not remarkable. Not an album that I felt compelled by or delighted by but satisfied. It sounds like my type of music, but I cannot quite get into the lyrics and patterns behind the tracks. So, I think its a two-star rating for me. Not quite 3. It may be something I get into, but I am not compelled to just yet.

The appeal is lost on me. There is the glimmer of something good buried in here but it is obscured by the overwhelming guitars, muddy vocals and production values. Another one that leaves me cold

It’s a vibe. It feels like an album that would mean something to you if you heard it at a certain point of your life. I’m not at that point.

I just listened to this album and I remember nothing, not a fan.

Chilling and reconforting vibe . Good album overall

Great pre-shoegaze album

Un côté romantique et sombre, bien que ça reste léger, avec des guitares amples.

Good but nothing that special

Paska mut ei sentään mikään wilco

Haud yer weesht an' get oan wae it

Tylsää settiä niin ajattelin testata laskeeko verenpainetta ja yhden haamutuloksen sainkin mittauksesta. En sit tiedä oliko kyseisellä bändillä mitään tekemistä asian kanssa.

I remember these guys from back in the late '80s, but never listened to them. They never made it onto the radio or my radar. I admire the pop-rock guitar band. Obvious bonus points for real drums and guitars. I get hints of the Raspberries, Beach Boy melodies, early REM. But the energy level never rises to the point of my caring about it.

It’s funny the day before this I despised to put on a different Jesus and May Chain album. As I did that I was like I am sure tomorrow they will come up on my list. And lo and behold. Really solid record.

The Reid brothers wrote something here that sounds somehow both sad and not despondent. Dark but hopeful. This is pop in the vein of the Velvet Underground, Jonathan Richman and Elvis Costello. It's rhythmically straight ahead (no heavy syncopation or West African polyrhythms, here) -- melodically pleasant, familiar and harmonically just a bit darker than those predecessors. It's layered: the arranging and production give it a Cure or Smiths feel but the Jesus and Mary Chain are more hopeful than either of those. It's dead-on, masterful pop with 80s layers, fuzzy guitars and a depressive but sunny edge. This is the gentlest application of cliched 80s production I've ever heard. The slightly-overdriven, chime-y, reverby guitars and very reverb-ed drums (particularly the snare) are mixed to precisely the levels where it's unmistakable but not irritating. All that said, while this is an album well worth a listen, not a single song stuck with me when I was done. I'll probably come back eventually but I wouldn't assume that everyone will. A good album and an influential entry into this pop tradition, but not an essential full of sing-along bangers or mind-blowing epics.

First listen for me, and I found it Peaceful. Felt like I was going nowhere fast, spaced out in the grocery store to these tunes. Really hit when he said do do, do do do, do dO!

Really cool bad I haven't listened too in a while. You can tell they drew influence from the Velvet Underground, and I'm sure bands like U2 and Lush drew influence from them. Anyone else feel like some of these songs belong in a John Hughes soundtrack? Solid 4/5

velvet underground in the 80s I dig. 4.5/5

Felt like I was watching a Cameron Crowe movie the whole time. Also didn’t recognize a single song so that was fun! Really liked it!!

by the time i was halfway through this album i was ready for it to end.. the music itself is alright, but the tracks all sounded the same which made the overall album too bland/brooding imo

this album is a nice foray into well-worn melancholy, like pulling out your box of old sweaters from the attic on that first crisp autumn morning. It's brooding and dismal at times, but earnest enough that I think it avoids overtly angsty melodrama. I'm a big fan of The Jesus and Mary Chain but hadn't listened to this album all the way through before, and I really enjoyed it! Favorite songs: Darklands, April Skies, Fall

Listening to this while driving around made me feel like a misunderstood 16 yr old boy which was kind of a nice escape from my current existence

Had never listened to any of this before, but surprisingly really like it. Which is mildly concerning.

Pretty mid honestly

Next day and I barely remember it.

Growing up is realizing all your favorite bands from your youth were just aping bands from an earlier era— I’m looking at you, Chris Owens of Girls.

This didn't do a lot for me, generally This band has failed to make much of an impression on me. Middle of the road alt rock.

Pretty disappointing 80s alternative rock. Took all the bland bits of similar bands and rolled it up into one. Not a single track worth saving down.

Don't dislike any of the songs but none of them stood out to me. 5/10

Ehh wasn’t digging it

vibes

Sounds fresh 35 years later

Third Listen. Fantastic 4/5 1987 Standouts: Darklands, Happy When it Rains, April Skies, Deep One Perfect Morning 4/5

I'll admit, this was a lot more enjoyable than I expected. The Jesus And Mary Chain are one of those bands I never listened to, thinking they would be too dark or gothy, but actually I kind of like their sound. I probably won't buy all their albums, but I will listen to more. Intriguing.

Very forgettable, nothing really stood out to me but it wasn't painful. Just forgettable.

everything in me is screaming to rate this higher but the fact is the JAMC are kind of a bore

soft grungy, shoegaze, solid listen

This wasn't what I expected. I thought this band was one of those "louder faster" sort of situations -- this is kind of psychobilly or some sort of honkypunk. It was OK, but I wasn't moved.

Darklands has one of the obvious month songs; It's been in partial and regular rotation for several years. Still, can't dive totally in the whole album. Combined are pop structures with minor keys and depressive instrumentation. All loves. All simply there. It's a more static landscape, fine to visit every once in a while.

3.5 This is one of those bands with a handful of chord progressions, but they have good ones. Phil Spector's influence is all over this thing, especially in the booming trademark intro drums. Transmutating 60s bubblegum into black licorice. The singer's languid baritone exudes cool partially due to its resignation. There is numb pain here. It’s a dim light in the fog. This one doesn't have the razorblade guitars of Psychocandy. More pallatable, less harsh.

Good stuff, love the guitar tone. April skies is a classic.

Gemütlicher, bodenständiger 60‘ Rock

Okay enough.

svideo mi se zvuk ali vecina pesama samo lice jedna na drugu, ali kao mozda nekad i budem slusala opet

Just the perfect noise for my ears.

Enjoyable. Will have to listen again.

Seems like a slightly better produced re-tread of Pyschocandy, which I still enjoy much more.

So while I think Just Like Honey is seminal, I think the rest of Psychocandy is pretty middling. This though I love. Doesn’t hit the heights of their biggest song but remains solid throughout

Great record! I love the mood it gets me in

4.5

Not as dark as their reputation might suggest

has some catchy guitar hooks. overall pretty melancholy

Alternativ 80’er indierock, shoegaze, drummachines

There’s something missing from this album. The feedback of Psychocandy made their sound more interesting, this album is a little too predictable. Not enough variation between the songs, not abrasive enough like their first album or lush enough like dream pop.

Just ok.

Rock and roll but sadder.

That difficult "post-feedback" album

Alt-Rock/Post Punk Jesus and the Mary Chain are form Scotland. I really like their sound. Something different. I've heard this album a few times now and it has grown on me. Standouts: April Skies, Darklands, Happy When it Rains Above average 3.5/5

My kind of alt rock. And it spurred me to listen to a bunch of other music from the era. Pure nostalgia bliss.

Reminds me of a slowed down The Cure. Too depressing and lethargic.

Darklands is the second album by Scottish alternative rock band the Jesus and Mary Chain. It remains their highest-charting album after reaching #5 on the UK Albums chart, and it's certified gold in the UK. This alt rock album used a drum machine because the drummer of the band left for a new band before recording began. I enjoyed the simplicity of the post-punk, alt rock music on this album and believe most others would like this album too.

I'm not sure how I missed the boat on this band but I love it....great listen all the way through

Album 137 of 1001 The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands Rating : 4 / 5 Favorite Track : Happy When it Rains Scottish Alternative Rock. Makes it worthwhile when I find something I enjoy which I was totally unaware of before. Enjoyable album. Low key rock. This is one I could see growing on someone. You can't be fully sure, upon a first listen, if this will be one of those that sticks around over the long run no more that you can tell if someone new you meet will be a lifelong friend. I suspect this is a favorite of many. Glad I got to listen.

Eh, meio the cure demais pra mim mas nao eh ruim

I liked this a lot! The title track is my favourite.

Hmmm, I’ve always loved Automatic, but hearing this I realize that contained a lot of rehashing, and this album was first. So my Automatic love gets automatically transferred here.

I remember seeing Jesus & Mary Chain on the Lollapalooza tour in 1992 and thinking this new grungy raw sound was awesome. Turns out, J&MC were grunge before grunge was a thing. 3.5/5

I liked the sound of it. There was something of the pixies and the stone roses about it, however I didn’t enjoy it as much as those bands. I thought the songs melted into each other a bit and there weren’t any stand outs.

What a second album. !

It was forgatable.

Nice mellow album

Down on me muito boa

4/5

sixk

I quite enjoyed listening to this at the time I did. It was good background music for what I was doing. However I probablywoukd never seek it out. 3*

One of those albums that sits on three stars because it was good but not good enough for four.

Maybe in another lifetime this would have appealed. This is dated, not well.

Really boring and forgettable music. Nothing special about this album jumps out at me. Zzzz

Pas si mal dans le genre. 3

Este me gustó mucho

Average album. Sounded decent but went in one ear and out the other. Good focus music

Major velvet underground energy. I liked it

A little of mixed feelings on this one. Good? Sure. Great? No. 3/5

In an attempt to prove themselves to not be perceived as one trick ponies, The Jesus and Mary Chain opt for a more softer approach on the ironically titled Darklands and, while the material presented here is not as memorable or as defining as those on Psychocandy (any attempt to surpass that would be admirable but ultimately insurmountable), the Brothers Reid and their band largely succeed on the basis of doing something new. Favorites: Darklands, Deep One Perfect Morning, Down on Me, Nine Million Rainy Days, April Skies, Cherry Came Too, On the Wall.

not bad, slower and kinda haunting

This is cool. unfortunately it never shifts out of this peddling midtempo like your mom's new dirt bag boyfriend sort of cool.

I liked this album, good vibe. Best song: Darklands

Fuck whoever put this album on this damn 1001 albums list. Some of the most bland, listless rock I've had the displeasure of listening to.

Not as bad as their debut, but I find little here to appreciate. I think I just hate shoegaze, I find it depressingly dull.

Short and sweet. I worked in East Kilbride for many years and still own a flat up there. This band is probably just about the only good thing to ever come out of East Kilbride! The music is a lovely mish mash, with some parts sounding shoegazey, others like a Scottish version of the Velvet Underground. It's minimal in places, with little in the way of guitar solos or hook lines. The lyrics are suitably dark and depressing, with an undercurrent of humour "dead like a Christmas tree" springs to mind. I have to say that I actually prefer other work by this band and I was slightly missing the wall of noise I had been looking forward to when I saw the Jesus and Mary Chain come up. Difficult to award 5 stars, but definitely a 4.5.