The Seldom Seen Kid

This ain't that bad, but to me it sounds like they are the most arrogant and narcissistic people. The music was ok at best though.

Is it the worst track ever? Absolutely not. Is it the best? Also no. I'd rather spend my time otherwise in the future.

Good album, some legendary songs on her. Love Elbow.

Big thumbs up on this one.

I actually enjoy Elbow. Granted I have only listened to their 2014 album 'Little Fictions' as it came up on popular prog lists at the time. This one splashes of prog and sounds good, but I feel 'Little Fictions' was a much better album. Maybe they improve with age, I am curious to revisit, and check out more.

On another day, I would debate the rating of this album with myself and the logic of it being g on a list of “must listen to before you die” albums. Not today. Today it fit the bill perfectly. It was just right. Not a 5. Too long. Not fully convinced. But very good and thoroughly enjoyable. 4 Boolean: True

The first half sounded like a poor man’s Radiohead. The second half sounded like a poor man’s Coldplay. I’ll say the first half was definitely better. The second half had so many slow songs that it really dragged it down. I’d never heard of this group before, but had heard one of their songs (Grounds for Divorce) played on Top Gear way back in the day. That was a fun little surprise. The beginning of the album was more dynamic and had a lot you could latch on to, while the latter songs just didn’t really grab me. They all sounded kind of the same in the end. My wife even asked if this was Coldplay only hearing the last couple songs. Make of that what you will.

Peter Gabriel does Radiohead? Not a bad album and I like the theatrics of it.

Another new, ehn, ok

'Straight to my head / Like the first cigarette of the day.' Ravishing, yes, & more impressive than plenty of Radiohead yawners (The Bends, Amnesiac, Hail to the Thief), Elbow's The Seldom Seen Kid still suffers from what you could call 'the issue of not having an issue.' I don't believe all meaningful art is necessarily born out of conflict, tho a lot is, but all great art is for real & has a basis in something heavy & difficult. 'There's a Chinese cigarette case / & the rest you can keep.' Things get somewhat heavy & difficult on 'Grounds for Divorce,' a White-Stripes-inspired anthem, but that's really a kind of window-dressing blues. I find myself appreciating the production, & the fact that this is so much better than Doves or Muse. Otherwise, meh.

Meh. If you’re a guy that has a ponytail this album is for you.

Dreadful and derivative

Maybe it's my melancholic mindset today, but I enjoyed this album. Favorite songs were The Bones of You and The Fix.

people seeemed to be quite polarized on this which is funny, if i could i’d give it a 3.5, some songs are fantastic and the first half was a good listen- by the last 3 songs it droned on a bit

Rich and deep, but if you don't like that very-obvious 2000s British rock sound (where everyone tried to either be Radiohead or Coldplay or both at the same time), you won't enjoy this.

Actually incredible stuff. Some hints of Peter Gabriel in there. Very nuanced and creative. Pleasant voice and great compositions.

bleh

Meh. There's a cover of Mirrorball on Peter Gabriel's Scratch My Back (FANTASTIC album of covers, by the way)...and I'd rather listen to that.

zzzzz. Albums like this are the reason I have a high tolerance for bands like the Residents.

Liked it, I’d listen to this again

More mellowed out Coldplay album if there is such a thing. I liked a few songs later on in the album. The Fix and One Day Like This stood out. 2/5

I listened to this album when it came out, and so I'm not doing it now. I already know which two songs I liked and they're in my library: "Starlings" and "The Bones of You." By the way, if you hate "stomp clap hey" music, you can probably directly blame "Grounds for Divorce" on this album for the trend. Elbow to me always provokes mixed emotions because they fit very neatly into some of my musical tastes but then nope! You lost me guys. Anyway, you get ⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me - I like two songs and could accept the rest playing in the background.

4/5 Could see this really growing on you

Have you ever seen an album cover and you know EXACTLY how its going to sound because of it? This is that album. It sounds like a heavier version of Fleet Foxes at times and I was luke warm on that album and making it heavier doesnt change that. 3/5

While I see all the comparisons to the 100+ other British bands of this era this list, i feel like these guys are slightly above the majority. A few really solid tunes. The rest is good. Listened to some of their other songs from other albums. I’d be inclined to revisit Elbow in the future. Whereas the majority of those other bands are forgettable. Occasionally sounds like Peter Gabriel. 3.75

I debated rating this higher but there's something about it that just doesn't grab me and I don't really know what it is but it's missing something. It's fine.

just barely squeaking into a three, probably more of a high two

Het schono Spass gmacht, paar gueti tracks dezwüsched gha. 3 unbemerkti Elboge-Schläck

I liked Grounds for Divorce but the rest of the album was pretty bland and forgettable.

The Seldom Seen Kid: 2008. I don't really get the hype about Elbow, I mean they're pretty good but not remarkable. I bought this in a charity shop and this is probably the third time I've played it, might take out back there.

for pretentious overproduced late 2000s indie rock its actually pretty ok. still feels like diet radiohead tho. and i don't even love radiohead like that so im not super into this but its far from bad

Elbow is so middle of the road for me not a big fan but can understand the tunefulness of some of there songs !

Rest of the album is ok. But I think One Day Like This is such a great composition that really speaks to me, this bumps it up a star.

Pleasant

Surprisingly liked it, even saved a few songs.

Another British band that I as an American didn't know about. I guess it's more indie than britpop for what it's worth. Off the bat, aside from how so ridiculously LOUD the horns are on Starlings, it's very well produced and put together. The dynamics are excellent and definitely add good emotional depth to the album, where it precedes to lose me slowly after that. The Bones of You and Mirrorball are my favorites of the album, in part because it sounds more rock than the rest of the album. I enjoyed the dynamics tension the most on An Audience With The Pope and The Fix is a great song. Other than that, the rest of this album simply isn't for me. I dislike the UK stomp and clap on Grounds For Divorce and One Day Like This could be so much better if it evolved beyond that two-chord stuff into something much more rhythmic and textural beyond appearing as nothing more than enhancing dramatics without building more to a better finish. The soft indie stuff (with all respect to the dude and his big influence from Talk Talk, a very great band) is just simply music that is Not For Me in spite of being a millennial. It's either too slow paced or too much space which can be nicely ambient at times but not long enough for it to work right. The musicianship is maybe a step below the production talent. The band did self-produce this which doesn't always work out right, but they did a great job all things considered. But when it comes to mid sounding bands with production, you can't polish a turd to make it smell good or that much better. I can see why enough people like it and its critical success (and there are certainly worse bands that try to make stuff like this with varying critical success), but it just can't cut it for me.

I have not heard this before. This has a very late ‘00s electronic tinged indie rock sound to it and also manages to be very unexciting. This general style from this time is not my favorite, so your opinion may vary. A few songs have some interesting instrumentation to them but does not save them from being dull. One or two songs are ok and while nothing is particularly offensive, nothing here is particularly good either.

not my thing

turned out worse than i expected

I get that it was the overall sound for the album, but I do wish that there were a few moments throughout where the songs were more high energy. The slow, melancholic vibes the entire time left me wanting more.

It was ok. Gave me big “Parachutes” vibes without the spark that made early Coldplay so special. Maybe it was just the extensive use of echo + ✨British✨Still wasn’t an unpleasant listening experience but served better as passive than active listening. Favorite song: Grounds for Divorce

Chill vibes. Not great not bad.

Very slow moving, uninspiring album. Wasn't terrible, but nothing memorable either. Thought he sounded a lot like Peter Gabriel at times. But not much of a fan of him either. Maybe would have rated higher, but man it seemed to drag on and on and on...... 2

2.5 Never heard of Elbow, but their music is about as inspired as their name. Like, come on, Brits, what the hell is this? And how does it have so many plays on streaming? It’s a little like Radiohead, but not as interesting, a little like Oasis, but not as fun, and a little like Coldplay, but not as catchy. It just kind of… is. We can’t just be doling out praise because it vaguely sounds like a watered-down version of superior artists. I really don’t have much else to say on this. It’s inoffensive, and I can’t say I was bothered at any point during my listening, but it also didn’t garner any sort of reaction from me whatsoever. That being the case with 12 songs averaging at 4.5 minutes a piece resulted in this album feeling much, much longer than the 54-minute runtime would suggest. There’s only track that stood out to me in any way, and that was One Day Like This, but that’s really just because it’s something that could probably be mistaken for Noel Gallagher’s solo work if you didn’t know any better. Even then, you would probably assume it’s some sort of B-Side at that. Also, it’s way too f***ing long. I was hoping the bonus track titled Lullaby would at least be a Cure cover, but nope, it’s just a sign that the song is a snoozer, much like everything else here. Overall, while I can’t say that I disliked this, I found it entirely unremarkable and forgettable. Enough with the mid British stuff on this list.

really good, I liked 'Grounds for Divorce', 'One Day Like This', and 'Friend of Ours' a lot, I think this is a good 4 star album I'd never heard of before

This was a pleasant surprise. I really like the singer's voice, and the rest of the band are like a partly-tamed Radiohead. 4 stars

Amazing. It was like a more rocking version of Fleet Foxes

"Brother of mine don't run with those fuckers" as Guy sings on Some Riot. Those fuckers being everyone in the reviews dismissing this as a mix of Radiohead and Coldplay, or just saying it's boring or too British. What sets them apart and first interested me was Guy Garvey's turn of phrase and ability as a storyteller and it's really on show here. I heard some of their early stuff but got into them more around Leaders of the Free World but this was the first album of theirs I was excited for on release, particularly after hearing Grounds For Divorce which had a ferocity I had not previously associated with them. I've liked the odd track here and there on subsequent albums (The proggy The Birds which opens the follow up LP to this is the best thing they ever did as far as I'm concerned) but as a whole none of the later albums have done much for me. It's a really cohesive collection of songs, and doesn't suffer from that bricked mastering that was such a feature of rock music in the mid-00s. I haven't listened to the full album in a while and was bracing myself to not enjoy quite as much as I did back in the day, but I thought it was great, and I don't think it's just nostalgia or longing for the more optimistic times that spawned One Day Like This. Also, lead singer Guy's deadpan style also extends to acting as demonstrated by him playing a bloke who fixes motorbikes in the second series of Peter Kay's Car Share.

A nice album and a good band. For some reason it doesnt quite vibe with me, and I am never really in that mood to listen to it.

There wasn’t any song that grabbed me enough to save to my library, but overall I enjoyed the album. May have to have another listen. 3.5 stars

I've been aware of this album forever, but never got around to giving it a listen. I feel I've been missing out! This is exactly the kind of stuff I was listening to 20 years ago, so I'm sure I would have had it in my regular rotation since. Such a soothing sound across this album with it's serene arrangements and spacious production. Guy Garvey's voice fits perfectly with the melancholy but at times uplifting instrumentation. This was an instant save for me! Those of you saying this sounds like Radiohead are out of your mind! I swear your only qualification for that comparison is they're from the UK. For context, Radiohead was in their In Rainbows era and I can't think of a single album prior to that with the same feel as this album.

8/10

Kinda like Coldplay, but some cheekier lyrics here and there. There's a couple tracks I liked: An Audience With The Pope is a cute little song, The Fix is quite a bit of fun, and One Day Like This seems like their most ambitious track. It was an overall nice experience, but I wouldn't be looking them up again anytime soon.

Holy shit. I've never even heard of this Elbow stuff but I really needed it in my life today. The universe is funny like that.

So enjoyable - sophisticated pop music that borders, maybe, on prog. I guess that’s art-pop, isn’t it? Guy Garvey’s voice is what draws me in. It reminds of a more refined version of Peter Gabriel. Equally emotive and evocative song writing. Elbow is one of those ‘how hasn’t anyone heard of this band?’ bands.

A generic but not objectionable alternative album. It wasn’t bad but I have already forgotten what it sounded like

Really have nothing to say about this album since I can’t recall any of it after one day.

It was alright. I have a soft spot for Grounds for Divorce so was happy to hear that. Surprised that I recognised One Day Like This as well.

Listened late after getting home from camping. Almost fell asleep. Not sure if it was the situation or the music.

I surprisingly liked this a lot. It does really sound like 2010s music but it was fun. I'd relisten

I can't even describe it but this album sounded like a really weird place that I never want to go back to

Always forget how solid Elbow generally is

A completely unexpected, truly original work of art.

Really liked "Grounds for Divorce"; rest of album is enjoyable and especially good for background/work music.

No private session used for Spotify. A sound that is as exciting as it's name. Next time I listen to this is when I am trying to fall asleep. I think I did drift off a bit while listening to this and maybe elbow did as well.

Once again, after reading some of the exultant as well scathing reviews I had dim hopes for Elbow, who I was not familiar with. And once again I was surprised to hear something, while not great, was interesting and pleasant. Even wife said “this is nice” after a few tracks. Going out on a limb with a 4 just to counter the haters

Watching paint dry is probably more interesting than this album

Not too bad. Smooth sound and actually has some songs that feel like they would be great lofi tracks.

No

This album impressed me. I remember well the singles. I remember finding them a bit annoying. A lot of Coldplay energy. But in my maturity I like this much more than expected. Lots of nice instrumentation. It lacks a bit of edge, sometimes too slow and monotonous. But overall enjoyable. I quite liked all the first 5 tracks. Grounds for Divorce is good fun. The line "I've been working on a cocktail called Grounds for Divorce" I simultaneously find amusing and corny. The latter middle half drones on a bit for me without doing too much. I guess I'm not a Richard Hawley fan. One Day Like This is the perfect microcosm of this album. Its a little bit corny, but its also quite beautiful and undeniable. It was made for tv adverts and themetunes, but how could you hate it. Those strings stabs hit different. 3.8/5

Découverte pour moi. Ça me fait penser à Tindersticks en un peu plus pop.

Un début plus grungy (bien aimé bones of you qui m'a fait penser à Radiohead du temps de the bends). Et quelques pièces plus planantes (qui m'ont fait pensé à Radiohead du temps de... Kid A!). La voix du chanteur me fait penser à alt-j un peu. Un bon mix d'influence dans l'ensemble, très '00s indie-dream pop je sais pas si j'accroche à 100%.

Le genre d’album que je devrai revisiter. Y’a quelque chose là!

Bako

🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 (rounded up because I have conflictingly defensive feelings towards it) I know precisely one thing about Elbow, and it’s that I LOVE “Forget Myself.” The percussion’s really clacky and high, the hook is really solid rock but also opens up into this expansive vista of sound at the end, and man, I really do love this guy’s voice—his accent and rasp really complement each other, especially when he harmonizes with himself and the rasp goes lower. And those lyrics—I can’t even describe how snappy and sharp they are, competently alliterative but also, like, cuttingly sarcastic at times, so just look at this: “They're pacing Piccadilly in packs again / And moaning for the mercy of a never come rain / The sun's had enough and the simmering sky / Has the heave and the hue of a woman on fire / Shop shutters rattle down and I'm cutting the crowd / All scented and descending from the satellite towns / The neon is graffiti singing make a new start / So I look for a plot where I can bury my broken heart […] The man on the door has a head like Mars / Like a baby born to the doors of the bars / And surrounded by steam with his folded arms / He's got that urban genie thing going on / He's so mercifully free of the pressures of grace / Saint Peter in satin he's like Buddha with mace” And that’s excluding the “are you falling in love every second song” stanza, too! Like… fuck, man, that’s fantastic. “Forget Myself” is just such a perfect rock song, and it gave me the impression that Elbow was sort of your cut-above but unpretentious rock band—not aiming to break any ground, but really solid at what they do, and fun to see. I like a lot of these types of bands even though I wouldn’t land them on this list—that’s not to say that their music isn’t really tight or even life-changing, but they aren’t historically revolutionary, which seems to be the (not always achieved) goal of 1001 albums. In a way, almost respect this type of band more for just doing their thing—like, it almost feels like they’ve unlocked the unfettered and directionless creativity of being a child, and they’re making what they want to make, what they’re good at making, and that’s so great. But, um, bad news: Elbow is not that band, not at least on The Seldom Seen Kid. This, to me, seems like it’s trying to be a sweeping, artistic annunciation that quakes the foundations of music—trying, anyway—and though I don’t hate it, I felt myself struggling to like it, too. Of course, lyrically, the guy’s got chops, which are apparent from the first song: “I sat you down and told you how / The truest love that's ever found / Is for oneself / You pulled apart my theory / With a weary and disinterested sigh / So yes I guess I'm asking you / To back a horse that's good for glue / And nothing else.” That felt kind of clever in a way I enjoyed. “I’ve been working on a cocktail called “Grounds for Divorce”—that’s a good one! Same with the very concept of “The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver”—that’s the kind of pretentious that still tickles me. Like, alright, you’re trying out literary insight for size, I see you. I can’t even say it feels insincere, which is what bugs me the most about all this—it’s definitely a romantic and pensive record, but in a way I wasn’t super into. A few of the “epic” moments, i.e. the end of “Crane Driver,” did give me, like, the memory of goosebumps, but not much really landed with me. This kind of stuff drives me crazy, because by all measures, I should like it, and I recognize that it’s talented, so I feel bad when I don’t have a favorable reaction. What’s going on? Am I the problem? For as much as I was just glazing the lyrics, the music itself is typically where I connect the most, so you’d think examining that might reveal some answers, but this just makes it more confusing. From the first song, I thought the Apple Music review comparing Elbow to Coldplay crossed with Pink Floyd was way more apt than the numerous Radiohead jabs in the global reviews—like, I just assumed it was one of those things where people have only heard a little bit of OK Computer and just take generalized swings from there—but uh, once I got to “The Bones of You” I realized the wisdom of the masses was spot on this time. Yea, never mind, that’s Radiohead alright, and I don’t… hate it? In fact, there’s a lot here that I even think I like—they’re doing a decent impression in “The Bones of You,” and “Mirrorball” has a really interesting… I don’t know… I want to say syncopation even though I don’t even remotely know what that means. Much as I wanted to save both, though, I felt like neither did enough for me by the end. Of course, these are by far the most Radiohead tracks on the album, which otherwise seems like a tour of well-tread, late-2000s millennial genres. Like, “Grounds for Divorce”—not the stomp clap!! The second it started, I audibly bruh’d, which is not something I make a habit of doing. And to think someone called this song a “shredder” in their review—huh?? They must’ve been raised on the Disney channel, because this is a deeply tame and corporate rock rhythm. Guiltily, I’ll always have a little bit of an inclination to nod my head to this kind of music—admittedly, the swagger is sort of absorbent, and I do really like the thickness of the bass on this one, but it wears thin quickly—within the span of that AJR-ass song, in fact. Similarly, there’s sort of a halfassed cabaret feeling to “The Fix” that feels namelessly associated with this era of pop (maybe “Viva la Vida?” But I never remember which bad song that is, the name floats over three half-remembered tunes from middle school). It’s very sneaky, with some creepy “aah-aah-aahs”, but also not the most authentic. Perhaps the most transparent offender, though, is the almost-closer “One Day Like This,” which is trying to do a “Hey Jude” fade out that’s lab grown for an arena, and again, I’ll admit, it…. sooort of works? I wouldn’t say I was swept away by it—more softly splashed—but I can tell there’s emotion here, and I can see why someone would feel a catharsis after hearing this, which is why I feel bad for not getting it. This, I think, is always my problem: if I can logically see every reason to like something, and those reasons align with my own values, I have a really hard time justifying why something’s not for me—doesn’t that imply, then, that my taste is fickle and changeable and not an objective monolith of taste? I keep coming back to this, but never finding a way to reconcile with it. So, again, here we are: an averaged three stars because there are just as many parts of this that could deduct not-quite-a-star as there are parts that could add not-quite-a-star. I’d like to think this is one I won’t revisit so it’s a clean separation, but I was too interested in bits of “Some Riot,” “The Fix,” “Mirrorball,” and “The Bones of You” to just move on entirely. Then again, though, revisiting them right now is gonna feel like homework, and I’m sure to just delete them from my library anyway. What’s got me hung up is that I get the sense that I’d give it another few chances if I liked Elbow more. If they had, like, two other solid albums before this, I can imagine listening to it a couple times to see if I “got” it. I’m not sure I would if it were a Radiohead album, but even then, maybe. Humblingly, a very subjective album. 1: Bad | 2: Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities) | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing

I feel so mixed about this, shockingly. I'm shocked at what I liked and shocked at what I didn't? The vocalist really sounds like Peter Gabriel to me (positive), and the Coldplay comparisons are pretty spot-on (neutral). This album has the flavor of late aughts/early teens pop that I find sweet and nostalgic, and I thought the lyrics of several songs were innocently earnest and clever. At the same time, it's not musically innovative at all, and they sound so similar to many other popular groups of that time. I know I just said that the lyrics were earnest sometimes, but there's a general passionless-ness to this album that felt oppressively commercial, and indeed, Wikipedia revealed that several tracks were used in a bunch of different commercials. I don't know how to reconcile all of these things, so I'm landing on a 3.

It's got me by the collar from start to finish. Mostly good stuff here. Thoughtful lyrics, smooth tunes, but there are moments where it feels like they're showing off a bit too much. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - The Bones of You - Mirrorball - Grounds for Divorce - One Day Like This

3 stars

I'm glad I listened to it, but didn't save anything.

Neither I liked it, nor I hated it

Not even halfway through the album and this is already a 5. Easily the best album I’ve gotten off this app. Reminded me of what real good music was. While I understand why some of these SHOULD be listened to, this was one of the few that I agree HAS to be heard. In a pool of “influential” music, this one stands out as truly masterful which some of the others failed to do.

Coldplay for the thinking man or at least the contrarian man.

Elbow kneecap bicep playlist coming in hot

4 stars just because grounds for divorce is so good.

This is a band I wasn't familiar with before. I recognized the name, but I hadn't actually listened to their music until now. Elbow plays a blend of art rock, post-Britpop, and dream pop. The lead singer has a soulful baritone voice, and their cinematic arrangements incorporate the trumpet. If you really engage with the music, it’s sure to captivate you. It’s the kind of music I might want to listen to again on a rainy autumn evening.

Not terrible, but kinda boring and makes me think of Coldplay

very cohesive album, sounds like a tv show soundtrack. just couldn’t really get into it. too low-energy and synth-y.

BEFORE: I already know this really well. Big fan of Elbow going right back to Asleep In The Back (which should be on this list for Newborn and Powder Blue alone) and I've seen them live a couple of times. We used Starlings as a reading at our wedding and I love this album, so this is going to be an automatic 5 stars for me but I'm more than happy to listen to this again. Guy Garvey is one of the best lyricists and singers around and the band are inventive and tight without showing off. I can accept Radiohead comparisons as they're both very good, although good luck finding any tech-driven paranoia here. If you can't distinguish this from Keane's two (2) decent songs or Coldplay's vegan stadium-pop you have no business reviewing music. AFTER: No technology-driven anxiety or bland anthems here - just incredible songwriting that makes the specific feel universal. The music on here is less obviously experimental than their earlier work but there is still plenty of unusual stuff going on if you care to look. Given I know this inside out, I am going to listen for new things and try to highlight some less well-known tracks. HIGHLIGHTS: Everything, obviously. The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver is majestic. Some Riot and Friend Of Ours are heart-wrenching. The weird guitar figure on Starlings just before the crescendo, the fuzz bass on The Bones of You, Garvey's restrained vocal on Mirrorball. The bass dropping in on Grounds for Divorce (Pete Turner is amazing), the looped vocal on Weather To Fly, the piano and ominous cello of Some Riot, the extended outro of One Day Like This (best enjoyed live). LOWLIGHTS: None. Fuck off. OK maybe Audience With The Pope isn't my favourite. VERDICT: 5 stars. No notes.

Jeff mangum type flow on the bones of you. Overall sonically lush album, not every song worked perfectly for me on first listen but I’m looking forward to revisiting it

..

Interesante, le daría otra escucha

This is a fantastic record! How did I miss these guys?! Never heard of them before, at least I don’t think I have. The music is rich and engaging. The arrangements are layered and complex and just perfect. Lyrics and vocals are great too. Couple of spots on the record I thought there was some thing reminiscent of the Verve. In other spots maybe a touch of Echo and the Bunnymen. Even a little Oasis. Actually, very reminiscent of Coldplay too, but ramped up and not as vanilla. But also a uniqueness to the sound. And while there is a consistent identifiable sound to the band, each song is different and stands on its own. By the way, The Fix totally sounded like it should be part of the Peaky Blinders soundtrack! Listened to the record a few times through and just loved it more each time. This is part of why I am doing this list. Total new discovery that I will most definitely be returning to.

Hipster appropriate review: This is the musical equivalent of a DDH IPA. Fine, but nothing more.

Reminded me of Peter Gabriel and enjoyed a couple of songs, especially “Some riot.”

very late aughts-early teens adult alternative radio. music for guys who say they like "anything but rap and country" but all they listen to is bands that sound like this. white dad on the brink of divorce blasting this in his prius in 2009. generally pleasant and inoffensive but it's not for me. not in 2026. one of those tricky cases where nothing on the album is really "bad" and i kind of feel like a dick giving it a 2. but i resented having to listen to it when i could have been listening to anything else and it felt like it just kept going on and on and on. 2 stars because it made 54 minutes feel like 2 hours. #first time listening

Slow paced, very radiohead-ish. I could listen to this album in the background during a barbecue sunset.

Awesome

Enjoyable but a bit too light for me to love.

Uu-wah, this reminds me of Fleet Foxes but more mature and drowned in endless sadness, very good album.

Mark Hollis on a Coldplay album

Had never heard of these guys before, but this album was very familiar. Really enjoyed it, and a couple big standout tracks. Give it a go, can recommend

It was fine. A little weird musically but not the worst thing I've heard on here

There is a bit too much repetitiveness to this to my liking, and I'm not going to go play this on repeat or anything, but I do think that the melodies take me on a journey, independent of the vocals. I feel like I'm riding this wave and the drops happen right when I want.

Awesome album!!! I’ve never heard of this group but it fits my genre. Will be pursuing more of their content. Thank you 1001 albums! You’re the best!!

I was super sloppy listening to this. Disjointed, halfway listening, getting up, sitting down, so on. Yet it still pulled me in a few times. I was never astonished, but also never disgruntled, and at times interested. This is weird Ronnie-speak for a 3.

We're on a really crappy streak of 2000s indie rock albums. And I'm sick to death of them. Same boring stuff over and over. DNF'd this. (I would still have rated this the same if it hadn't come up during the streak. The streak caused the DNF.)

God I wanna kick this guy's ass

Somewhere between shoegaze and ambient, very nice.

I felt like I liked this when I listened to it, but then I had absolutely no memory of it two days later? I seem to have saved "One Day Like This," and liked the overall vibe, but apparently this didn't leave much of an impression...

That first song tries to damage your hearing. Dupe you into turning the volume up because it is so quiet, just in time for a random, extra loud horn stab. Subpar open to an album. I mean, I'm a big fan of dynamics. Modern pop music utterly ignores the concept. But this, this album does it strangely. If I have to keep turning the volume up and down within every song, no bueno. Sudden fidgety stabs of loudness or treble-y harshness amidst the soft lulls. Otherwise, this was kind of ok. Some parts I liked, but it seemed to drag in the back half. I feel like this almost could have been.

This is one of those sprawling records that will grow on you. It has some interesting depth and experimentation.

I do not remember a single thing about listening to this record. At least I'm aware that I wasn't counting the seconds for it to end, which is a good sign.

Brave of Elbow to capture the sound of 2003 in 2008.

Loved it. This list is on a roll. Never heard of or heard this before but really enjoyed the whole thing. 4.5.

One of my favourite albums from the late naughties. So glad it made it onto this list. One day like like this is even better live. Elbowed me right in the ribs hahahaha

Oh I know this song

Liked it. 4/5

British Indie Rock that I didnt mind. This gives me strong Peter Gabriel vibes, if he were more depressed amd a little grungier. I wont revisit it, but I enjoyed the listen.

Elbow is a band that when I finally stumbled across them a couple years ago it made me think “Where have these lads been all my life”. This album is so so so so good. And I don’t even think it’s their best one!

Probably how Coldplay sounds to Coldplay fans. I like it

I liked it. Enjoyed the vocals and the arrangements. 3.5 rounded up

I didn’t like the beginning of the album but I warmed up to it after! 3.1

Best song: "An Audience With The Pope". I really liked this song. Worst song: "Starlings" as those crashes of music out of nowhere were more apt to scare me than actually be music. I liked "The Fix" also. Other than the first song, I liked this album. I might even listen to more of this group's music in the future.

Knew nothing about this before listening. At times, the lead singer's vocals didn't mesh with the music. It was a little distracting. Other than that... this is the album I wish Radiohead would have made at any point after Kid A.

Feels like trying to fall asleep at night after a super long day and you can barely think and when you close your eyes you can see images. And that's a pretty good compliment coming from me

Not particularly interesting or engaging.

I'm not quite sure what was going on with "Grounds for Divorce" which sounds like every other radio piece of shit that was coming our around that time, but the rest is fine. The first three tracks promise somethign really quite interesting, but as the divorce song hits it's all kind of downhill, though it is by far the worst of it. The remaining songs are kinda uninspired and aren't terrible, but largely forgettable and not nearly as interesting as the openers. The comparisons to Radiohead I think aren't quite accurate. I think a lot of people confuse anything British that isn't radio rock with Radiohead. I actually feel like these guys are early Muse, before they got enormous. Now Muse sounded like Temu Radiohead at first too, but we're digressing. This band seems like they're almost experimental, and I like the variety of instruments they use plus all the non 4/4 songs. What I don't like is that the singer is really far too front and center. It's not that he's a bad singer, but this is very focused on his lyrics which are sometimes quite nice, but other times a bit shit. The latter 2/3 of the album could be written by someone else for this dude to perform by himself. Really disappointing given the start. I guess a 3 is appropriate but really without the opening tracks this is a 2.

Lovely album

I fell asleep several times while listening to this. It took several tries to get all the way through.

Absolutely gorgeous! The arrangements just pop out of your speakers like a burst of colors. Elbow has had the privilege of existing in this unusual space between mainstream and indie. Definitely not cool enough for the Pitchfork crow and not straightforward enough for the charts. This gives them leeway to focus on what they do best, rather than chase some accolade or other. With this album they reached the peak of their very consistently good output. There is even a live version of this entire album where the arrangements sound even livelier, if that's even possible. Key tracks: The Bones of You Mirrorball Grounds for Divorce The Loneliness of Tower Crane Driver One Day Like This

Every time I hear Elbow I had forgotten about them and also how great they are.

Alternative rock and art rock built from warm piano, expansive guitars, restrained rhythms, and rich baritone vocals feels like reading a thoughtful novel that constantly reminds you of another one you found more compelling—earnest, polished, and for me too familiar to leave much of its own identity. The album aims for emotional depth through slow-building arrangements and sincerity, but I often found myself hearing a blueprint for—or a less engaging counterpart to—the anthemic style associated with later mainstream alternative rock. As a result, it rarely moved beyond quiet admiration.

I get why kid was seldomly seen

Pleasant listening experience. I think I’d have to listen a couple more times to fully appreciate it

Wow.

*A lot of similarities to Coldplay for me *The up-tempo songs were pretty good, but it got too slow at times

Day 316 An album I know well, not my favourite Elbow album (that would be cast of thousands) but still one I’ll put on fairly often, One day like this is one of the best pissed up festival singalong songs of the past 25 years. Highlights Audience with the pope One day like this Friend of ours

Most of this album sucked but it also has One Day Like This which I didn’t realise was by them. My parents used to love this song and play it all the time. Still holds up. Rest of the album? Not so much.

Dumb band name, kind of dumb pointless lyrics. Maybe he’s bad with words. There were some really good songs; I liked ‘Bones of You’ and ‘Some Riot’. Didn’t at all like ‘Grounds for Divorce’ which sounds ready made for a truck commercial. I have a soft spot for 2000s Brit ‘indie’ but my god there were so many good albums from 2008 why is this on here.

Favorite tracks: The Bones Of You, Some Riot, One Day Like This. I started this with cynicism and kept changing my rating as it went on. This flavor of earnest indie takes me back to the cringier parts of the 00s. There was so much music like this; I like a few albums, then there's a sharp cutoff in my interest in this genre. That said, if I had heard this back then, it probably would've been my personality for a while. So, begrudgingly, I must admit that I enjoyed this. 3.5 stars.

The Fix

The Dutchess Man of Lancashire!! haven’t listened to this album in over a decade and it absolutely still holds up

New band for me! Fantastic album

801 Brit pop crap and 200 albums that might be worth something would have been a more honest title. Really? More Brit pop shit? FOAD 1.0

3.0 - Ok

Yeah I tell ya Moe, I’ve seen some albums 3 before, but this is the 3iest 3 that ever 3’d

Pretty ass

The blurb in Apple Music says this hits the sweet spot between Pink Floyd and Coldplay but I don’t know that that spot exists and, if so, this ain’t it. Elbow?!?? More like SMELLbow!

MMIIIIIIIDDDDDD, good lord this has a global rating higher than SKUNK ANANSIE. Can not be serious.

1.2/5 I've never heard of the band before and there's probably a reason why..very slow and boring and I didn't really like the singers voice. I'm surprised to see the band has such a big following. Each to their own I guess.

They say that this band is like Radiohead. But I hear them more like Coldplay with a slightly harder edge. Wish there was more Radiohead.

⭐⭐⭐+ Lågmäld indierock. Som så många gånger tidigare i det här projektet så växer albumet med några lyssningar. Det är soft och tillbakalutat. Sångrösten får mig ibland att tänka på Peter Gabriel men vet inte riktigt varför. Skulle nog kunna komma tillbaka till albumet men frågan är om det sticker ut tillräckligt för att jag ska komma ihåg det. Tycker det är tillräckligt intressant och för rätt tillfälle en behaglig lyssning för att ge det en stark 3a. Bäst är Mirror ball, Grounds for divorce, Weather to fly, The Fix, One a day like this

1001 albums to hear before you die 134# Why does 'Weather to Fly' so underrated? 76 compared to the others.. damn i really loved it I think i've already stumbled upon Elbow but never quite gave them my attention. This was quite a good surprise I'm suspicious about this cause I love indie rock, that's where i started to really get into music with Cage the elephant and stuff but this has some beautifull and heartfelt passages followed by more 'agressive' turns. I didn't listen to the lyrics closely.. i'm studying for a presentation, maybe someday It reminds me a lot when they're more delicate and calm of The Antlers, which is a great band.

Before listening to this I was only familiar with "One Day Like This", strongly associated with the 2012 Olympic Games. That to me is definitely the strongest song on the album, but generally speaking it's pretty good overall.

Hellooooo 2008. I like the instrumentals

Meh.

It's fine. Sounds like Snow Patrol.

Belle découverte

Interesting, but nothing super special.

Not spectacular, I think this benefited from contemporary acclaim at the time of writing this list. Has certainly faded since. 3*

Some good moments, but very uneven and gets boring towards the end

I actually bought this when it came out as I really enjoyed the track Grounds For Divorce. We all do silly things when we’re young lol. Not a terrible album by any means, just tremendously beige.

Temu Radiohead

wth sure

I can’t believe I had never heard of these guys. They didn’t sound super Manchester. I did like it!

Alright but better examples of this british style out there, largely forgetable

I really liked this group and album.

Actually really enjoyed this! They had a lot of musical range, no two songs sounded the same and they were catchy. I also knew one near the end. Don't think I'd listen again but was bopping along when they were on.

This was okay.

langsam und ein kleines bisschen monoton…wenn man sich rein geben kann, kanns aber durchaus einnehmend sein

Great. Guy Garvey has a great voice. The songs are stories or poetry. Stand out One Day Like This a classic

Whilst not being a ‘lively’ album on the whole it seems to do the job.

Love Elbow, every album of theirs seem to have a good number of great songs. This one has the excellent The Bones Of You, Grounds For Divorce and One Day Like This. Such great songwriting and great vocals too. Possibly their best album.

In my mind I thought I hated this album other than ‘Grounds for Divorce’. So I’m not sure where my head was at when this came out, but I stand corrected, it’s a cracker. Apart from ‘One day like this’, I can’t stand that one, which means the album ends poorly and the closer isn’t great either. Special shout out to the bass player, some filthy lines and sounds on some tracks.

3.5. Not as good as you want it to be, but gas some great tunes. Quite like Cherry Ghost.

If you like depressing British orchestral pop that sounds vaguely like Coldplay mixed with the Hold Steady - boy do I have a record for you.

노래 분위기가 꽤 좋았다. 다 처음 들어보는 노래였는데 분위기랑 음이 좋았다. 그리고 앨범 재킷이 겜성있는 것 같다. The atmosphere of the song was quite good. It was my first time hearing these songs, but the atmosphere and sound were good. And the album jacket seems gamey.

Doesn't move the needle here. Good, not great.

we've got radiohead at home

Guter UK-Rock. Melodisch, angenehme Stimme. 4/5

not my style

3.4

Not many albums I've gotten while doing the 1001 album journey with my group have made me want to check out the artist's discography, but goddamn, this is certainly one of those exceptions. 5.5 bumped down to 5.

I’m at a 10. It’s just a great, great album. I’ve never heard of Elbow until now. I've also never heard a set of tracks that so accurately capture both the struggle & delight that comes in the search for comfort until now. At its very core, this album is about trying to find comfortability, whether it’s in terms of heartbreak, total romance, financial stability via rigging a horse race, breaking the trauma of a family cycle, or coping after the death of a friend. This is a wide variety of tracks meant to cover the extent of that search, and every single one of them are all brilliantly written & performed. Instrumentally, we have a Coldplay record with a Peter Gabriel lean; the depth of the instrumental work here in terms of how it enhances the mood of each track cannot be understated. It’s one where I can’t totally find the words to bring it all together, but when this album lifts up or drops down, it’s got a sense of weight to it that I haven’t heard from an album on the list in a while. Guy Garvey’s vocals carry that weight well, being able to shift between a softer tone that feels almost like Winnie the Pooh mixed with Jack Johnson & a more impactful tone that, once again, feels a lot like Peter Gabriel. I think that’s all I need to say, really. If you like Peter Gabriel’s sort of “broken heart art” approach to music, if you enjoy Coldplay’s sense of musical scale & atmosphere (at least from their “A Rush of Blood to the Head” era), and if you can catch the lyricism to the extent of getting the general vibe / intent of each track, then this will be 54 minutes that glide by wonderfully. If you’re not in the mood for it, or if you think it’s sappy contrite nonsense meant to appeal to the softies of the world… I don’t know what to tell you. The floor here should be a 4, bare minimum, solely on account of some outros going a little long. For me, the emotional push & pull of the album combined with the technical skill at hand here leaves me at a 10. This might be the best Mercury Prize winning pick on the entire list, and it’s one of the best ones to pop up so far, even 876 albums deep. This was delightful, this was inventive, this was happy, this was sad, and perhaps most of all, this was just comforting. I need to hear more of Elbow, I think.

One song off of this album had somehow made it onto my ipod and to this day I don’t know where it came from. I liked it and kept telling myself that I would go and check out the rest of the album but similar to my morning exercise routine, it would never happen. Now that I’ve finally heard the full album I kinda wish I hadn’t. Add it to the list of things that failed to deliver on 18 years of anticipation.

expected the most popular to track to actually be interesting and was disappointed. pretty forgettable

Guy can really write a love song

I liked the vibe of the album. It had its ups and downs, but the former outweighed the latter. The music especially shines during the quieter, more personal moments that build around a particular theme and gradually develop it into something meaningful. That approach is repeated throughout the entire album, and it made for a consistently enjoyable listen. My favorite song was "The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver".

Cold play with a little more stank

Reminded me, in order, of Muse (without the amps), Phil Collins (without the melodies), and DMB (without the sex) – weird [Joke about bones but no heart here]

Sorta reminded me of Peter Gabriel with some emo Radiohead mixed in, which oddly works. Never heard of this band, but enjoyed the listen.

Radiohead but not as whiny?

Sounds like if Mumford and sons was Coldplay. I enjoyed this.

Brilliant

I really liked Grounds for Divorce and added it to my Indie Classics playlist. I still think there are a lot of white singers from the UK who sound an awful lot alike, but this one had a pretty cool guitar band behind it.

Really dug the direction in the first half but that second half just lost it for me. Went a more folky direction I wasn't prepared for and I don't think they did the genre justice. Highlight: Mirrorball

I genuinely can't stand Elbow, so I really wasn't looking forward to this. It had two singles from them that I really don't like as well. To be honest, it's not a terrible album. It's just really not for me. I can't rate them too low because of my own distaste, but I don't think there is anything stand out about this album.

Stem doet denken aan Sting.

Elbow, huh? It's like they decided that calling themselves The Bends was too obviously a Radiohead reference and thought, "well, what bends?" I think the most dissonant part of this for me is the singers slightly husky voice. That's maybe the most notable outlier for all the Radiohead/Coldplay comparisons. "Weather To Fly" almost sounded like Sting. And I got slightly excited when I heard "The Fix" and thought the Richard Hawley/Nick Cave sound really added to the mix, and then I realized it was actually Richard Hawley on vocals there. I think this occupies a space between Radiohead and Coldplay for me; it's not as compelling as Radiohead but not as comatose as Coldplay. It's been playing in the background all morning and it's been fine right there in the background. The fact that any of these tracks has 113M Spotify listens is truly baffling but so are people. I'd give this a solid 3.25 if quarter-stars were a thing. 7/20 stars.

Gratamente sorprendido por el álbum. La verdad no los conocía, ni siquiera había oído hablar de ellos. Hay algo en la música que me lleva a otro lugar, me recuerda a algo pero no sé qué es o cómo describirlo. Me gustó muchísimo.

Boring.

Attractive album. Unlike other reviewers, I don't do much get Radiohead-lite. I really ike the lead's voice, and the vocals mix. One Day Like This is a good one.... then some of the other songs lost me as dazed and confused. Saved a few tracks.

I'm pleasantly surprised on this one. Usually not into downtempo, but the vocals, lyrics, and orchestration more than made up for it. Will listen again.

Calm

Genuinely touching in places. Plus it upsets some of the American reviewers, which is an added bonus.

Today's dose of B-list britpop-indie, led by a conspicuously Peter Gabriel-sounding singer (did they wear a mask on stage? do they give a real name when they introduce themself?) It's a nice album with a good amount of standout moments, a little too dull on average for a higher rate but it is worth hearing once

- primera impresión: empieza chill - segundo track ya se anima la cosa - canciones de 5 min pero bastante llevaderas - siguen siendo chill

Not only it bored me and was overall uninteresting, I definitely wasn't in the mood for this type of music, so I gotta be cruel - 1 star for no redeeming traits

Between 3 and 4 for me

Elegantly crafted, beautiful songs with deep meanings and plangent poetic lyrics. Not for me though. I just don't like it! I have to agree with another reviewer who said this sounds like what Coldplay might have become if they hadn't turned to shit. Subjective personal feelings aside, I'm giving it 5 stars because it's objectively a great record.

Rules.

some pretty ideas but lacks focus and urgency, and is not interesting enough to sustain its stretch

Nice

Good

eh

This is pretty cool. I was prepared for yet another tepid UK-band that snuck onto the list for unknown reasons, but I'm enjoying this one.

New to me. Draggy at times, but overall good prog rock.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would, indeed, there is a lot here to enjoy. Sumptuously produced and artfully arranged, this album sounds gorgeous, and luckily the songwriting is mostly deserving of the dressing: Ambitious but not pretentious, cinematic but still personal, meticulous while still feeling lived in and warm. Special mention to the lyrics, which are really terrific from top to bottom. My only complaint is a few songs, namely The Fix, lean too far into musical territory and stand out as not sounding of a piece with the rest of the album. Still, that's nitpicking what is a fine piece of work by any metric. Bravo.

I wish I had given it more time yesterday than I did. I liked what I heard a fair amount. I may go back and revise the rating at some point, but I think it's a fair offering.

3/5

This is a pretty good album but it is at least 10 minutes too long. Sting sounds a little different, but really good...wait, what? Guy who?

again I'm being a high rater.....realistically this is a 3 something but this was p solid and i enjoyed the vibe, would not have engaged w this album w/o this project most likely hmmm

weird chill kooky vibe

I really like this album. It reminds me of the verve but in all the ways that the verve is good and not in the ways that it's bad and boring.... I'm definitely gonna have to listen to this album again... I'll add it to the list!

Not on par with how I’ve been rating 4s, but nevertheless a stronger 3. Never heard of the band before and was overall pleased.

joining the like of the shins, the head & the heart, and smash mouth in awesome bands

the radiohead & coldplay comparisons are too funny. great artists copy? ok, elbow is not great, but you get the point. It's brit sad rock boy? it's just very fine

1st & 4th -May-2026 3/5 Elbow = The Seldom Seen Kid (2008) I liked the melodies, often in a minor key, giving them a kind of melancholic quality In some of the songs, the base lines often give them a jazz quartet feeling. I also liked to voice quality - here and there sounding like old Peter Gabriel?

There were 4 or 5 songs that were just fantastic! I honestly was baffled that I had never heard of this band before. I was trying to decide if I would rate it 4 or 5 stars as each song was a banger! Then the second half of the album was just boring background music

Listens: 4 Standout Tracks: The Bones of You, An Audience With The Pope Never heard of Elbow before. This was quite a pleasant album. Something about it reminds me of Massive Attack's Heligoland. I also hear a lot of Radiohead influence, and maybe a bit of the Black Keys. The instrumentation is great. Clean, good fidelity, very melodic. Diversity across songs. I like when adult contemporary doesn't sell out and go hard-right to top 50 pop music.

I'd never heard of Elbow before. As I listened to this I thought, it sounds like they're trying to do Talk Talk, Peter Gabriel, and OK Computer. I check the band's wikipedia and what'd'ya know are the three bands listed under "influences"?! They certainly wear these influences heavily on their sleeves. It's fine, they're decent enough songwriters and performers, but it's extremely uncool music. Way too blandly palatable and ready-made for commercial TV/film syncs.

Heard Before? No. I listened to "Cast of Thousands" when it came out, then ignored them. Notes: - mallet percussion, layered background vocals and sudden horn stabs had me right from the intro. - dense, complex and subtle production with near-constant little tweaks to the arrangements. someone in the booth really cares about how these songs sound. - lots of 6/8, which makes me happy. - personally I'd rather not have pretty-crooning-guy lead vocals so far forward in the mix, but maybe that's just my singer's envy. - front-loaded, too long and at least half the songs, while lovely, go absolutely nowhere. Verdict: While obviously a member of the Radiohead-Coldplay axis of excess, they lack the preening pretentiousness of the former and the starry-eyed sentimentality of the latter. Cause for some celebration. Listen Again? Just maybe. I really wasn't expecting to enjoy this. I'm even interested in hearing more of them. Thanks, 1001!

Cosy, easy listen. I don't consider this to be their best work, but I can relax while listening to it. It could do with a bit more edge, but I suppose that's not what they're aiming for.

Listened in the car. I was so ready to dismiss this thing on first blush. It beat In Rainbows for the Mercury Prize? If they were so great, why wasn't Pitchfork talking about them at the time? And to be fair, the first track stinks with its horrible midi brass chords which really didn't give me a great first impression. But by the end of its (slightly long) runtime I found myself charmed by their symphonic soundscapes and Guy Garvey's gorgeous voice. Discard the obvious Coldplay comparisons and you'll find a charmingly beautiful record here. Will listen again.

Pretty good album that I have never heard. Kind of reminds me of Peter Gabriel on some songs. Great lyrics and excellent, not too aggressive, music. I will be listening to this one again.

Like it. Nunca había escuchado hablar de ellos. Pretty great.

Another English rock band I’ve never heard of! Surprised as it’s from an era I feel like I should know. Interesting through the first few songs. Can obviously hear some Radiohead influence, but there’s something else this is reminding me of that I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s a bit straightforward sometimes as a rock album, but then it goes into more elaborate productions and feels like something different. For example, Grounds for Divorce is a solid rock song, and then it follows up with something way more unique in An Audience with a Pope, a great track. Overall very solid. His voice reminds me of some solo career Sting. I enjoy this very much it’s kind of orchestral and grand at times. Sometimes it slows down but it’s always interesting. I think this might be a 4. A few really great songs. Kind of surprised me after the first few that I ended up enjoying it as much as I did. Felt like a played out alt rock sound at first, but it’s really its own thing once I started really taking it in. We’ll go 4.

This is very much my shit

Elbow were probably one of the strongest of the wave of British groups that popped up in Radiohead’s wake (although nowhere near the most successful – Coldplay and Muse, anyone?) which says something about how impressive those groups were overall (not very). Three very good songs here – “The Bones of You”, “Mirrorball” and “One Day Like This” – and an awful lot of mopey, unmemorable stuff. Guy Garvey is a talented vocalist, though. Best track: “One Day Like This”

Sweet

It's like Coldplay only, and I can't believe this is even possible, musically less interesting (with one weird watered-down-Jack-White-impression in the middle). I like this guy's voice. And his arrangements are interesting. But I don't find the music engaging in the slightest. And the tracks are SO robotic; it sounds like the band members record snippets of themselves and then cut and paste to build songs up Lego-block style in a DAW. Yawn, Next!

Really enjoyed this album. Had not heard of this group but it was well worth the listen.

very lovely instrumentals and vocals, would definitely recommend! I love more than half the tracks on here.

It's good stuff - the kind of album that probably deserves multiple listens to appreciate. A lot of it captures a moody tone, with slower beats, and then there's tracks like 'One Day Like This' that is just a certified banger. Favourites: The Bones Of You Mirrorball Weather To Fly One Day Like This

I enjoyed this, I would be hopeful to enjoy more of their work

The songs in this album don't really tie into each other in tone. Some are very alt rock, but some are country-ish or meloncholy. Very hit or miss.

Plodding.

Mercury Prize strikes again! As a Radiohead fan I think this probably sounds like Radiohead to those people who don't like Radiohead. Only thing saving this from one star was I liked The Bones of You some.

Nothing special British band

Soft ‘00’s rock

Before the first word was sung, I thought "now here's a record that didn't get caught up in the loudness war." And in reading the Wikipedia article, it seems they were specifically after that with the "turn it up!" notice on the packaging. Well done on that front. Further listening revealed not-very-subtle notes of Radiohead with the occasional whiff of blues and lo-fi garage rock. Smooth and full-bodied with an easy finish that left me looking forward to the next swallow. Like other tasty things, you can definitely overdo it, and I think after 2/3 of the way through the album, I had my fill and any more was just cramming it down so I could feel OK about no having leftovers that will certainly have gone bad. 3.49

Quite o.k. but what's the deal with this one? favourite: "Grounds For Divorce"

La voz me recuerda a peter gabriel (y un poco a Genesis). Me gustan. Buen disco

I liked the sound on this record except the singing. Very precious lyrics. The minimalist compositions and the blend of electronics with traditionally rock instrumentation keep this proggy enough to be interesting, but it's veering toward Spoon-type easy listening for inoffensive waiting rooms.

Who needs coffee when you can have 'sudden loud blast to the eardrums in the middle of an otherwise too quiet track'? Ouch. Was that supposed to be artsy? Because it was just painful. Not a good start. Kinda' pissed me off. I've learned something about myself through this project (good, that was the point): Whatever the hell the UK had goin' down in 2000-2010, I don't much like it. What was happening during this decade that made you all so pasty, limp and sad? Are you ok over there? Can I offer you some thrash or something? I assure you, it's very cathartic. After the first time through, I didn't remember anything except my eardrums being smashed by the first track (-1 for that). Third time through and I'm done. I normally do at least 4 but no. I've had enough. I liked "The Fix" and "Grounds for Divorce" and about nothing else. This is another band that the rest of you are saying sound like a knock off Radiohead...so I'm not going to like Radiohead am I? Or Coldplay, for that matter.

imagine dragons for people who don't want to say they listen to imagine dragons

Good orchestral pop. I could see this growing on me more with repeat listens. It did capture the vibe of the Great Recession, whether or not that was actually Elbow's intent. I enjoyed the vibe of the instrumentals far more than the lyrics. It is more enjoyable than most Radiohead albums, so there is that. Definitely the best British album that was nominated that year for the Mercury prize, which is saying something because they have made a skill of screwing that up. Just look at how bad they screwed up 2009 when there were at least 3 albums nominated that were more interesting, popular, and had longer legs than the winner. 2011 was also a complete whiff, when it was obvious to just about everyone that it should have been Adele's 21. Kind of like a British version of Blue October, and I kinda dig it. One of those rare albums where on my first listen, I enjoyed the back half more than the front half. Faves: "Some Riot", "One Day Like This", "Friend of Ours", "We're Away", "Hotel Istanbul"

Listenable, but not my favorite.

I listened to this like 4 times. The way it flows is mesmerizing. 4 for now, but might be a 4.5 and rising.

Beautiful but perhaps a bit samey

Voor mij ligt dit tussen de 4.5 en 5, maar ik geef hem toch voor nostalgie. Een van mijn eerste live optredens ooit, met pa, waar een extended orchestral versie van 'One Dat Like This' werd gespeeld zal me altijd bijblijven.

The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver leeft al jaren vrijgesteld van huur in mijn hoofd. Mooie plaat, maar niet zo goed als Leaders of the Free World.

Really didn't like this one. It's sameish and repetitive.

Why am I listening to the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack ?

Kinda

Entra no clássico caso de "álbum interessante, mas longe de justificar presença em uma lista de álbuns que precisam ser escutados antes de morrer". Como esse aqui, existem muitos - e melhores. 2/5.

I was hoping for something a little more from a band called Elbow. 3.5

Haters gonna hate. This is great. Very confused about the idea that I had never heard of the album or even the band before. Curious to see if I still like it in a year, but after one listen, I love it.

Siii ponele. Bastante mejor para el final. Nada que me obsesione. Nota: 3.6

Not bad! It really has its moments! With that said, there are songs that leave me a bit cold. It's very hit or miss for me, some songs I think are just beautifully realized and others I find annoying and played out. Starlings, An Audience With the Pope, The Loneliness..., The Fix

Grounds for divorce is a banger.

Not a regular 4, but a on-this-mediocre-list-4.

I really liked this. What a gem.

This was a tough one for me. Its a cool record. Good songs. Not really my type of thing but its undeniably good. It doesnt do alot of the things that I dont like about alot of chill relaxing styles of music. It doesnt repeat itself over and over. It doesnt lull me to sleep. Its interesting all the way through. But at the end of the day i dont love it. I have to say how good it is but in the end I just dont ever want to hear it again. Its a pretty strange reaction for sure. But its what I got. Its about as close as I could think of being a 4 without making it there. Maybe if I listen to it again ill feell better about it but as of now i just dony like it much but it is good

The best album Coldplay never made.

Excellent record.

not a fan of boom clap hey wee-o music

not agressively terrible, more subtly terrible

Mostly mesmerized by the voice, but I thoroughly enjoyed this listen. The production takes some interesting turns as well so a very engaging and complete record.

Love surprise bangers, really makes the journey worthwhile

I had never heard of Elbow before now, but I thought this was great. It reminded me of what it would sound like if Sting, Peter Gabriel and Muse fused into a single musical act. I found the songs pretty musically varied and enjoyable to listen to. Very creative writing and performances, and the record sounded crisp and luxe without seeming overbearing or pompous. I listened to it twice. Five stars.

It's an alt rock style that feels grandiose and calm with meaningful lyrics. Would listen again since I thought it was good.

This guy kind of sounds like Peter Gabriel, if Peter Gabriel sucked.

The best of that early 00s sad slow lo-fi indie Mercury Prize nominee bunch that tries to be a bit Coldplay and a bit Radiohead, and by best I mean basically the only good one. Grounds for Divorce and A Day Like This are the standouts, but the rest is pretty solid.

This is not for me. "Grounds for Divorce" just sounds like the home depot theme. A lot of the rest of the album gives me the hunger games companion album, but b-sides created by the Civil wars and the Decemberists. Meh. 5/10

Frábær hljómsveit og mjög góð plata. Fílaði eiginlega bara öll lögin og vel hægt að vinna með þessu.

Elbow var mjög góð hljómsveit, vanmetnir. Soldið Peter Gabriel væb á þessari plötu. One day like this er svo algjör banger.

Always knew Grounds For Divorce was as a banger but never liked Elbow. Not mad on his voice at times but enjoyed it a lot more than I thought.

Great

It annoys me that i enjoyed alot of this. Guy garvey is obviously a pint man, every other lines about pints being class. I can respect that. Drinking in the morning sun i can only assume means pints for brekkie. Alot of the songs sounded like theme tunes to BBC2 comedy dramas. Did like audience with the pope and the fix. Cos of the theme tune-ness Best songs bones of you. Does slap although its a bit of a bends radiohead era rip off

Just a really good mature solid album by a band i don't listen to very much, but when i do always appreciate them. Bones for you and grounds for divorce are great songs!

Got this album at home. Always thought its a very good album. Bones of You is great. Friend of Ours is touching, Among Other highlights. Rest of Elbow's stuff doesnt do a lot for me. But this album's their peak.

Never listened to elbow before but that album was very good Grounds for divorce was great

Close to a 4, just find it a bit boring at times. There are some proper standouts though.

i honestly love it it’s interesting

Again, another obscure British album that never made a dent anywhere else. I do know it, I have listened to it and I saw them live around this time, but it's not a Top1001 album. Nothing on here is revolutionary, nor groundbreaking, or inventive or influential. It's a solid album though with "Starlings", the shoulda-been-a-hit "One Day Like This" (131M listens) and "Grounds For Divorce". Solid listening counts across the album. Songs like "The Bones Of You", "Mirrorball" and the depressingly slow "We're Away" could have hit the cutting room floor, zero value. Another enjoyable album, but not a must-hear-before-I-die album as the T1001 should be composed of. And what a dumb band name, wow. 3 stars, it's hard to dislike but hard to love.

Nice band i like the birds

really really loved like 4 songs off the album. the rest were fine. surprised this was a very well put together album! like the vibes. 6/10

It’s a cool album, it’s a very interesting change up on what a lot of indie sounded like at the time, it’s a little long in the tooth for how little variety is on this album though.

Lyrically and musically perfect