Reviews (page 4 of 10)
I’m familiar with Elbow, I quite like Elbow, and find Guy Garvey’s voice captivating. Yet even I scoffed at this being on the list. But after a focused listen this really is very good. Not the best thing on this list but deserving of being here
Rating: 5.5/10 Very mildly enjoyable.
starlings- 5 bones of you- 5 mirrorball- 5 grounds for divorce- 6 or 7 an audience with the pope- 5 weather to fly- 5 loneliness of a tower crane driver- 6 the fix- 5 some riot- 5 one day like this- 5 no more i saw this album and my first thought was that this was going to be boring as hell and then i thought i should be nice and give it a chance and it turns out i was right
Really cool! I'd listened to Grounds For Divorce for years prior to this (on account of Left 4 Dead), but this album was a treat. It unfortunately slows down a good bit from the really strong start, but even then it's pretty solid throughout.
A really nice indie rock album from the late 2000s, exemplifying a lot of good traits from that era of music. Comparisons can be made to Lost Souls by Doves, which we got earlier in this challenge - unfortunately, I do think this one's a bit underserved by its length, and doesn't quite stack up to the unexpected highs of that album.
Another entry into the list of things the Brits like but I do not (sorry)
A very appropriate and enjoyable listen for a long autumn evening walk. It's quite nice to get a slower paced album, though it does feel a bit bloated by the end of its 54min runtime. Trim the fat, and there are some beautiful gems in here. Standouts: Starlings • Mirrorball • An Audience With The Pope • The Fix
What a surprise! Never heard of this band or this album but it blew my away. There was some of what I felt was dead space on the album which lowers it from a 5 but I was intrigued with what they were doing here. It was like Bright Eyes meets Doves.
I feel like I don't have a ton to say about this album. Though it is one of the better ones that I've heard in recent memory and I'm not immediately inclined to say that it shouldn't be on this list, Elbow's album The Seldom Seen Kid is, at the end of the day, yet another 2000s British indie album. I'm fucking tired of these. Whatever. At least this one's pretty good. I think it's the writing that puts it above something like the Doves album from a few days ago. Songs like "Grounds For Divorce" have interesting lyrical themes that make the album stand out a bit. The singing is alright. Guy Garvey's kinda feel like if Chris Martin from Coldplay had a deeper voice with a stronger accent. It's nice. There's some varied production here. The album itself finds a good balance between being varied and cohesive. I feel like too many albums on this list either try too hard to be eclectic and end up feeling half-baked or just blend into one big repetitive mush, so to hear this album get the pacing right is good to hear. "One Day Like This" is a very nice song. This album's good. Light 4/5.
An amazing album.
Wasnt a 4 star, but atleast felt fresh
i wish this was a seldom listened to album so it would have never made its way to my ears
It had it's moments, I suppose...
Sounded a bit like Coldplay or Radiohead but worse. Mediocre
Very nostialgic for me, has some great tunes on
This was a great album by a band I had truly never heard of before! Loved this! Atmospheric, vibey, a little Peter Gabriel with the singer’s voice. There were a couple songs I just straight up didn’t like - one sounds like a car commercial and the other features a guest vocalist whose album is also on this list and I didn’t like that either - so I can’t give it full accolades, but this was a lovely discovery.
This was an ok album, didn't blow my socks off
Boring Indy rock. There is nothing special here.
Interesting album, gives me very 90s vibes.
Never have heard of this group before, so props on this list to introducing me to yet another new-to-me group! This reminds me of Peter Gabriel, mixed in with some Zero 7 and Coldplay (the non sucking aspects). I enjoyed it. I wish there were more songs like The Bones of You and Weather to Fly than Friend of Ours, but alas. 3.16 / 5 stars
My dad had this album on CD and played it all the time in the car, so this is a very nostalgic album for me. I recognise almost all of the songs by sound, and nearly none by name lol.
4/10
I don’t like his voice. Otherwise I suppose it’s actually pretty good at times. The singing is too detatched from the music. It’s likely meant to be, but I dislike it. It should be more music centered. There’s a few little great bits that are ruined when he starts singing. Someone get him to shut up please. What this album is doing here on this list is beyond me.
Not my style but pleasantly surprised. Early Coldplay meets Nick Cave.
English 2000s folk rock. 2 great songs, rest is quite mediocre.
Cool sound - perfect for a chill day.
21/10/2025 Just a bit boring isn't it? Spotify listeners: 896.2k
One Day Like This you’ll want to listen to this album.
The lead singer sounds eerily similar to Peter Gabriel. Pretty similar in the witty & whimsical department too. Peter Gabriel's music is a million times more entertaining to listen to, however. Sorry, didn't mean to do unfair comparisons right off the bat. This album was just fine. Nothing special, a little artsy, but nothing too dissimilar from the indie/alternative scene from the late aughts. The British bias continues to show on this list.
# Album Name: The seldom seen kid # Artist: Elbow # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: This album has some big singles on it. Really good songs actually. It made a real splash when it was released. The album itself is high quality. The singles carry it. The songs in between are decent but arent on the same level. Great effort and a good album overall. # Top Tunes: Bones of you / Mirrorball / Grounds for Divorce / Tower crane driver / one day like this # Would I listen to it again? Yes
Surprisingly proggy and atmospheric—this one really clicked. Enjoyed it far more than expected and went back for a second listen. Great stuff.
Day652 - i spent the first half of the album trying to figure out who the band sounds like and then realized they sound like garbage. they are in the running for worst band names
Another Mercury Prize winner, which pretty much guarantees it's going to be a stinker. Singer's voice is nondescript and the music is a Xerox of what Radiohead was doing roughly a decade prior, but without any of the magic that Thom Yorke & Co. were able to conjure up.
Pretty cool britpop.
Ok
A friend recently mentioned that he and his sons were going to NYC to see elbow live. He was very excited, calling it a bucket list show for them. This friend is very well versed in music I've never heard before, but he was shocked that I had no idea who elbow is. He strongly encouraged me to listen, and about a week ago I played a few songs that sounded nice, but I was with someone else at the time and we were talking while listening so I didn't give it much thought. I jokingly thought to myself that if my friend's opinion is spot on, they'll have at least one album on this list. Imagine my pleasant surprise today when this popped up. Of course I told him right away and he was adamant this album is one of the 1001 to listen to before you die. Now that I've given it a good listen, I have to agree. It was very good. I love Guy Garvey's voice. I know there are comparisons to Peter Gabriel, but I love the fact that each song has a different sound and a different style, so it's not just a copy of PG or really anyone else. This felt very original to me, and not just a clone of other British singers and groups. Yes there are touches here and there, but it felt very much their own thing. I don't think they'll become a bucket list band for me, but I will be listening to their other albums.
point2.
I like this one. It’s different yet oddly familiar. There’s elements of Blur, Peter Gabriel, and Radiohead. I would like to explore this catalog.
Almost drew me back in with the fourth song, but then went back to being bored
butt and british
I don’t think it’s a bad album, but maybe because I listened to it when I was feeling down, it made me even more depressed. It reminds me a bit of Coldplay — not so much of that typical Manchester sound. I like Weather to Fly, though.
Like it
Live at Abbey road version of this is amazing
2.5 - Feels harsh but just find them boring
Gone girl.
tonally inconsistent
new to me. and great
This is a wonderful album that captured my full attention in 2012, not long after my housemates at the time invited me out to Sydney's Hordern Pavillion to see Elbow in concert. I’d heard a handful of their tunes before, but experiencing the magic of the One Day Like This audience choir sent me head over heels; it remains to this day one of my most memorable live music moments. Every tune on this album has a reason to be there. They’re perfectly placed. From the cinematic extremities of the opener, Starlings, through to the energetic Grounds For Divorce singalong, to the lonesome dynamic of Tower Crane Driver, to the aforementioned anthemic highlight of One Day Like This, there aren’t many albums that reach artistic beauty in the way The Seldom Seen Kid does. This is contemporary music at its finest.
What a wonderful album this is, one of my best discoveries on this project! Keeping this as favourite, that's for sure :-)
Not heard this before. Largely comes off as Radiohead-lite to me with some Coldplay mixed in for good measure. Derivative of both. 2⭐️
This is another one I question it's inclusion even though I did enjoy it a good bit. For the most part this is typical post britpop Fair and there are far better examples in the book. But it's a nice album
It sounds like a lot of boring bands, but have interesting textures to it. 3.5 stars
This album is pretty good. I think half of it falls into the trap of sounding too much like other British albums from the same era, but the middle section of the album gets kind of interesting and brings in some other influences that set it apart from the pack. Highlights for me are "Audience With the Pope", "The Fix", and "Some Riot". 3.5 stars.
Kinda good n high quality in places but also something so annoyingly boring about the group that it is hard to fully elevate this to a 4 even if it is one of their best albums. Coldplay if they sang about Beige instead of the colour Yellow. Radiohead if they sang the Stamp Collecting Song instead of one about Pyramids. Elbow is such a crap name as well. Might as well be called Ankle. Or Toenail. This is sort of their equivalent album to Viva La Vida with super rich and resplendent orchestrations and also home to their highest charting hit - the Hey Jude outro-copping and John Lewis fav One Day Like This. Grounds For Divorce is also a heavy rockin standout and very baditude for them. An Audience With The Pope has a real cool exotic instrumental I’m sure has been used to many an episode of Come Dine With Me or some other food programme. Besides that and the intro song which has those severe ear-stabbing string swells, the others don’t make quite as much of a mark. 3.5.
I like the songs and instrumentation a lot. I don't really care for the singer's vocal style. Pretty good album overall though.
I've been eating good this week with this list. First I get Drive Like Jehu, then Jamiroquai, now these guys. What a beautiful album. A great mix of that British kind of indie rock with really nice strings and keys. I always love finding bands I've never heard of through stuff like this and coming out with masterworks. That's what this is, a masterwork. The instruments, the singing, the lyrics, the flow, the everything. Masterful.
Always a goodie
sounds like radiohead fronted by peter gabriel pretending like he’s in coldplay. sounds like a 2008 i remember avoiding.
I typically wouldn’t like this kind of music but something smooth about it like it pleases my ears even though my brain is fighting it dude has a great voice. That’s it. This isn’t bad the songs kind of blend together, but there’s enough variation where you keep wonder what’s next keeps you interested Maybe it’s cause I’m 40. I don’t know, but this ain’t bad. Weird band name was expecting like postpunk band first time ever hearing them I guess I would listen again I listen to this album before I die.
It’s not going to be possible to divorce this one from my nostalgia. There was a while when this was the album we had in the car. My dad used to turn the volume up really loud because Starlings starts so quiet and then the loud parts would startle the rest of us. I still think about that every time I listen to that song. I still listen to this album quite a lot. I love his voice, I love how evocative the lyrics are, I think the music is beautiful. Definitely quite slow with a lot of space, but really good for just sitting with emotions. I’ve picked a fav and least fav song but I like all the songs and I think those picks are just based on my mood today. Fav song: Grounds for Divorce Least fav: Weather to Fly
I appreciate that the music is good but it’s just not for me even though it makes me think of the Peter Kay comic relief video. Sorry Specific rating - 3.4 Fav song - one day like this Least fav-some riot
This was the only CD in our car when I was a kid so I've heard it many many times. I'd like to think I'd find it just as stunning without the nostalgia but I really can't separate the two. Just gorgeous lyrics, vocals and music! I like his radio show but this album is actually Guy Garvey's finest hour. Favourite song: The Bones of You (or One Day Like This or Grounds for Divorce) Least: Weather to Fly
This is more interesting than actually good and there is a difference. The songs and music are pleasant enough but go on too long. I can hear the comparisons to Radiohead but they are just not even on the same level as them. The songs tend to blend together. Not necessarily a bad thing but if you don't care for the one song they keep playing "differently", you're in for a bad time. 3
Interesting not my cup of tea
I'll be coming back to this one.
One Day Like This boosts to a 4
Thank you to the list for reminding me this album exists.
I enjoyed this!
Grounds for Divorce One Day Like This
Yeah. The mixing is pretty good, the musicians are absolutely talented and all, but still. This has so many clear inspirations that at most points I’d rather listen to the said inspirations. I bet a lot of people love this album and I can’t blame them. It sounds nice, is a complete album with nice variety. I just don’t think I have anything on here to make me come back to this ever.
Not sure if I really knew any songs by them before. It's interesting, very enjoyable.
tremenda sorpresa
Is this as good of an album as Asleep At The Back? I don't think so it's a pretty good album all in all but not as good as their freshman release.
Good album and nice intro to Elbow.
I was turned off by the first couple songs-- too shocking and then too dull-- but the rest of the album is some of the best music I've heard of the millennium. What a great find! 4.5/5 (except for the first couple songs)
6/10… melancholic / art pop
Boring.
a couple of the songs were ok, but the rest kind of sounded like temu coldplay to me.
Why this here
*The Seldom Seen Kid* by Elbow is a masterful album that excels through its profound lyricism and exquisite production, though some critics note a reserved pace. The 2008 Mercury Prize winner is a heartfelt tribute to friendship, love, and loss. | **Aspect** | **Summary** | | :--- | :--- | | **Lyrics & Themes** | Poetic, deeply personal narratives exploring love, loss (dedicated to a late friend), male friendship, and everyday beauty . | | **Music & Sound** | Brit-pop/rock foundation with orchestral grandeur, atmospheric textures, and diverse instrumentation from blues-rock stomps to delicate ballads . | | **Production** | Self-produced by the band; praised for its warm, detailed, and immersive sonic quality where every element is rendered beautifully . | | **Influence & Reception** | Critical darling (Mercury Prize 2008); cemented Elbow's status and influenced perception of mainstream rock with intelligence and emotional depth . | ### 👍 Pros of the Album * **Lyrical Depth and Emotional Honesty**: Guy Garvey's lyrics are consistently highlighted as a masterclass in storytelling, avoiding clichés in favor of specific, poignant imagery . The album's emotional core—especially the tribute to Bryan Glancy in "Friend of Ours"—is profoundly moving and authentic . * **Superb Production and Sonic Detail**: The band's decision to self-produce resulted in a uniquely intimate and lush soundscape . The production is rich with subtle details that reveal themselves over multiple listens, creating a deeply immersive experience . * **Musical Diversity and Cohesion**: The album seamlessly blends different moods and styles, from the explosive brass in "Starlings" and the blues-rock riff of "Grounds for Divorce" to the serene beauty of "Mirrorball" and the orchestral anthem "One Day Like This" . Despite this range, the album feels like a cohesive journey . ### 👎 Cons of the Album * **Pacing Can Feel Slow or Uniform**: A common critique is the album's generally slow to mid-tempo pace, which some listeners may find challenging or draining in a single sitting . One critic felt the tracklisting could be improved, with several lighter ballads grouped together . * **Not Universally Engaging**: While many find it deeply moving, some critics admitted the album didn't fully connect with them emotionally, describing it as "dignified" but sometimes hard to love or "a bit boring" compared to other works . * **A Matter of Personal Taste**: The album's very specific, nuanced, and often understated nature means it's a celebrated "grower" that requires patience , but it might not appeal to those seeking immediate, high-energy rock. *The Seldom Seen Kid* is a landmark album that rewards attentive listening. Its strengths in lyrical brilliance, emotional power, and detailed production far outweigh the subjective critiques of its pacing.
Enjoyable (but kind of run of the mill) Brit Pop.
About as 3 as it gets
Best Song: One Day Like This. This song successfully manages to feel "anthemic". Everything from the opening strings, to the chorus on "throw those curtains wide...". It all just works. Worst Song: Some Riot. This one leans with all its weight on a sense of melodrama, and the melodrama can barely sustain its weight. Overall: Everything in this album is produced very "big", which works some of the time, but at other times it gives some tracks an inflated sense of self-importance. It has a tendency towards being overwrought, but there are some gems nonetheless.
Sangeren lyder som Peter Gabriel, så det kan jeg godt lide. Derudover er det godt nok et britisk indiealbum fra 00’erne
Ok fed men uessentiel
Very boring british indie.
With music, the harder it tries, the more it fails. This is where the comparison to Radiohead fails - Radiohead is just are. This album, it's trying so hard it just sounds pathetic. Honestly, it's been a while since I've heard an album I disliked so much. I hated every second of this album, which is quite an achievement! Here's hoping this band elbowed only one album into the list.
Quite a dreary and rainy album. Verges on boring, but it worked for me on this rainy day. Some great production. Best song: One Day Like This
“Starlings” has to be one of the finest opening tracks on an album that most causal music fans have never heard. Just breathtaking.
Overall, a very fresh, modern, refined sound. There's a broad range of instruments, from the glorious string orchestra on Mirrorball and One Day Like This to the mirrored parts of piano and ghoulish choir on The Fix. Reminds me a bit of Radiohead – if only for their musical versatility and slick mixing. The Bones of You is excellent. Swift, light, high-pitched tribalesque drumming in 6/8 that reminds me of Steely Dan's Two Against Nature title track. Muse-ish choral harmonising, too, along with an intense synth bass part and a chord progression that's almost droney but gets some variation during the verses. Another huge standout is Grounds for Divorce. Its riff is so dang good (the band definitely realised this) and the doubling between guitar and bass is the correct move to accentuate it. A page taken from the Led Zeppelin handbook. I'm not as big a fan of the verse/bridge section towards the end – it breaks the flow – but otherwise it's rock-solid. Some of the tracks are still enjoyable but noticeably weaker, such as Weather to Fly and Some Riot. Responding to another reviewer who asked "Do you guys just eat up anything that comes along and sounds like Radiohead?"... Yes. Yes, I do. Because Radiohead is an incredible band. Anyone who successfully imitates them is doing at least one thing right. 4/5 Key tracks: The Bones of You, Mirrorball, Grounds for Divorce
Album bastante trabalhado. #4 #1
I’m giving this a 5 solely based on One Day Like This. As soon as it was over I had to pause the album and rewind to listen to that song again. As someone who loves Coldplay and Keane, how have I never heard of this band before?
Interesting but it didn’t really grab me. I may like it better on a different day.
Such a pleasant discovery!
Another album that’s just waaaay too slow and sappy. Nothing else really to say about it, I think it’s boring
Good lyrics, boring music.
Thought this was really decent.
Will done, but very sleepy inducing. Not my jam.
I own the Cast of Thousands album by Elbow and liked it well enough. After listening to this album for the first time, I wouldn’t be able to tell you which song came from which album. I couldn’t tell you which song was which from this album alone. I feel like the back half of the album started to branch out a little in its song structure, if only just a bit, but it was too little too late. Interesting opening, big finish at the end, and monotonous in the middle. 2.5/ 5
Ok
I realized I've never listened to this whole album before, though I am familiar with Elbow. Enjoyable listen but outside of a few standouts not an album I'd come back to often. Clear standout is One Day Like This, one of the most perfect songs written. And his voice is perfect for this, great orchestration. I could listen on repeat for years. Hope they come up again so I can sit with their music more.
Maybe it’s because his voice sounds a little like Peter Gabriel that I was drawn in, but I rather enjoyed this. Granted, I saw no other similarities to Gabriel, but that’s not a bad thing.
Took me two listens to get it...
Airy Sting, Gabriel, Morrisey The bones of you The fix One day like this
The singer's voice really turned me off.
++: Mirrorball, An Audience with the Pope, The Fix +: The Bones of You, Some Riot, We're Away +-: Starlings, Grounds for Divorce, Weather to Fly, One Day Like This, Friend of Ours -: The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver 5,2/10
interesting. large. not many vocals
En stark trea
Felt just neutral about this one, the music was nice but nothing to personally write home about.
Det er Orkestral indie rock som bla inspirerede kunstnere som mumford and sons, hvilket giver mening fordi jeg ikke kunne stoppe med at tænke på, at det lyder som boom clap stomp yeah musik. Kan heller ikke undgå at synes det lyder lidt som reklamemusik noget af tiden, men må også indrømme jeg synes det er godt noget af tiden. Åbenbart også skrevet til et tidligere band medlem som afgik ved døden deraf albummets navn. Mit bud var faktisk at det var noget i retning af chamber rock, men det er åbenbart for store arrangementer. Har det meget mixed, tror det er en 2,5 hvor jeg giver den 2
Their fourth album. Indie / Rock. Lyrically the album is very good. I am not entirely sure about the delivery though. Radiohead do this way better for me. There are some nice horns and strings. Mirrorball and Grounds For Dicorce are good tracks. A bit of a middle of the road album.
Sometimes you get some obscure album you've never heard of, and it's some crap nobody cares about. But sometimes you get an undiscovered gem, and this is absolutely one of those. It's just a perfect mix of genres and instruments, while showing enough Radiohead influence to get me interested, but not so much that it sounds cheesy or unoriginal.
Very Coldplay-sounding. ‘The Bones of You’ and ‘Mirrorball’ are good but ‘One Day Like This’ is the hit for me.
Good first impression of an opening song. I like the combination of the percussive elements, the wistful piano, and strings somber but hopeful
It is pretty good
It’s okay. Nothing as good as the two songs I know by them.
Listenable in the background
3/5 ngl it took me a while to fully appreciate the soundscape, but this is actually really nice to listen and chill out to. Album plays on repeat now since 3 hours and it's aesthetic background music that allows you to lay back inbetween and just listen.
Like It's alright, 3 stars would also be fine
This album took me places, mainly back to high-school and some of it was good some of it was bad.
Ohhhhh yes it’s time for my British Rubicks Cube album. I used to listen to this one all the time in high school, and it still holds up marvelously. “Grounds for Divorce” is a classic, but man, The Bones of You is a gorgeous song. I was on a plane for the first bit of this album, and “Weather to Fly” actually picked up right as we approached the runway. Couldn’t have timed that better if I’d tried.
This felt like someone trying to do a unique take on Coldplay
I was prepared to be fully checked out on this. Thought it would be a cardboard, bland album. The vocals are great and at least made me pay attention. There is some good music here, I enjoyed it enough but the ballads didn't do much for me. I liked the more bluesy bits.
Who the fuck is Elbow?!? 3
Meh
Frekar óeftirminnleg plata, eiginlega bara strax búinn að gleyma henni.. fínt background music samt svosem..
i saw 'british' and 'indie' and thought i was going to prepare to snore, but this one had a couple of bangers i wasn't prepared for
this started out boring as HELL but then picked up!
BORING
I really like elbow, I love a proper northern singing accent which carries the quieter songs while there is a good heft to the darker songs, it has that emo tinged indie feel at times. I do think that it has a smooth, soul like production that almost certainly ensured it was more commercially successful but blunts the edges of some of the songs. A song like the bones of you should sound more uncomfortable but it's produced like a lounge track. Only nitpicking cos I think the songs are good! Good album, don't think I've listened to much more by them but I probably should. 4.5.
As much as I try to hide it, subconsciously or otherwise, I am northern. From Bury, same as these lads. There are two colleges in Bury - Bury College and Holy Cross College. Bury College produced Guy Garvey, and Mark E Smith. Holy Cross produced Anna Friel, and me. Holy Cross, when I was there, was ranked second in the country overall. Last in the country for music. This album was pretty startling when it first came out - back when I had iTunes, Greetings for Divorce was given out as a free download one week, and I remember downloading it for a listen on the way back from Holy Cross, exam time, on the bus, and having a very good ride. Looked up the band when I got home, paid for and downloaded the rest of the album, and had a great few days with it on repeat. Loads of minor key stuff, Guy Garvey can sing (he doesn't always choose to, quite the maverick), and the instrumentation is solid. Bones of Thee, An Audience with the Buddha, and The Repair jump out, and are still great going on 20 years later. Lippy Kids from the following album, Build a Rocket Boys, is great, but I am convinced that all their other work was written explicitly to be "anthemic" following the success of One Day Like This, and they got really boring. The band? A 3.5. This album? A 5.
I've always liked what I'd heard of Elbow and have been moaning to give them a proper listen and never have. Probably more familiar with Guy Garvey from 6 music now. This sounded pretty much exactly like I would expect an elbow album to sound, which isn't a bad thing. First time I listened to this I wasn't really playing attention, glad I gave it another listen as like it lyrically. I knew "greetings for divorce" and "one day like this". Also enjoyed "starlings", "weather to fly", and "friend of ours". The latter I felt was particularly northern, as Jamie mentioned. I do like a British regional accent in music. Not quite enough for a 5 for me, needed a bit more oomph, but very good. 4.5
A very atmospheric album. Every song does a great job at portraying its vibe with its instrumentation and melodies. I really love the vocals, they work really well with the music. It has a sort of quality to it I really like. 4/5
There's a fine line between English Melancholy and Dreary Shit. This falls to the latter.
Was unfamiliar. The studio album is nice but the live version recorded at Abbey Road with the BBC Orchestra is something else, epic in scope and the emotion is ratcheted up. The album is a nice listen. The live version is stellar.
Fine
Really enjoyed the first half, second half felt a bit Coldplay and wasn't as great, but overall a good listen.
"I have an audience with the Pope and I'm saving the world at eight / But if she says she needs me, she says she needs me / Everybody's going to have to wait" I went into this album without having great expectations. I don't know why. Maybe because I had never heard of Elbow, not even being mentioned, but I'll say I'm glad this album popped out in the 1001 albums generator project. This record is most definitely grandiose, using strings and brass to expand on the somewhat basic, classic instrument lineup of drums, bass, guitar and piano, and it does so very well. The orchestral parts add to the tone of "mellow epicness" the group went for. All of the songs have a great cinematic atmosphere, making you feel like you're the protagonist of a movie, and not just any movie, but a colossal one. Some examples of this are The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver or The Fix. There are moments in this record that are gonna give you an eargasm: the instrumental jam halfway through The Bones of You, the pre-chorus guitar on The Fix, the blow up around the 4th minute of The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver but there is a problem. Those moments don't last long enough. Moments like these need room to breathe and work their way through the songs, even at the cost of making the LP longer… because if you're going for a rock opera like sound, you shouldn't be afraid of length. Another thing I didn't really enjoy was the voice. It's not bad by any means but at times it feels like a more "airy" version of The Smiths' frontman Morrissey. Perhaps it has to do with the fact they're both from Manchester and I'm getting tricked by the accent, but I don't think so. Last but not least. Ground for Divorce. I have mixed feelings about this song. It's a blues rock Black Key-ish song that has a super cool guitar tone, the kind you'd listen to while walking down the street and feeling like you own the world. The chorus doesn't match the energy of the song and drags it down. Plus, it also feels completely out of place compared to the rest of the album. Like other songs, again, the instrumental jam feels like it gets cut out as soon as you can sense a switch rendering it better is about to come. Either way, this is just my opinion. So try not to pay too much attention to it.
Listened to this right after Peter Gabriel's debut album and it blended right in. On the forgettable side for me but solid overall. Tracks to Track: Grounds for Divorce
Pleasantly surprised by this album. Has a very gentle quality to its songs that keeps them grounded and heartfelt. Does start to feel a little derivative outside of the singles, but a really solid album overall. Top tracks: The Bones of You, Mirrorball, Friend Of Ours
Guy Garvey easily one of the best lyricists for me - just the right amount of poetry and irony every now and then. Album overall - 6.5/10
The algorithm must know I'm a sad white guy these days because I am on a horrible run of sad white guy music and I don't like it.
I initially got very excited listening to the hits of this album, and wondered how I could have always missed this band. But then it soon lost momentum with a few boring songs reminding me of Radiohead in slow motion with Peter Gabriel as singer. 3.5 rounded up because it is better than some bands i gave three stars.
no se si banque, me viene pasando en álbumes asi que me gustan intros instrumentales pero las voces me le bajan, este está bastante experimental electrónico me llamaron la atención
Nearly as boring as Coldplay.
A nice acquaintance. But I doubt I will listen to it again.
I absolutely loved the album ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’ by Elbow! I hadn’t heard of the band before, and it was truly a breath of fresh air. I was really surprised and delighted by the sound
Very sentimental, melodic music. Sweet and calm. Tho unsure if this belongs to the top 1001 albums
Certified bangers met the bones of you, grounds for divorce en weather to fly is dit gewoon een heel goed album. Friend of Ours vind ik ook gewoon een hele mooie afsluiter. Ik heb er geen slechte woorden voor.
I don't really understand why this album is on the list. That said, it sounds good.
I liked this album and would listen to it again - I especially enjoyed the vocals. Elbow is a band which I’ve been around but have never delved into - I will be checking out other albums.
Not my fave, just kind of boring.
I remember when 'Grounds For Divorce' came out. The messaging around that single, and this album, seemed to be "HEY! Look! These old guys are doing it! They're breaking through, these old guys! Isn't that amazing?!" I remember thinking that it WAS amazing. Now I'm older than the guys in Elbow were when this album came out. Life is a series of small disasters and tragedies in miniature. This album is great. It's melodic, insightful, deep and (most importantly) honest. I don't know what I mean by that, and yet I know exactly what I mean. Some reviews have pointed (disparagingly) to similarities with Coldplay and Radiohead. I see it. But, I think this record is reminiscent of the best of Coldplay and Radiohead. It takes the good and leaves aside the masturbatory side of Radiohead and the tendency that Chris Martin has to be a complete shill post Viva La Vida. Anyway. This album is fantastic.
Not really for me. This would fit better in the background at a coffee shop than dedicated listening. There are a few good tunes but honestly, I wasn’t pulled enough to look at the track name when it happened.
4/5
Pretty good album great harmonies and producing very impressed
Not bad, not good enough.
Kinda like beck.
I don’t really know how to describe it but everything on this album felt quite surface level. Maybe I was missing something. I generally found the album reasonable to listen to and there are a few certifiable earworms that I’ve heard before, but I don’t think the style is quite for me, it’s a bit “earnest northerner”. An album where the answer to “would I care if I never heard it again” is a no.
At times I was expecting some pan pipes to cut in and was ready to get my mystical wolf howling T-shirt out. Thankfully that vibe was only short lived (mainly first song) and it interweaved with some more substantial rock to counter the plinky plonkyness. I don't think it does a great job as a rock band and doesn't quite blend to make it alternative well either. It does have promise but not enough of anything. I found I was at times getting bored as this went on. Strong side of 2 or middle 3 star. Great voice as well. Credit overall as don't think its a bad album. Its the phrase "it's not you, it's me".
It's very difficult to dislike this album, its well written and does have moments of brilliance. "Grounds for Divorce" and "One Day Like This" are great tracks and real ear worms. Listening to those in isolation and I would be confident I was listening to a four star + album. The problem is that there is too much filler. Too many middle-of-the-road tracks that are perfectly fine but tend to fade into the background and are instantly forgettable. It's regrettable because the potential is there but it just doesn't quite meet the threshold of a great album. One to see live at a festival at the time.
Ground for Divorce was a nice bluesy surprise, but the rest didn't resonate with me.
One Day Like this
Grounds for Divorce is such a fucking tune. The rest isn't quite as good, but there's some nice tracks on it.
Hot garbage
Deleted my review but I really enjoyed this when I first listened. Quite a surprise and I really like one of the songs in here.
Well deserved 4
It was... fine. I felt like it was *close* to the sort of music and genres I like: Fleet Foxes, Pink Floyd, Animal Collective etc., but it didn't quite hit the mark. I wanted to turn it off a few times.
Where has this band been all my life? I have never heard of them and to be honest, the name Elbow did not inspire great expectations. This album is GORGEOUS! The lead singers voice is so warm, the arrangements are soothing. It’s atmospheric. What a treat. This is what I hoped for when starting this project. Finally a British discovery that I am really very grateful to know. This music strikes a chord within.
Seldom heard review which is even keel.
I need a few more listens and this might go up to a 4. Has a Peter Gabriel feel to me - art damaged orchestral pop.
Liked this more the more I listened to it. A couple of standout tracks (Grounds for Divorce and One Day Like This).
2/5 - I didn’t need to hear this. It has some interesting moments, but doesn’t leave me with any lasting impression other than over-produced rock with a singer who reminds me of Chris Martin. By no means is this a bad record, but it doesn’t belong on a list of albums I need to hear. “One Day Like This” was pretty good, but ought to end 1:30 earlier.
Немного печальная музыка, немного будоражущая - одним словом, для какого-то определённого настроения не подойдёт, но зато очень хорошо слушается. 6,5 из 10.
Please don’t get me wrong — there’s genuinely great music on 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘚𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘒𝘪𝘥. The arrangements are rich and often stunning, at times even incorporating a chamber orchestra to powerful effect. Guy Garvey’s voice carries warmth and wisdom, and the band knows exactly how to build a song slowly, gracefully, and with emotional weight. But it also arrived at a moment when post-Britpop was slowly fading, and you can feel that shift in the sound. There’s a sense of polish here that edges toward the overly refined. What once felt intimate and alternative now begins to resemble a more diluted form of alternative/indie rock — no longer raw, but carefully arranged for broader appeal. Beautiful in moments, yes, but also a reminder of a turning point: the tail end of a genre before it was fully absorbed into the mainstream.
A familiar album is often a 4 or 5. But this is a 5 from my first ever listen, I remember it well. Wonderful album. Such obsessive love and lust and care and reality
Had to wait until the 4th song to hear something good. 3.
I feel like this is what Coldplay would sound like if they were decent. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5
"The Seldom Seen Kid" is a well played, well produced album. At its best it is a dramatic, lush, mellow and soothing experience, with good use of dynamics. My critique of it would be, that over 11 tracks, it is somewhat one paced and sombre to listen to all the way through in one sitting. Unless you're paying attention the songs can drift from one to another. Gus Garvey has a lovely comforting voice. Overall, a good album. 4⭐. Would I listen again? Yes, but I have to be in the mood for it. Would I buy this album? I did? 1 "Starlings" - Good opening track, and use of dynamics. - 4 2 "The Bones of You" - 3 3 "Mirrorball" - 3 4 "Grounds for Divorce" - Cracking track. Love the fuzzy tone on the guitars. - 5 5 "An Audience with the Pope" - 4 6 "Weather to Fly" - 3 7 "The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver" - 3 8 "The Fix" (Elbow, Richard Hawley) - 4 9 "Some Riot" - Beautifully sung. - 4 10 "One Day Like This" - The stand out track. Lovely orchestration. This has a great build. - 5 11 "Friend of Ours" - It makes no sense to finish the album with this track, especially given what preceded it! It's a nice song, but finishes the album with a whimper. - 3 Total - 41 Average - 3.73
Cover 5 Name of the band is kinda dumb but love this. Have never heard of them. Fantastic album. The music is a mix of... Seal + Sting and someone else.
I wanted to like it but just couldn’t get into it or finish it
Like Coldplay, but worse. Lots of slow, monotone singing. I enjoyed one song, but the opening song was so bad I think it tainted the rest of the listen for me. A generous 2/5
They have a decent sense of melody. I just wish the instrumentation wasn’t so terribly flaccid.
Really loved this one, would gladly listen to it again many times.
Enjoyed this. Felt very cathartic.
Nice, mellow, soft, and not very exciting. It's not really my cup of tea, and if I could score on a half point basis, I would give it a 2.5.
I found Elbow a huge source of comfort in the famously horrific year of 2020. Something about Guy Garvey's calm and authentic voice, the embrace of warm, rich instrumentation and some truly poetic songwriting combine to create a deeply soothing aural experience. You can pick on many different songs or verses and dive deep into the lyrics or briefly grab hold of any number of simple, effective couplets and just snack on their innate charm. You won't find many better songs by anyone ever, than One Day Like This, but even away from the grandiose and obvious, the imagery on Mirrorball, the stomp of Grounds For Divorce and the deft fragility of Weather To Fly are all confidently crafted while still remaining understated and unassuming. Elbow offer everything you can find in a Radiohead or Coldplay album with none of the hype or histrionics and they somehow remain one of post-millennial Britain's best-kept secrets.
Enjoyed it well enough. Like Radiohead but more grounded and less transcendent. “The Bones of You” knocks. There’s some cool guitar work and production choices. The lead vocal is good and dynamic. The runtime is a little bloated. I have to take an aside to talk about “Grounds for Divorce”. It crashed through like an American truck commercial. It sounds like a fucking energy drink advertisement. I instinctively waited for the “Skip Ad” button to appear. What the fuck happened there. I know 2008 was a while ago now, but god damn has that kind of stomp-clap rock orchestration with the fuzzy riffs aged like milk. I cannot emphasize the whiplash that incurred enough.
This album is about fighting my demons, if my demons were trying to put me to sleep. This albums has some of the most boring tracks I’ve come across in my almost 500 days of this project. It really took the worst parts of Coldplay and 2010’s indie and stuffed it into one. The 2 hits on here are alright but not my cup of tea.
Boaring
This hard to get through - it was like listening to a far worse version of Radiohead with mediocre music drowned out by terrible and painful vocals. I am 123 albums into this list and this is the 45th album from a UK artist Some of the greatest bands and albums are from the UK but to think that a tiny little island in the North Atlantic should have 37% of the must hear albums of all time is comical. Your British superiority complex is showing! This album is trash, just like huge swath of UK album I've listen to on this list. 2.1/10 123/1001
A pretty decent indie rock album. At its best when it’s sentimental and atmospheric, at its weakest when it’s attempting to be more conventional (e.g. Grounds For Divorce, which in my opinion reminds me of early 2010s radio rock in all the wrong ways) or uplifting. Still, the melodies are well-crafted and the overall experience was quite pleasant, although at times I do feel it got a bit too mellow at times. Favourite tracks were The Bones of You and The Fix.
the vocals put me off
I don't know it's fine I guess, add to the listen again pile as my listening experience today was a bit disjointed at work
One nice hit on here and the rest is decent.
Disappointing. “One Day Like This” is still very good, but the rest of the album is a miss (I even got sick of Grounds for Divorce after a few plays).
Even tho I consider Elbow a one album wonder, it's an amazing album and very deserving to be on this list.
I’m ready to take all the copies of this book I can find and throw them in Boston Harbor. The avalanche of bland boring British mediocrity that you are buried under when listening to the albums on this list is thoroughly demoralizing. The Britishness of the author of this book is a systematic flaw in this project that almost requires the entire thing be scrapped and replaced with a list of 1001 albums made by a person who was not a complete fuckwit. In sum, this album was a waste of everyone’s time and attention and I am sad.
Decent album. I liked two tracks: 1. Grounds for Divorce, which reminds me of the Black Keys (and is the only track on the album with that sound), and 2. Whether to Fly. It's kind of a high-3 for me.
Recognized a few of these songs from KEXP. The sorts of songs that neither grab me, nor make me consider changing stations. The whole album has that feel, with the more effective ones being ones that screw more blues or more goth.
I was concerned by the fact that, despite this being released when I squarely would have still been checking out new music, going to shows, and browsing music blogs, I'd never heard of this band or album. I had hopes - it's an indie rock band! Putting out music in the late aughts! But nope, it's another British also-ran that kind of sounds like better bands here & there (a dash of Black Keys on 'Grounds for Divorce,' heavy Coldplay vibes on their one big hit I'd never heard) - but ultimately nothing special.
Sigh. Somehow, Elbow’s earnestness stopped working for me at their highest point.
I wish they were the seldom heard kid. Favorite Track: "Friend Of Ours".
Sounds like the soundtrack to an Indy movie from 2009. In fact I have definitely heard at least An Audience with the Pope in a movie from around then. I liked this and would probably buy it in vinyl if I found it for a good price.
A pleasant and relaxing listen.
Pretty good. Quality musicianship throughout the entire album, with well-crafted tunes. I wasn't totally gripped by it, but several tracks stood out.
It’s fine
Pretty dull.
This has really caught me off-guard on how good and varied this is. Each song is almost unique in style/vibes. Not actually, but almost. Usually, with any variation in style/sound, there's a major risk of quality drop, but, since their variation isn't that wide, they have a consistent quality to them, while still getting the highs of having some different sounds that really elevate a couple of their songs. This is an album I think that would benefit from multiple listen throughs (or I just need people to stop bothering me while I'm at work so I can listen straight through from beginning to end). It's also a really deep album, meaning some of the last songs still have really great moments, making the whole album worth listening to. Favorite Song(s): Mirrorball, One Day Like This
18/1001 Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I know some will argue that either Leaders of the Free World or Cast of Thousands in particular is the best of theirs, but it's the one that launched them into being household names. So much interesting instrumentation and lyrics that turn the everyday into something quite profound. Yes, I've kinda had enough of One Day Like This, but still I love this album.
Peter Gabriel singing Coldplay.
I wanted to like this but it rubbed me the wrong way. I felt like it was derivative and contrived. Pretentious without being self-effacing, a sort of "know-it-all" attitude. There's a haziness over it all, and they HAD to throw in a *stompclap* song because it's the mid-aughts and that's what all indie rock was doing. Well executed, interesting and subtle production, but not very creative or novel.
Enjoyable album with fun instruments
Un poco largo pero guay
when iwake up ni the omronasdoidfnoifkla i thinkg about my babybybfysbdfyabsdpfbajksdbjgu
I thought this record had a good amount of diversity in its sound while still staying cohesive. Unfortunately I found a lot of the songs a bit uninteresting and slow. I was pretty done only halfway into the record honestly, and I sat through the rest, in case it started to click or I just found some songs that were more my style, but honestly I think it did more harm than good. I'm half giving this my first 1 in anticipation for it being very hard to find many 1's on a site dedicated to some of the most important records of our time. Additionally, they're clearly very competent musically, but then again, who isn't, if they're on here? Thus the other half of this 1 is just because of how I didn't really vibe with it at first, and listening further only reinforced those feelings as opposed to putting them into question. Even the couple songs I did kinda like, it was only kinda. Also, track 2 and track 11, inconsistent capitalisation in the song titles, very annoying. Starlings is a very weird intro for a rock album, at least by what I know about rock (not much tbf). Really quiet and low energy, until they blast your ears for a second and back to quiet. I found the song as a whole a bit boring. They do a few different things across the track, so credit where it's due, it's got depth, but none of it really hits for me. And I really don't like the ear-blasting. The Bones of You is a bit nicer to listen to. It also doesn't really hit for me overall unfortunately, but I see the vision a lot more here, and somewhat enjoyed some sections. Mirrorball isn't so bad. I could see myself listening to this more than the previous two tracks, though I think it takes a while to hit. So far I'm enjoying the diversity in sounds the record seems to have. I just don't like Grounds for Divorce. Maybe it was good at the time but to me it sounds like I've heard the same song 5000 times already by other artists. At An Audience With The Pope I'm starting to think this band's music just isn't for me. Some Riot was kinda nice. FAVOURITES - Mirrorball; Some Riot LEAST FAVOURITES - Grounds for Divorce; An Audience With The Pope; Weather to Fly
No song here is bad and the album is cohesive, it's also at an advantage because they are English and its rock (both things I like) but if I really think about it despite enjoying the album I'm almost certainly not coming back many songs if any. Gets a little bit boring as it goes on, nothing really super catchy or engaging to it. Starlings - enjoying this slow opening, the gentle piano, I thought it was going to become a huge orchestra but I kind of prefer that it didn't and just lets us sit with it. I like the build up and release, they really play with dynamics here. It's quite a simple track in many ways but quite stand out regardless. The Bones of You - wow, loving the vocals here (at least initially), I like the distorted sound going on and the guitar that comes in. I think my joy did decrease over time with this track - still good overall. Mirrorball - nice, simple drums, track is enjoyable enough Grounds for Divorce - I like the guitar on this, good percussion, and again like how he sounds. An Audience With The Pope - decent, got pretty boring for me overall though. Wheather to Fly - nicer than the previous, this album is pretty laid back, as in a pretty relaxing listen, this song included. The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver - like this quite a lot, I read up on the idea behind it and like the sentiment too, "tower crane driver is higher paid [...] but completely on his own". The Fix - pretty good. This album has kind of fell into a place of just being pretty good for me at this point. I've grown bored of it. Some Riot - sadder song, this was the first time I wasn't super sure about a song on this album, but I think it upholds the general standard. His higher vocal made me smile (didn't expect it). One Day Like This - this is more fun, good stuff, maybe a little long for me to be coming back to. Friend Of Ours - one of the sadder tracks, a satisfying enough end. Best - Starlings, Grounds For Divorce, The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver Worst - An Audience With The Pope, The Fix, Some Riot
Sounds like Peter Gabriel singing.
Mellow Every song kind of blends together. Good chill music. Not great pump you up music
I expected another forgettable indie 2000s album, but happy to be wrong. The vocalist is very captivating - it doesn’t hurt that he sounds a little like Peter Gabriel - and the music is slightly prog-y. Pleasantly surprised.
The Kinks.2 I thought for a while. Good album, very experimental. One Day Like This is really good. It gets a four because of that song.
really disappointing, knowing Grounds For Divorce I was expecting way more from this, undoubtably a great song writer but the album underwhelmed
Pretty good. I enjoyed the distinct dream-like sound and production. I also really enjoyed the melodies on tracks like "Grounds for Divorce" and "Friend of Ours". I did find that songs like "Weather to Fly" a little grating to listen to with the repetitive lines. Favourite Track(s): Grounds for Divorce, The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver Least Favourite Track(s): Weather to Fly
Favorite Track: Grounds for Divorce
Elbow has some good songs, but on the bulk they're usually pretty uninteresting. One of those The National type bands that people seem to love not their just SO boring. 2.5/5
interesting album. voice reminds me of DMB, but the music is more mellow. couple of baggers
I've known about Elbow for a long time but never really bothered to seek them out. It's a very good find. They sound like a cross between indie rock style of Radiohead and the smooth, lush arrangements of Zero 7. Honestly, the Radiohead connection felt so strong that I swore it must have been produced by Nigel Godrich (it wasn't). I can't quite describe that connection, maybe like the two bands were fellow travellers going down the same road. Regardless, there's plenty to like here but my highlights are "The Bones of You", "Weather to Fly", and "The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver".
A friend described this as a step below Coldplay, and I'm in line to agree.
384/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
Väldigt härligt sound överlag, kanske inte som sticker ut men mysigt! Velar lite med betyget, men känner mig snäll.
Var väl helt ok!
I can understand why this might be considered a good album, but I just don't like it. 2 stars or D+.
I liked their creative musical landscape! Dude sounds a bit like Peter Gabriel when he sings but it’s infinitely better than sounding like Billy Bragg / Robert Smith / etc like so many other British bandleaders do.
Good stuff, looking forward to looking into more of their catalogue.
Wasn’t a huge fan of this one
Like a better version of Coldplay. Still not that good, but it wasn’t horrible either. Started to kind of drag after a while. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
Kind of all over the map.
Majestic. Epic. Subtle.
boring
C'est drôle, du Elbow jouait au même moment. Les petits hasards de la vie.
Fiiiiiine, but boring. Had I been given a copy of this in 2003 by a time traveler, I might have been fully on board, but in 2025, I've moved on. 2.5
alt rock colin hay no THANK you
i knew grounds for divorce but none of the rest of the album. this was juuuuust on the side of enjoyable for me. 2.5
Starting to see this list has two pools of boring general-rock music: 60s prog and 00s indie
There’s that one song, and rest is quite dull
I don't like this dude he annoys me
I wasn't sure until I got to the bones of you, this is dope. The voice and general sounds is kind of dreamy, and calming. Lots of harmonic sounds in the songs. How appropriate that the last song is an actual lullaby.
Uncertain of what to expect of a band named "Elbow." I like indie rock though, so I am trying to be optimistic (The album is over an hour long though, so hopefully I enjoy it.) — To begin, the panning in "The Seldom Seen Kid" is infuriating and makes me feel physically uncomfortable. The horns comes in at inappropriate intervals. The songs themselves sound like David Gilmour's Pink Floyd. I am a Roger Waters fan :c The vocalist sounds like Gilmour too, except not the hot, sexy 70s Gilmour, but the old, raspy post-Floyd David Gilmour. A 𝗟𝗢𝗧 of people compared Elbow to Radiohead too—I can see that too. Not in a good way. I won't call the whole album ass, but it is very formulaic and repetitive. All alarms and no surprises.
One of my top albums although not quite my favourite Elbow record. TTOALOE achieves this mantle. First came to my attention when I saw them live. They opened for Coldplay at Bolton Wanderers Stadium and was really impressed with them. So tinkered around with their earlier albums and bought this one on day of release. Was singing the hook line “Throw those curtains wide” to One Day Like This ages before my workmates caught on so they were really impressed when that tune was everywhere. Have seen Elbow again live many times. If you’ve never caught them they are highly recommended. Guy Garvey is a lovely chap and that shines through in abundance live. As can be expected by his down to earth and relatable lyrics which this album exploits to the maximum. His Radio 6 slot on a Sunday afternoon is also a treasure chest of the best music around. I’ve followed dozens of bands and singers as a result of what he plays. One of the best albums of the 2000’s. 5/5 11/6/25
Fin, verka som ei gruppe som gidd med tanke på songlyrikk
This is just not for me. Singer feels like he's doing a bad DMB impression. And the musically it kinda feels like it was written with the purpose to sound track montages in movies.
Elbow is original band and i really like Guy Garvey’s voice which sound quite like Peter Gabriel. Seldom seen kid is seen as Elbow classic, but i think they’ve made better albums than this.
This was a pleasant surprise, I hadn’t heard this album before. It has layers, and the band truly has a sound of their own.
I'd heard much about the band, but never really listened to any. This sounds like so many other bands, while I don't know who was before and who later, I hear almost nothing unique (individual vocalists voices etc. obviously are). Radiohead-ish pop music, Coldplay feeling bits, Peter Gabriel vibes... Biggest thing are sound and styling, which reminds me of many other artists, but some of the interesting bits sound like The White Stripes on several occasions and across different instruments. There are other similarities I found noticeable which I can't pin point, so much so that I'm having trouble listening to the actual music over picking on the "samples" (as in "this sound is off that album, that tone is off this artist"). Music wise I found it boring, plain and not engaging at all.
Not a bad album overall. Could probably listen to a bit more, but would get bored fairly quickly. 3/5
I really enjoyed this album and look forward to popping it on again and also listening to some of their other stuff. Sounded like what would happen if Peter Gabriel, Radiohead and coldplay had a baby! Loved it
Elbow is pretty new to me, I think maybe one track was a little familiar. Right up my alley, I'll be listening to this one again!
Wasn't super into this one.
Dudes came over and played burnout Need to sleep more
Can only describe this sound as pretentious - must be the strings. There was some good bass guitar dirt at points though
Music for millenials. 4/5
The Seldom Seen Kid is actually what Len Houmous’ first 6 wives called him! 3.8 10/14 One Day Like This
Loved this. I knew one song but had never listened to the album before. Compare them with Radiohead and Coldplay. What’s wrong with that? Almost a five.
Fairly solid. A few songs I absolutely loved. But mostly good stuff that doesn’t tip over into greatness. 3.5/5
Very chill
Great album title! Great songs but...I don't like Guy Garvey's voice for a full album unfortunately...
Not too bad actually, liked it more than I expected. Is my life forever changed after listening? No but there are worse albums on here.
When Elbow became a musical phenomenon. Remember seeing the video for Grounds for Divorce and was blown away it became the ringtones ne on my phone when that was still a thing . One Day Like This 20 years later is one of the finest anthems written
I know what you're going to say: another lame britpop band. But I LOOOOVE IT. Heard for the first time maybe 15 years ago, exactly this album, and felt in love with all of it.
Nice. I heard this album years ago and forgot about it. Very original and melodic. Could use a few more actual choruses but the sound textures are pretty great.
It brushes up at times against a particular style of generic radio-friendly rock that I'm not a fan of. However, there is definitely a level of competence and authenticity that elevates it. Not bad at all.
I have never heard of them before. I liked the piano parts etc. I’m not sure I’d rate it among the best albums of all time, maybe I’d give it another listen though.
Absolute _stunner_ of an album, a perfect no skips album for me that offers up for every mood and desire. Sexy attitude; reflective; introspective; witty; beautiful, mournful; big & bold, soft & gentle. Instrumentally accomplished, alongside Guy Garvey's lovely lovely voice. Has everything I want lyrically too: some proper gut punch, clever, beautiful lines of poetry but in a way that doesn't make a big deal out of it. You could easily miss the lyrics for the music takes precedent in many cases. Had never paid much attention to Weather To Fly, Wowzers, what a beauty. Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver too. AND a lovely bit of Richard Hawley chucked in there, for good measure. Lit up with excitement seeing this one today. Haven’t listened to fully in over a decade and never really paid much attention to it beyond the big hitters. Quite annoyed I've wasted so many years of my life without this front and centre of my fave albums. The first review I've written which isn't just essentially 'yeah I like it' - or - 'not for me'. Which probably says something. And the first time I'm actually quite annoyed at the low user ratings, get to fuck if you think this is anything other than at least 'really quite good'. 5 big fat well-deserved stars for me.
Feels like a mix of Coldplay and Radiohead, with their own added flair. A bit reductive, but that's what it sounds like to me. Could have sworn I've heard Grounds for Divorce somewhere. Good song although very different from the rest of the tracklist. But ultimately, not really my thing. Maybe part of it is I'm not from the UK, so this band isn't an "essential" band in the US (although I think I've heard of them before), but yeah, not feeling this one. It's fine.
Songs range from vaguely sinister to end credits music. Ngl I dug it though.
Weird one for me. There's some nice moments across this record like the opener and The Fix, but overall lacks anything to make it memorable. The riff on Grounds for Divorce had me giggling once I thought about how it sounds like it should accompany someone saying "THE NEW TOYOTA TUNDRA" on an ad. Some other moments like Mirrorball were just screaming "wow this must've been profound in 2008, or at least it was trying to...". Weather to Fly just annoyed me, as did the sub bass on Loneliness of a Crane Driver which sounded like someone hasn't properly fastened their number plate down after install two Kicker 12" badboys in the back of the car. Overall, I can accept this album is well done, it just didn't leave me feeling anything. 5/10.
Wanky slop.
I initially wanted to make a joke about the 'seldom seen' part of this albums title to be quite apt but apparently there are over a million people who were miserable enough to tune into this sleeping aid of a band monthly? I can only assume this albums inclusion was once again born from the desire to shove as much British drollery onto a list already bursting at the seams with it. I'm not a huge radiohead fan but Elbows style is so derivative of the parts I dislike about Radiohead the most that I was really just wanting to go put something from In Rainbows on instead.
i really, really like this album. i've tried to listen to a few other elbow releases and they always just make me want to listen to this release instead. i could draw comparisons here and there, some of the cadences and especially the vocals are pretty clearly inspired by early radiohead but theres enough emotion, and the instrumental is so clearly different that i think it really is just inspiration without being derivative of radiohead's works. i cant really describe why i feel this way because i think that instrumentally they have very different sounds, but enjoying elbow came as an evolution of enjoying folk-punk artists like johnny hobo/pat the bunny and crywank when i was younger. i suppose its that very emotionally driven vocal sound, but i think the accompaniment is a lot more mature and the sweeping strings (i want to say cello but i dont know a lot about non-guitar string instruments) really, really add to it. i know this isnt prog rock, but to me the album certainly has that progressive feeling of building up to something and telling a story through the music. im not sure if it's meant to be a concept album like that, but it's just a feeling i got from it that added to how enjoyable this release was to listen to as a whole. highlights: the bones of you, mirrorball
Tell you what I was not optimistic listening to the first track, but despite this being basically opposite of my taste I didn’t hate it so props to Mr armpit for that.
Probably the most what the fuck nothing pick on this album for me so far. I've never heard anyone talk about it, not critics, not music fans, very little mainstream attention. A random '08 album. I hated this on first listen. So much so I couldn't finish it. I picked it up fron where I left off the next day. This is a certified I would have loved this in highschool. Sounds like 90% of indie art rock from the late 00s. I found his vocals campy and cringe. But then I kept listening and maybe it was that opening track starlings and that "darling is this love" that kept me restarting it but damn it, it works. Don't get me wrong there's some major stinkers on here. But it also keeps me coming back despite how many criticism I have. And im thankful its on the list. Will recommend to my brother 👍 7/10
This feels like coworker music, but one has to imagine what your coworker would be doing in a world where capitalism didn't prevail. Would your boring, abstemious colleague be sitting and staring at excel in a world with no profit motive or would he be hiking up and down the Andes till he dies? You have to think the same of this band. Would they be making boring ass music for record labels if there was no money behind it? The regular flourishes of brilliance in the instrumentals here lead me to believe that these guys would be better off composing and collaborating on soundtracks. Specifically the start of Mirrorball sounds like it should be the soundtrack for a movie that critics/studios would label as "cerebral". This is entirely subjective (it's a music review, go figure) but the vocals here just weigh this album down so heavily. It feels like it was added as an afterthought like "deary me, commercial music needs lyrics!". Most, if not all, songs on here would have better without vocals but here they are and they really don't let up. At times, listening to this album is like watching a movie with someone taller than you standing in front of you. Grounds for Divorce sounds like some proto-Imagine Dragons bullshit and its existence alone places a hard cap of 3/5 on a possible score for this album. You know what I mean too with the "oooh-ahh-oooh" backing vocals. One Day Like This feels like it was made for a corporate keynote presentation for a luxury SUV. Highlights: Mirrorball, The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver, Friend Of Ours
It's like if Sting were the lead singer of the Imagine Dragons. I mean that it a good way (as in, this is better than Imagine Dragons). It's a little operatic and over-produced, but I like it.
This has one of my favorite songs of all time on it: Audience with the Pope. Otherwise a solid album but not anyting super impressive.
Great
Not much fun. Felt a bit... 'done', and of its time.
Sad boy stuff
It sounds similar to Radiohead and Coldplay which it's not bad, but I don't care for it in the end. Its not the type of music I will replay often.
i braced myself to be vaguely irritated by this (an indie rock act from the mid 2000s i've never heard of???) but it was actually pretty fun. dragged a little in places but i enjoyed my time with (looks at smudged writing on palm) elbow?? are they really called elbow??
this was an interesting listen. i gotta agree with the other reviews here that this is basically just radiohead + coldplay, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. the music is pleasant and varied, the vocals are about what you'd expect, and the lyrics are interesting. this is a 3.5 from me but rounding up to 4 because these guys must have some real cojones to call their band something as stupid as "elbow" favorites: starlings, the bones of you, mirrorball, grounds for divorce, one day like this
The singer sounds like the love child of Peter Gabriel and Chris Martin that decided to make music that was ever so slightly cooler than both of his dads'. 4/5
solid indie album. sounds a lot like stuff i would have listened to at the time, but i was not familiar with this one. this was also an album that was recommended to me by a friend and i liked it! for me, it's not quite my thing, but i still enjoyed it a decent amount.
Like a 3.5
Again, never heard of this band before. Some interesting parts musically and lyrically.
pretty good! never heard of these guys but I would listen again
This did nothing for me. Boring!
The music just isn't my style. It sounded like a watered-down Peter Gabriel/Radiohead kind of thing. Sort of Coldplay-ish, I guess. Just glad to see something new on this list.
For people who think Coldplay is too hard
I like Elbow the most when they layer multiple melodies on top of each other and lean into the orchestration and over-the-topness. Unfortunately they only seem to do that once or twice per album.
I had not listened to this in over 10 years and I only vaguely remember that I enjoyed it. After relistening I see now that I really should have revisited it sooner.