Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Meh. Nothing bad. Nothing good. Just Meh. Overly mellow and completely uninspiring.
Mopey, mid-tier filler. Background music for folding laundry. Why is this on a list meant for timeless classics? Stop cramming in these bland, post-Britpop nobodies. This isn’t “must-hear before you die.” It’s “accidentally heard once and forgot while still alive.” Did an NME intern time travel to 2025 and upload their playlist by mistake?
What a vibe. Cool instrumentals with good vocal work. Feels competently made and just a good, chill listen. 'Here It Comes' was my fave.
Very atmospheric and textual and all that fancy stuff. An interesting listen if not the most memorable one.
There are too many obscure British bands on this list. Another album involving an old, or maybe "old" tape recording over the music...why is this a thing? These guys heard Radiohead and thought they could be a band too. The spooky vocals on the title track fits but the song still misses. The back half of the album is better. The Man Who Told Everything is good. Also liking The Cedar Room.
3/5 pretty gud
Meh
weird, not my cuppa
Makes an Okay backing track
Pretty good!
CHOCANTE E MARAVILHOSO, DELÍCIA DE ÁLBUM DELÍCIA DE INTRO
Sånn passe
so very very good.
it's a 4.5/4.75
Het zou misschien goede filmmuziek zijn, lekker rustig. Maar ik zou het niet snel opzetten om te luisteren.
Pretty alright. A little boring, but a vibe.
"mom I wanna go see Radiohead!" "No son, we have Radiohead at home" Very sad rock:((( Very rad sock
melancholic, popular music
I haven't listened to Doves much, and not at all in years. This is a really great album though.
Like Radiohead but shit
Another aggressively average, derivative and of-its-time entry from Tony Blair-era England. At this point, with only 30 albums left to go, I’m ready to declare this list, as a whole, a failure and it is entirely because of the abundance of albums like this one. The amount of great music that has been excluded, so that critical darlings of the British music press can get some shine, calls the veracity of this list into question time and time again. You’re probably like, “This guy thinks he knows better than Robert Dimery and the editors of this book”. As a matter of fact, I do *and* I’m gonna prove it right now with an album recommendation that doesn’t sound like anything else on this list, one that I’m certain hardly any of you have heard before: Macha’s “See it Another Way” from 1999. Some background (via Wikipedia - paraphrased): “Macha was an experimental post-rock band from Athens, Georgia composed of brothers Josh McKay(founder/singer/multi-instrumentalist), Mischo McKay (drums/percussion), Kai Reidl (multi-instrumentalist) and Wes Martin (multi-instrumentalist). Macha's music combined elements of post-punk, krautrock and especially Indonesian Gamelan. They incorporated a variety of instruments into their sets: Javanese zither, Balinesebamboo flute, hammered dulcimer, Hawaiian slide guitar, talempong nipple gongs and Nepalese shawms, vibraphone, and a 1970s-era thrift-store organ called the Fun Machine.” “See it Another Way” is their second album, released in 1999 by Jetset Records. It has never been on streaming services due to issues with ownership rights. This is truly an album that should be heard before you die and before it is lost to time. You can listen to it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/O9T5TKNA0bE?si=GpZ-UWrjdQBmdbhA It’ll blow your damn mind. Edit, Dec 2025: Macha’s “See it Another Way” is now available on streaming services, thanks to the fantastic folks at Numero Group - who also have a vinyl reissue campaign of Macha’s catalog scheduled for 2026. Here’s the Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/see-it-another-way/1853952086
Atmospheric with some interesting elements, but I don't know if I'll seek this one out again.
Fantastic, it's kinda like Radiohead meets massive attack meets Keane but it's all the best parts of them. Perfect music for this mornings traffic commute as was very calming and a easy to get lost in
My first exposure to Doves was 2 days ago, and here I get another of their albums! I keep thinking that I enjoyed “The Last Broadcast” more than this album, but then I hear another song that I’m into, and can’t decide. 4.5/5 really like this style, maybe I’m a more shallow listener than others here but I don’t care
Not really memorable
A great listen. It was a little hazy, I think the description from Wikipedia as "after-hours" is a great descriptor, but there were many moments that grabbed my attention in a way that I knew I wanted to revisit. The music is layered and feels lived in, with great dynamics.
was prob inevitable w/ this project that i would eventually hit something that i clearly like but am kinda not in the mood for? definitely very cozy music and the sound has lots of big ideas and little touches i like, but i was not super receptive to the songs themselves...tho in a way where i can tell its more of a problem w/ my spd and scatterbrained morning dragging me away from the music. honestly even under better circumstances this seems like something of a grower anyway, so a revisit would prob help regardless. not a band that i expected to pop up Twice on this list, but the strengths across both records ive heard seem v similar...comfy, emotive, maudlin, melty...and potentially slightly better production than the sophomore, tho id have to recheck both!
4/5
Catch the sun sounded familiar but the remainder was forgettable
This is a good rock album. I’d say it’s a funny choice for an ‘essential albums’ list, but removed from that context, it’s a solid album. Nothing revolutionary, but plenty of strong performances.
Really enjoyed this one right from the start. That first song almost feels a bit like a modern day "Doors" track; it's so moody, vibey, cool, and contemplative. The whole time I was listening I was thinking "I'd love to be in a band like this.". "Here It Comes" feels like a throwback even to a pretty niche album that I absolutely love- Chris Cornell's solo record Euphoria Morning. The whole album is both eclectic and cohesive. I'm really impressed by how these songs sound different and fresh compared to eachother, but they still exist really well together in this whole singular listening experience. It's funny that while I was listening I was really enjoying the record but I do question it's place on this list- unless I'm missing some element like they are historically influential or something. Still, to me this was something I was really into.
Super pleasant
It was alright, but nothing memorable.
I gotta be honest, this one just blew right by me. Usually, even if I'm listening while I work, *something* is going to stick, good or bad, but that didn't happen here. As wallpaper music, it's fine, I guess? But as an album to listen to before you die, it's nothing.
yo diria que es una especie de pop rock bien ambiental , es una escucha amena, de lo que entiendo debeio ser muy adelantado para los 2000, tambien me gusto la voz jugaba con todos eso arreglos en la voz no salte ninguna cancion pero no se si marqué
What is this drone? Why is this good? How did this get on the list?
I really like Doves a lot, but they’re one of those bands whose appeal is more in the emotional realm. In a strictly technical sense, their music is pretty middle of the road. But, particularly in a solitary moment, on headphones, they can really hit deep. So this is more of a 4 for me on a personal level, but I try to be measured and analytical in my scores, so. Sorry guys lol.
Like the melancholic vibe, overall 2.5 stars overall. Enjoyed it but bit of a slog to get through a full album.
This was a pretty decent album with some likeable darker tones which stood out in specific songs. It did just enough to put itself into the realm of a 3-star.
Solid album. Quite a slower/mid tempo throughout. The album gives off more of a moody/dark vibe however there's somehow also a mix of uplifting melodies.
"the first great album to come from Manchester since Definitely Maybe...". Nonsense. The Verve is just one example and their 1997 album is miles ahead of this. It's Radiohead if they were from Manchester and shite. This doesn't belong on this list. 2/5.
Indierock, ikke rigtig noget at råbe hurra for
Pretty and sad. is bringing me down though. The first few songs in particular were excruciating too.
It's nice but not quite a 4 for me
Started off intriguing but became less unique sounding
Bare en ting og si: Fantastisk, dronete, poppete, harmonisk, velprodusert post grunge rock.
Koselig bakgrunnsmusikk
Dette er mye bedre enn jeg husker.
"Det er jo fint".
Tein sen virheen, että luin Wikipediasta, että tätä on verrattu Oasiksen debyyttiin… siinä missä Oasis lyö aina väistämättä vähän naamalle, tässä ei ollut sitä iskua. Ihan kiva maailma, mut ei mitään koukuttavaa. Vaatis muutan kuuntelukerran varmaan, mutta kiinnostaako se.
Keskitempoisuus elämäntapana
Лирично прикольно
An okay indie pop/shoegazing album from the turn of the century. The first half was more exciting, ambiguous space rock, the second half (especially songs like Catch the sun) more alternative rock. The songwriting is fine but not stellar. It was an enjoyable listen, though I think the right setting is necessary to enjoy it more.
I guess someone left this at my old job and I listened to it a few times? I guess? But not really clicking for me.
top songs: the cedar room, catch the sun, melody calls, the man who told everything, firesuite, lost souls, the kind of music you want to drown in
If you like anthems, this baby is for you. I happen to really like anthems, so I was all about Lost Souls. A little bit Oasis, a little bit early Arcade Fire, a little bit ready to listen to this one again in the future.
Very proggy/
Half of the album is really cool, quite atmospheric and almost ambient with really interesting textures. The other half veers more into Incubus meets Radiohead territory, not bad but not so compelling. Enjoyable listen but won't be rushing back to it.
Britpop that tries to be trippy/psychedelic at times and leans more towards rock at other times. Inoffensive but a bit bland. Here It Comes was a nice start following Firesuite, Catch the sun was good but too repetitive, and The Man Who Told Everything is both a slower song and probably my favorite.
Amazing album. It is a dreary day record or one listened to on a long drive alone. This record was on heavy rotation when I first heard it. They managed to do what Coldplay attempted by trying to be the mash up of Oasis and Radiohead. I love this album and their follow up The Last Broadcast, which I might like more.
I think I came pretty close to liking this one. There were moments when things would get interesting but then the vocals would start or it would shift and it would lose me again. There just might be something here though and it could be one of those albums that takes some time to really gel so I may listen again and see if it connects any better.
At last, the cure for insomnia! Ten minutes of this and you’ll never wake up again. Music for sad dads to passionately tap their Crocs to on their drive to Home Bargains. Nothing wrong with it musically, but you could shove a load of meat into one ear and a few scoops of mashed potato into the other for a similar effect.
This just didn't do anything for me. Seemed safe and cliche. No song stood out. 2 stars.
Very dreamy sounding. Midway through, I wasn't sure if this was going to be an electronica record, Britpop record, or an indie rock record. Suffice to say that this is a pretty experimental record that has its moments. Favorite tracks: Sea Song, Catch The Sun
New band I like!
Songs: Firesuite
A pretty good album, I liked Fire suit, Sea Song and Lost Souls the most.
I was quite taken by this band. It is an odd thing to "know" music and be a fan for a long time and not know about a band that suits your style but this is not the first time this has happened. It could be to do with the (really surprising and eye opening) fact that American radio is super limited in scope of who they actually give air time to and a lot of Euro bands just are not on that list. While that sucks, at least now I have access and the album generator came through quite nicely here! I love this album actually and will listen to a lot more of their stuff moving forward. (New wave, progressive rock, sort of poppy feel stuff in case one wonders.)
This is either a hungover or post club album, listening to it any other time just doesn’t feel right
4.3 That's a cracking debut album. How are these guys are not thought as highly as other 2000s British rock acts (Coldplay etc.) is beyond me. Well, one slight reason is that future albums didn't hit as good as this, but this album is phenomenal for sure. Definitely will have this on rotation.
This was the perfect album to listen to while zoning out on the bus. If you need to just sit in your feelings, this is the album for you!
This is like if Radiohead made longer, less interesting albums.
Typical brit-pop band leaning toward the indie-rock side of things. Firesuite starts the album off in an atmospheric style with burbling synth and measured but BIG drums...It is an atmospheric record with songs blending into the next, sometimes feeling more style than substance. Then they hit you with The Cedar Room and after that atmospheric opening things get big and bold as the drums kick in along with some beautiful guitar figures and plaintive vocals and you just feel the build to crunching power chords that pin you back in you seat. It's a powerful moment that had it not come the album would have come and gone quite pleasantly but without anything memorable to latch not to and bring you back. While The Cedar room is the obvious high point I don't want to leave the impression that its the only hi-light...Sea Song is a beautiful acoustic guitar and piano driven song that has a lovely melody and does get the toe tapping. Rise has an intensity that hints at what's to come. Overall a fine debut from a band that had a very consistent, if somewhat under appreciated career. 3.5 stars (note I would probably give the follow up album The Last Broadcast 4 stars. On the album they toned down the atmospherics and allowed the songs and melodies to stand on their own to great effect)
Found this just to be boring. Nothing really stood out as the album droned on in the background of my morning. Can’t believe this was a highly rated album.
I never really got that into Doves, but really like a few of their songs. I think this album is fine, but a little too long and not that original. I never really thought this about them before, but I guess they are a bit derivative of Oasis. A lot of the songs are much longer than they need to be. I get that they're going for a late night/druggy comedown, but think it's a bit overdone.
Some bands hit you between the eyes, some bands steal up to you and whisper in your ear. Doves are the latter, and though it's only four stars that's to reflect that even greater glories were to come. Cedar Room is six stars on its own.
2 Doves albums is too many. But let's move on. This one contains Sea Song, which is lovely and yearning. I had forgotten Here It Comes and The Cedar Room which are also enjoyable. I just wish the rest of the hour was that good. When Catch the Sun came on I thought I'd accidentally started playing the Foo Fighters, that was properly bland. Much as I said about the Last Broadcast, nothing here I would switch off, but also not much I would especially reach for either.
Esta dpm de moment. "escoltant cançó 1 mentres estudio politica migratoria i proclastino amb el disc 🙂🙂"
No
A very bland record, felt like everything melted together
Nice background music.
Weird, spacey, slow and boring.
Inoffensive and forgettable.
Something special about this one.
This is a good album, but it would perhaps punch harder if it was trimmed down a fair bit. Favorite track: "The Cedar Room"
Atmospheric britpop. Does not sound bad but it's just too plain, predictable and inoffensive.
Never heard of this band, pretty decent
Loved this album!
A great selection of dark, luscious tracks that are so densely packed with layers. Just really good indie music throughout - nothing too much to it in the most simplified terms. Could have done with cutting some of the fat from the run time. Best Tracks: - Firesuite - Sea Song - The Cedar Room Worst Tracks: - Melody Calls Rating: 8/10
Nice
Decent listen.
des solo acoustique de folie, j'avais l'impression que mon père me chantais des chansons comme quand j'etais petit
I really like one of the guys’ tone (from the second half). The repeated melody of catch the sun is exactly the same as one line of an old (released in 1994 but still quite popular now) Chinese/cantonese song, which put me off a bit. But I still liked the song and I also liked the man who told everything. In general this album matched our mood very well as our bus drove through the mountains under the rain!
i am still catching up a bit, and this album i listened to in chunks. the first few songs lost me, but the second half really brought me back. I wouldn't be mad listening to this album again, and with better intent. all in all, a fine album with enough variety to keep me interested.
A pretty chill and melancholy vibe, which really matched the mood as our bus drove through the rainy mountains of Sanqing. Still, nothing really stuck out to me.
I’m always excited for a modern band that I haven’t really heard of before but this was honestly just kind of boring to me. Nothing really stood out. Not bad but meh.
This album really benefitted from being able to hang out on the porch watching the rain and having this play in the background. Really laid-back sound and great for some afternoon background music while disassociating after teaching and sitting in meetings. I didn't enjoy this release as much as The Last Broadcast, but it was a decent listen. Middle of the road three on this one.
Generally a pleasant listen but nothing really stuck out. I kinda already forgot what I listened to.
I had never heard of this band, which is not surprising with this heavily British leaning list. Within the first couple tracks I thought to myself, "this had to have been a Mercury Prize nominee," and sure enough... It's wild how often that happens, usually knowing that something was a Mercury Prize shortlist nominee portends a rough listen, but this was totally fine. Seems like it's a vibe for sure, and it probably functions well as background music. Nothing incredible by any means, but pretty solid.
Decent album but not memorable.
Nothing wrong here but it really didn't do anything for me. It's just early 2000s pop like rocky thing. It's just not very compelling. It's not bad but it's nothing.
First album for these guys as Doves although they’d released some earlier stuff under a different name. Soaring arrangements and soulful vocals. Excellent as is the second album.
I forgot this album even while I was listening to it.
2/5. This might be a good drums and bass band but it kind of feels like someone took already established instrumental songs and added lyrics to them. I can't remember what the songs were even about just that they had a good beat. Then all of a sudden in the second half, they are making regular pop-rock songs. Some of them stand out but overall, not anything crazy there either. I wouldn't say this was terrible but it's not down my alley. Not a 1 because the instrumentals were good and one or two songs were actually kind of good. But this is background music at best. Best Song: The Cedar Room, Firesuite, Melody Calls
This was right up my alley!
Enjoyable background music
This was alright, never heard them before, gppd background music
It's a bold move to open with an instrumental (Firesuite), but it sets the scene perfectly for these happy-go-lucky knockabout japesters to give us this sumptuous slice of indie rock as their debut effort. There's much to like here: Here it Comes, Sea Song, Catch the Sun (not the darts tune, that's Chase the Sun) in particular, but there is very little in the way of filler, it all adds to the story. Well worth a listen, maybe several.
3.5
An album with some genuinely incredible production that's occasionally bogged down by a fusion of two vocal styles that I really don't care for. Not every song falls under these (The songs 'The Man Who Told Everything', 'A House', and 'The Cedar Room' had genuinely solid lead vocal melodies and were maybe the best songs here). But many other songs have these very flat, reverb-drenched wailing vocals that make them a slog to get through when they go on for too long. Mainly the songs in the middle, like 'Rise', 'Lost Souls', and 'Melody Calls' I had issues with. Let's talk more about what I liked here, though. I mean, in essence, I'm getting a well-executed fusion of trip-hop, dream-pop, and shoegaze. And it works marvelously when these strings swoop in like on the opener 'Firesuite', an instrumental cut, or the climax of the aforementioned 'The Man Who Told Everything'. I loved that subtly twangy guitar tone on the 'The Cedar Room', peak distorted, fuzzy dream-pop shit. And despite this song's very forward Britpop identity, a genre and sound I don't really care for, it was maybe my favorite song here. And despite its 7-minute run time, I think the track manages to make most, if not all, of those minutes interesting, enjoyable, and vital to the song's structure. The arpeggiated groove with those piano embellishments on 'Sea Song' was another one of those utterly gorgeous moments. I also really liked the baroque-fused instrumental interlude 'Reprise', a song that brings back those pianos and strings that I loved so much on some of the other songs. I'm leaning towards loving this album - the entire thing just sounds so cozy and exquisite. The vocal moments that I didn't like as much don't outweigh all the other larger-than-life-sounding moments on this album. This was life-affirming shit at its best, but sleep-inducing at its worst.
doves' debut album, this album starts and immediately i am transported to another planet. it's a peculiar phenomena, but i find myself hypnotized by almost that lull you into a dreamy space... you're alone in the cosmos, but it's a good feeling, being by yourself and floating for hours. echoes of tracks about heartbreak, ambition, and a deep exploration of sound itself. it's the kind of album that makes your mind explode. how can humanity create such sounds, i'll never know.
It's ok
Wikipedia calls this the best debut album since Definitely Maybe but I swear I've never heard of this band. At the same time some of the songs here felt quite familiar, I'm not sure if I'd heard them somewhere before or they just remind me of other songs from the era. It's a deeply inoffensive and uninspired album, can I listen to Oasis instead? 2/5
I have never heard of this band before. I kind of see why (though not in a bad way). This is pretty average music in my opinion. Nothing terrible, nothing amazing. 5/10 (2.5/5)
This album feels like sitting around outside at night while your conversations get sleepier and quieter as the night goes on. The opening duo of Firesuite and Here It Comes are awesome, and there are some other cool songs like Sea Song. The end of the album from The Cedar Room on were pretty boring to me, this album could have been 15 mins shorter. Overall, good album.
First listen to a nice album.
Si ascolta
There is some interesting stuff here. But I don't think they need two albums on this list
Meh, felt like the album never went anywhere. Simple and pleasant, but not really seeing the importance. Could have been like 20 minutes shorter.
This album is fine. Not bad at all, but bookstore background Brit pop from the turn of the century. I wasn’t missing anything before finding this album on this list (for some reason).
I've never consciously heard this band before. Completely against my expectations I found myself enjoying this. 4/5.
Kind of good, but not super memorable
I definitely saw some inspiration and similarities between this and a lot of other well known albums and artists. Call me crazy but I even heard some similarity with Coldplay. There were definitely interesting aspects but ai also think I was expecting more. I do like this but something felt missing.
Back in early 2002 I participated in a "CD exchange" with R where he gave me 10 albums I didn't know and I reciprocated. (digression: funny that here in 2025 CDs actually seem (are) far more antiquated than vinyl) This album was one of the 10 - which i loved - I hadn't listened to it in at least a decade which now immediately sends me back in time and suddenly here I am with a whole heap of nostalgia. Great stuff - overall it gives the feel of the aftermath of a long, exhausting, and fun night and now you're just sitting amongst the detritus that you'll have to clean up but it can wait 'til morning... I put "Catch The Sun" on countless mix-CDs (there they are again) in the years following this - an obviously-catchy song that is also so weirdly out of place here - the outlier for the near-tranquility of the rest of the album. If there's any criticism it's that it can all feel a little singular by the end; meaning that for the most part I tend to link these songs together - i.e. they become a bit indistinguishable from each other. Which might actually be a feature. This is a good example of the album-as-a-whole (despite "Catch The Sun") working as a mood piece. 8/10 4 stars.
I’m not sure if it’s that there is something very fundamental in the songwriting, or that these tracks have pervaded the collective unconscious for a quarter of a century, but some these songs feel like they must’ve always existed.
Lost Souls was such a great album because it was just so relaxing. This is genuinely the perfect album to listen to after you had a long day because it just has everything that makes an album relaxing. It has a slow pace with some beautiful melodies with just the right style of guitar playing to help give this album it's feel. I got this album during the specific scenario i mentioned that would be perfect to listen to it so it got to a point as to where i wasn't bothered by the repetition and length of the songs all that much. Some of the songs are a little weird due to a somewhat unorthodox vocal style but it was never enough to make me not enjoy this album. This album may hit hardest during a specific scenario but when it does hit, it hits hard. Best Song: The Man Who Told Everything Worst Song: Lost Souls
What is this Coldplay light? I’m falling asleep listening to this.
Catchy
Excellent album, had my attention the entire time. Had never even heard of these guys but looking forward to exploring more
My soul got lost trying to listen to all of this. Boringgggggg
Rise and The Cedar Room are unexpectedly great.
This was an enjoyable listen, but definitely too long and a bit too dreary at times. Catch The Sun is the bright highlight on this album.
It’s fine. Very mid.
This was okay. Not great, but fine. It had a dreamy quality to it occasionally that reminded me of Portishead.
7/10. It's a pleasant listen, but it's not very memorable.
The day I bought this was a real Dry The Rain (High Fidelity) moment. Our Price, Brixton, April 2000. Four of us at the counter, all asking what was playing. Cash for Happiness.
I really enjoyed this album, thought it was so beautiful! Reminded me a bit of Red House Painters if that makes sense :)
Favorite songs: The Cedar Room, Rise, Catch the Sun, The Man Who Told Everything, Break Me Gently, Firesuite Least favorite songs: Melody Calls 3/5
4.3 - Would this be described as post brit pop? Anyway, really enjoyed the sound of this and my 18 year old sad self would have loved this
Another Doves album, how ridiculous. And yet, once again this album is really quite great. My opinion is similar to their other album - its not really necessary for this list, but its still a very solid album. Fave Tracks: Rise, Catch the Sun, The Cedar Room 4/5
Exceptionally mediocre uninspired pop rock. I did like the instrumental "Firesuite" but otherwise was unsure why this is on here.
This album is a really cool listen, though I also had trouble listening to it actively. Taking it in a bit more passively, though, I found it really cool. The music is great. It all fits together, but with plenty of variation so it never gets boring. Lots of big, sprawling instrumentation that the vocals sit on top of 4/5
I liked a few tracks but it didn't stand out as anything that's necessary listening. Didn't need to be an hour long
Not good and not bad. Maybe like this hungover stadium that everyone was referring too while listening to this?
Never heard of them before, but I liked it enough to play it back-to-back three or four times in a row. I’ll be happy to circle back and explore them more for sure.
This is fine, but it’s very bland, and absolutely nothing stands out. Also, does it need to be 59 minutes? They don’t say anything in the extra 15 minutes that they couldn’t have said in a standard 45.
Started off like a Radiohead album but kinda ended up like Coldplay. Rounding this up to a 4 as the other Doves album had me feeling this same kinda half an half enthusiasm/disinterest.
I really like The Doves. 2005's Some Cities is one of my favorite albums. But I do recognize that they are kind of like Radiohead-lite. To me, Lost Souls isn't nearly as fun or enjoyable as its successor, but it's a more diverse and interesting album in my opinion. Where Some Cities is your standard pop rock joint, this album is moody and atmospheric. The only song I didn't care for was "Catch the Sun." I don't know if it was the repetitive guitar and vocals (there's lots of repetition on this album, so I don't think it's that) or just the cheesiness of it, but it did not fit the vibe compared to everything else. Other than that hiccup, which nearly every great album has, it was solid from start to finish. Now if you're reading this, go check out Some Cities next. It's a little more upbeat but still decisively The Doves.
This is such a "the brits are at it again" pick. It's fine.
Some high points that preview some of the high points of later albums, but also a lot here that feels a little underdeveloped and plodding.
2,5
It's good, has Nirvana vibes, but I'm not in love with the noise aspect of it.
A friend turned me on to Doves like a year ago. Great album, experimental without being indulgent, big full sound, I dig it. Also listen to The Last Broadcast if you liked this
I liked it, but it was pretty forgettable.
Wannabe Radiohead, without the results.
Perfectly fine music
I really wanted to like this album a lot since I love the Doves, but I can't bring myself to do so. I've listened to this album before and then and now, nothing has stood out. It has elements of the classic 2000s Brit indie sounds that I love and cherish, but nothing cohesive enough to make me love it. Also, some of the songs are just way too long for what they are. Nonetheless, the good parts are still solid enough to warrant an average rating.
Who album felt like background music, but like sad background music. Not sure when you would ever want to listen to this. Didn't like that the lyrics were relegated to the back of the mix so you don't really hear them.
01) Firesuite - 8,5 02) Here It Comes - 8,0 03) Break Me Gently - 7,5 04) Sea Song - 8,0 05) Rise - 7,5 06) Lost Souls - 7,5 07) Melody Calls - 8,0 08) Catch the Sun - 8,0 09) The Man Who Told Everything - 7,5 10) The Cedar Room - 8,5 11) Reprise - 8,0 12) A House - 8,0 TOTAL: 7,92 (79/100) Current ranking: 163/466
Fint nok album. Det fangede mig ikke helt. Mit umiddelbare gæt er at det er en form for rock.
в тегах альбома вижу "coldplay" - ну уж так совсем не клеймите продукт.....
Hooked from the get go. Love this one.
Remembered these guys a bit more fondly than I maybe should have. A sort of proto-version of the indie rock of my youth, stuff I found really compelling at the time but find kind of bland now. Maybe over simplifying, but this album made me think of Spoon, but not as good.
2 out of 5.
Ended up really liking this one!
Nice little discovery through this list. Great music
This was decent.
Pretty good stuff! Earmarking for another listen later.
Good album. Really liked melodies. Will listen more
Sorry, Doves, but this hits me like untoasted white bread. Bland.
bedächtig
Неплохо, начало понравилось, мелодично, чарующе.
This is more of a 2.5 but rounding up because I would be delighted if this was playing in a coffee shop or between sets at a concert.
Dropped off in the middle for me but overall I’m here for it because of the little bits and pieces of beautiful instrumentation - “layered and hidden at the same time” is what kept going through my head as I listened Also big Oasis vibes on “Melody Calls” and generally a lot of late-stage Beatles influences And last but not least I really enjoyed feeling like I was back at NYU in 2006 walking to and from class listening to “Catch the Sun” (Why am I giving Doves so much attention when this is like a 3.5 for me?)
“Lost Souls is considered by many to be the best debut album since Oasis' Definitely Maybe” Who is this “many” Like the most boring Coldplay imaginable. Back third of the album is slightly better but not by much.
Its like an experimental psychedelic alt rock album. But at the end of the day it feels more like background noise to me than a set of songs.
The UK bias rears its ugly head again! It’s not that this is horrid, but I didn’t need to hear it and I won’t listen to it again. Most tracks have some good stuff going on, but then go on for another two unnecessary minutes. I’m tired now and I’m supposed to go to the gym later. I might have to save the rest for later, but this isn’t getting better than a 2 anyway.
То ли я не был под нужным вайбом, то ли альбом не достаточно вайбовый. После альбома мне подкинули трек от depish mode и он делал тоже самое, но просто лучше. Сойдет кароче
norm
Dug this. Cool vibe it curated
3,5
Such an amazing album, will definitely be listening to more of doves from now on!
This is fine. It's not really distinguished, but I recognise one track (I wasn't watching, so I don't know which one), and it's - yeah, it's fine.
Don't know anything about this band. To paraphrase another review, "Of all the albums ever made, this is certainly one of them." Some of these songs are enjoyable listening, but then get a bit boring. Perhaps if I were young and stoned and collapsed in a couch after a crazy evening...the only song I clicked "like" on Spotify was CATCH THE SUN, but that went on about a minute longer that necessary. Never made it to the end of the album. I find this to be neither good nor bad; a pure ⭐⭐⭐ album. ________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 68 🎧 LPs left to review: 933 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 15 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 18 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2): 18
Moody Rain
Enjoyable but didn't rock my world
Bland, generic early-2000’s British “indie” “rock” of absolutely no import or significance. This list is a joke.
Somewhat of a mixed bag, but I do like the dreamy, atmospheric sound. Somewhere in between indie and shoegaze. Favorite tracks are the quite lovely Sea Song and The Cedar Room with its deep bass. There's other good stuff here and maybe with a little editing this would be even better. Still a win.
Very Coldplay
indie rock deftones
not unpleasant i was just bored
Good memories of working in our price back in the day - love this album as it was a constant rotation on the shop cd player
Much better than Last Broadcast. Catch The Sun is an instant classic, but Rise is the standout on this for me and probably still my favourite Doves song.
Nothing really stood out on this record. 2/5
Dette var veldig chill! Synes det starta litt svakt og kjedelig, men det plukka seg fort opp med mye bra variasjon og deilige rytmer. Ganske mye repetitivt og "groovy", som ofte blir litt kjedelig for meg, men endte opp med å digge det meste ganske mye. Beste sanger: Melody Calls, The Cedar Room.
I really enjoyed this. They have a good diversity of sound, sometimes like Oasis and sometimes not.
Four stars. Bangers for the vibe in the beginning, wanted something heavier at the end (not on band on me tbh)
Nice and interesting production. Maybe I like the somber atmosphere. And electronic music elements are always welcome in these kind of albums.
Wow, this beautiful album gets a lot of hate. It's sad and mournful at times. I find it hard to fault and give me emotional shivers. Strong 4.
This what I imagine indie sounds like to the average person. They don't like it and honestly, I don't blame them.
Vibey chill album, mostly instrumental. Hints of radiohead. Stand-out: Break Me Gently
Have you ever heard an album from a band who is very clearly composed of talented and capable musicians, who are also not very capable songwriters? I know I have. And if I were keeping a list, I think this would end up on it. I have much more positive things to say about the post-britpop era of music over its similarity titled predecessor. Because it maintains the good stuff and moves away from the annoying stuff at the same time. Although the only album in the genre I consistently listen to is The Bends. But that is likely more so because it’s a Radiohead album and not because of its sound. From the instrumental side of things, this album is pretty great. It has this very gloomy feel to it. And I personally love how the guitar sounds. There is also quite a bit of layering going on here, with lots of small details in the background which enhance certain textural elements. This almost feels like a precursor to a lot of the post-punk revival stuff that would come later in the decade. All of this is cool of course, and these guys display a lot of talent. But often these songs lack direction. It reminds me of Arcade Fire in a way. The instrumentals unfortunately tend to meander around the same ideas. It sucks because for as cool as this sounds, the execution of it just isn’t totally there. Best example I can give is the ending to The Man Who Told Everything, which goes on far longer than it needs to. I do actually think I could recommend this to someone. Because there are some quality cuts which don’t suffer from the same shortcomings as drastically. Rating: 6/10
Can't say I've ever knowingly listened to Doves, so Lost Souls was new to me, and it's decent. Dunno why I'd thought it was a more recent record than TWENTY FUCKING FIVE YEARS AGO but it makes sense because this really does sound like a lot of indie music from around that time, you can hear influences from everyone from Radiohead to Travis to Muse and probably 20 or so others, those just leapt out to me without thinking. Some of it I like, some of it is pretty dull, The Man Who Told Everything might be my favourite track, a solid 3/5 overall though. Might've gotten to a 4 if it didn't go 20 minutes too long, but since I'm not given to a lot of indie stuff, I was quite happy with what this turned out to be.
I think I marginally preferred The Last Broadcast to this, but it's still pretty good. It's a little bit longwinded, feels a bit overproduced for an indie album, particularly a debut (I guess that comes from their roots in dance music), but it's still really listenable. It's an interesting sound, bit of early Coldplay to it, a bit of Radiohead, but it really captures a mood. A solid 3/5, knocking on the door of the 4 but not being let in.
Bloody great
Definitely a notch above the 'landfill indie' which plagued the era, but still very much Coldplay-lite for me. Nothing bad but also nothing leaping out at me.
I listen to this album a lot, I just love it.
I like Doves and this is a decent album. But not sure it should be on this list. It's not even Doves' best album.
A fine album....Lovely stuff, remained a follower of Doves over the years, excellent written lyrics complimented with fine musical arrangements. I do love dropping in the great stat that the band in a previous musical lifetime were a rather good electronic group named Sub Sub which has obviously armed them with fantastic experience, knowledge and a skillset to produce fine material. The Cedar Room is my favourite Doves track....7.37 minutes of magic with the band at their very best.
Ah yes the Doves, the band my partner loves, I have grown to like them over time So this album I would think is alright, fine Nothing exquisite or amazing or cool Please don't take me as a fool It is just simply being me That gives it a 3
beh
Boring.
This was a moody modern piece. I think the only track that really grabbed me was A House. Sort of a miss-able one for me but by no means bad.
Great
OK, OK, OK, I'll be fair here: it's not actually as bad as I thought it would be. Like, I'unno. I'd seen that one of the genre labels it'd been given on Wikipedia was "shoegaze," and between that and the fact that this thing is nearly an hour long... I was expecting a slog, quite frankly. Now, first of all, don't ask me what my problem with shoegaze even is, exactly. Taking a second to think about it, I... Well, I'm really not entirely sure. I suppose it's just an impression I have of its fanbase, where it's mostly hipsters who're really obnoxious about how their taste in music is better than mine. Even then, though, I can't tell you where I got that from. You can only imagine how happy I was, then, that this album didn't turn out to actually be as shoegaze as I thought. (Not that I could easily point it out without being told "that's what it is," but still.) However, that only means that I've gone from my pre-conception of "UURRRRGH, this is gonna be a SLOG" to my current opinion of "urrrggghhh, it's fine, I guess — whatever." I just... Really found it hard to care too much about this album. Sure, I'll grant it, it's got quite a few more melodies I like than I would've otherwise assumed, but... I'unno. It's just got this air about it that it's... Honestly, that it's low-rent Coldplay. And to be clear on two fronts, I actually really love Coldplay, and I don't actually mind it too much when a band's sound is another band's. To the former, well, I own copies of VIVA LA VIDA, A HEAD FULL OF DREAMS and MUSIC OF THE SPHERES — and if owning those last two isn't sign enough of me being a Coldplay fan... As for the latter, well, I'unno. If I like a sound, why would I necessarily complain about hearing more of it? That's why I was never too down on Greta Van Fleet, for instance — well, until I actually heard their music, but I was never gonna get on 'em for "sounding like Led Zeppelin." Here, though... I don't know. It could be that there's this part of my brain that wants to hold onto my knee-jerk negative preconception, so that there was ultimately nothing this band could do to win me over. That can be a bad habit I have sometimes with all forms of media, I'll admit. Just as well, however, honestly, I just... Didn't find this terribly exciting enough to truly wanna give it the benefit. Note that I did say this was "**low-rent** Coldplay" — "low-rent," specifically. The kind of rare soundalike where I just hafta wonder why I'm not just listening to the original. Y'know, ultimately, I just don't think they did the sound well enough. And as for the parts that don't fall under that "low-rent Coldplay" generalization, well, I'm not too wild about those parts, either. At best, I think they're alright, but nothing more than alright. So... I'unno. Give this thing a down the middle "it's fine" 3? Which, believe me, is still a step up from the 2 I was thinking I was gonna slap this thing with. I'm just left figuring, if I had gone in with a more open mind; if I had focused on any of the genre labels besides "shoegaze," I might have been more willing to go higher. Like, maybe the problem, ultimately, was just me preemptively deciding based on next to nothing that I wasn't gonna give it a chance. But, I'unno. This is just what I got out of this listen, and I don't wanna be anything but honest. Maybe a second listen would go over better — who knows?
I can definitely see why some people call this a stellar debut album. Solid 5 Stars.
I’m at a 5. Going into this one & seeing the line about “the best debut album since Oasis” on Wikipedia set the bar rather high. I’m not quite sure if they matched that bar, since I’ve never heard Oasis’ debut album, but they’ve created something here that I think justifies that statement, even if it’s tonally far different than what I was expecting. I really cannot remember the last time an album won me over this much on account of just vibes & soundscapes – the vocals do a great job of gliding on the instrumentals & pulling out some of the emotion, but the buildup on each track, and the cinematic feel of the whole thing, opening up the mind to imagery beyond just the lyricism, is what’s making this album really work for me. Every single track here captures a mood, whether it’s melancholy, loneliness, hope, or anxiety, and the production does a great job of making each track feel unique, despite how much of a similar ground most of them tend to cover. I can understand the idea of this album just being “ambient moody soundscapes” for one person’s ear, and if the cinematic buildup style they tried to capture doesn’t work for you, this album’s going to bounce off of you. I think that’s kind of a disservice, though – maybe it’s just because I listened to this with a full attentive mind & headphones in, but I found myself really captivated & enraptured by the world each soundscape brought me into. It’s not a direct 1:1 comparison, but my closest analog is “The Downward Spiral” in terms of effectively using sound design to convey a story – Trent Reznor does it better, don’t get me wrong, but this felt kind of similar to me. It doesn’t always work – I think a few tracks sort of settled when they could’ve gone into a higher gear, I think a few of the lyrics fall flat on some tracks and leave more questions than answers, and occasionally, the instrumentals or vocals get a bit drab or repetitive. However, when it does work, I think it’s one of those things that’s very easy to feel and hard to describe, and this album never once committed that cardinal sin of making me feel nothing. Ultimately, I really enjoyed this, and while I can totally see why someone might give it a 2 or a 3, I just felt so impressed by it, and I think it’s pretty deserving of a 5. I’m glad it’s on the list, and I’m glad that the 2000 Mercury Prize nominees haven’t given us a bad album yet. It’ll be really awkward if I don’t like Parachutes by Coldplay though.
Atmospheric soundscape to this music, giving it a 3 although I think maybe it's the type of record that would grow on you with more listens
i like and hate this. catch the sun is great, and i’m sure i’ve heard Sea song somewhere before, i loved it. but how can it have such great highs and such low lows…. i’m torn how to rate it, but it’ll probably have to be middle just to be fair.
A really interesting album. Very atmospheric 3/5
Enjoyable good head bobbing tunes
Low key, soothing
It's a nice album to study to or while driving through nature. On the other hand I don't remember a thing about this.
Wow
Very nice
Lost Souls is an album that feels heavy with intention, but not always with impact. It aims for atmosphere and emotional sweep, and at times it gets there, creating wide, echoing spaces that feel introspective and sincere. There is a definite mood running through it, a sense of yearning and introspection that feels honest, but it often stretches that mood too thin across the album’s length. What holds it back for me is how often the songs blur together. The tempos, textures, and emotional tone stay within a very narrow range, which can make the experience feel more like drifting than moving. Individual tracks hint at something bigger or more affecting, but they rarely push far enough to fully arrive. The restraint feels intentional, but it also drains urgency, leaving moments that should soar instead hovering just above the ground. In the end, Lost Souls is an album I respect more than I connect with. It works well as a backdrop for reflection and has flashes of real beauty, but it does not quite dig deep enough to leave a lasting mark. I enjoy returning to parts of it rather than the whole, and that feels telling.
some interesting sounds, but it gets pretty dreary by two thirds of the way through
Some good songs. Sea Song particularly. Catch the Sun feels like a Foo Fighters song somehow.
It's quiet and calming and just interesting enough. Late, late night turning to early morning.
1. fire - 2 2. here - 1.5 3. break - 1.5 4. zea - 1.5 5. rize - 1 6. zoulz - 1 7. melody - 1 8. zun - 1 9. man - 1 10. cedar - 1.5 11. reprize - 2 12. houze - 1
Sorry. Chan nöd conecte.
der sevi hat nicht gelogen isch etz nöd soo spannend de erst song bleeh. here it comes isch besser, findi sogar recht cool mit orgle und seehr coole chords. line cliches überall. super geile song. break me gently cooli störgrüüsch hinedra find s passt. au ehner lahm mit de ziit aber scho nice. sea song au wieder ehner whiny. lost souls hani au whiny und chli langwilig gfunde. ha gad easy freud a melody calls. chli bluesy mag d schnurregiige. catch the sun au meeega cute!! the man who told everything au wieder sehr cooli sounds. cedar room macht sieder weniger mit mir. aber no schön?
oah für am morge seeehr geil zum lose here it comes hanii nöd unglaublich gfunde leider breakd me gently cheggi de vibe (glaub) aber es ischmer zu monoton dito für sea song, iwie erinnereds mich chli as meer aber es isch halt au arschlangwilig catch the sun hani jz eig na ok gfunde he the man who told everything hani rig auno gern he find de pitchfork guy het na recht bro fucking cedar room vill z lang gange jaa s isch z lang für das dass es so langeilig isch. gsehn d "vision" aber scho sehr. git es knapps 3 willis respektiere aber es isch echt extrem langwilig abgseh vo einige element
I had to look it up; Steven Wilson is NOT in this band.... They do have a few good moments on here, but mostly I found this album to be resoundingly mediocre.
Really like this sound. Sounds like a lot of bands I like mixed together - Coldplay, Cinematic Orchestra, Foo Fighters, Badly Drawn Boy. It has all the early 2000 sounds and I’m surprised I’ve never heard of them before.
Very chill and solid. Feels like something you'd want to listen to around a campfire surrounded by friends, just has a very homey and comforting feel which works very well. All around a good listen, and nothing negative to say
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die...If You're British?
Really enjoyed this more than I thought I would. At some points, it almost sounds like Foo Fighters with a little less edge.
Wow. Never heard of these guys but was very impressed. One tune about 2/3 of the way through really irritated me but the rest was superlative downer rock.
I'm not entirely sure what to make of this album, or the band formerly-known-as-Sub-Sub. It's fine, and at time even interesting, but something about their style seems almost designed to be the soundtrack for some sort of indie film involving long car rides and heavy conversations in coffehouses and large parks at night, perhaps with an occasional supernatural event. Atmospheric perhaps, but not easy to focus on as an album, and I'm mystified that there are *two* Doves albums in this collection, as one seems like more than enough of a sampling (but I haven't listened to the other Doves album, so maybe it's a radical departure?). In many ways, their backstory is far more interesting (to me) than their album (and nicely documented in the Wikipedia entry for the album): the road from being Sub-Sub to becoming the Doves, including losing all their recorded material (and equipment) in a fire, and all these connections to New Order/Joy Division--especially how their manager, Rob Gretton, took Sub-Sub under his wing and guided them to become a better and more confident band (eventually with a different name) until his untimely death in 1999.
I'm sure some people will be horrified that I was reminded of Coldplay on first listen but there you go.
3.5
Suffocating plush, Layers of soft pretty sounds Cradles so so voice
This album is quite underwhelming. At one point, I didn't even notice it was still on! It gives off some serious Band of Horses snooze-fest vibes.
Nauroin vahingossa omaa persettäni isolla rasvallani, tekeekö se minusta homon? Olin juuri suihkussa ja liukastuin anaalihelmiini, munani meni perseeseeni. Kun yritin saada sen pois, putosin puhelimeeni, joka soitti katsomaani homopornoa, Ei homoa, ja lihava perse särki näytön. Ja nyt istun tässä ja kyselen, olenko nyt homo. terv. tämän bändin johtajaukko. laulajaukko varmaankin. ottaa kaikki krediitit hei olemme kuuluisia. vaikka oikeasti muut jäsenet tärkeämpiä. sitä se teettää kun ollaan kullannuppuja, kultapoikia. golden boy over here take a look at the golden boy everyone favorite.. everyone love the golden boy check out the golden voy over here.. rise
This album was merely okay. I think it started off pretty good with fire suite but fell off through the middle and end.
Well, that was fucking boring.
Solid album with feels from many different rock bands
ganska schysst vibe, men inget överdrivet intressant
tilþrifalítið en ekki leiðinlegt. gef annan séns. 3,5.
3.5
I was very pleasantly surprised by this, 2000s British indie is my kryptonite, yet this was almost completely good and interesting. A few songs strayed the other side of the line for me but they were few and far between. This is a relieved 4.
It’s alright
Ooh, something not from 50 years ago. Fun! Ooh, instrumental? Is it instrumental? Wasn't instrumental but had its moments.
Alright
Svårbedömt även detta! Öppnar otroligt starkt, från öppningsspåret fram till Rise är TOPPEN, utdragna, drömska gitarrer ger lite War On Drugsiga känslor. Mest wow-faktor i Sea Song. Men sen tappar albumet farten. Det långa, utdragna, blir mer långtråkigt. Från rymdrock till något mer likt Coldplaypop. The Man Who Told Everything är bra, The Cedar Room är okej, annars är det lite slött och slätstruket. MEN, jag tar med mig ett par låtar iallafall, och tackar Doves för det! Bästa låt: Sea Song
Hoy toca, creo, banda desconocida por completo. La canción inicial me recuerda a Air, pero más cuelgue. Lo siento también como banda sonora de una película de Sofía Coppola. Con vibes también a Radiohead (especialmente en Sea song y en The man who told everything), es un muy buen debut que termina siendo otra linda sorpresa que éste reto me propone.
First time I'd ever heard this and I found it to be a good listen.
Very Coldplay-like but not as good, IMO. I enjoyed the album nonetheless and found it to be an interesting listen. My main complaint would be that the songs are too long; don't think we need incessant guitar strumming for another 2 minutes after the lyrics are done. One or two songs ok, but feels like every song was like this. Separately, it would definitely sound better driving a car at night, I feel like. Interestingly enough, the song which the album is named for, "Lost Souls" was the worst track on the album. 7/10.
Catch The Sun is one of my favourite songs of that era, but I think album is a little weak overall.
An good album I guess around 2000 I will be listen around a lot, now I don't think I will back to it
1074 rate: wasn't expecting such a cool find from my own youth this late in the list. Songs are a bit long and the album is close to the hour long like most records from those days but it has very good moments
3.5 Ambiance Liked: Cedar Room and Catch the sun
More hipster pop that is mildly entertaining, but not enough to engage my jaded, opinionated tastes.
I was disappointed in this one! Last month I had their album The Last Broadcast generated and really loved it. I'd not heard of Doves before then This album was just a bit bland and boring though? There were a handful of songs I enjoyed, and this wasn't bad at all. I just felt like it was lacking something especially compared to their other stuff 3 ⭐️
Thoughts before listening: 2000s era British indie rock I believe. I feel like I have enjoyed everything I have heard from these guys so I am glad to have a reason to listen to a full album. Review: This is catchy, anthemic alt rock. Sort of a mix of Oasis and the Bends-era Radiohead. The Doves definitely sound more mature than a lot of the British rock I have heard on this list. These are fully flushed out songs with lush instrumentation and lots of emotion in the performances that I am enjoying. "Catch the Sun" is a song that I recognize and one that I have added to playlists for years. Really good song. Still though, whenever I see these 90s and 00s British bands it makes me wonder how this list would be different if it was made by American writers....would bands like Sponge, Marcy Playground, or the Crash Test Dummies have made the list instead of these endless British groups? I guess we'll never know, but ultimately this is perfectly fine, but not exceptional, 00s era alt rock. 3-stars
Meh, sounded like a Radiohead cover band.
What's wrong little piggy boy? You've barely touched your trough full of unlistenable British crybaby wanky slop.
I was let down after the first track. it set a good mood and made for some really nice background listening. It might sound weird but having vocals going forward put me off in the sense that it made listening to it feel more active/involved. The vocal performance wasn't even particularly bad or anything it just made the experience feel more boring Highlight: Firesuite
1001 (sort of ok underwhelming) ALBUMS (from random obscure artists from the 1990s beloved by British music critics that haven’t maintained any relevancy or influence) YOU MUST(unfortunately)LISTEN TO BEFORE YOU DIE(soon I hope)
Android needs to invest in implementing an emoji of someone guzzling cum, cause that best describes this album, it's good, but I wasn't the first, nor was it influential or innovative. But it is British. 7/10 Fav tracks - here it comes, break me gently, Sea Song, Melody Calls
I understand that some of the intention of this book and its authors is to bring attention to lesser-known artists like Nick Drake or whatever bullshit they found in the 'world music' (shitty ass term) section of their local record shop in whatever fancy gentrified part of London these parasites (music journalists) live in. This album charted well in the UK, Ireland and Australia and at the time of writing the book was not forgotten. Nor was it particularly innovative or groundbreaking apart from sycophants at NME and other musicians saying 'yea man this is what walking home at 4am sounds like aye' Well we have a whole genre of that music now and it's called putting 'slowed+reverb' into youtube and enabling autoplay. I like this album a lot but it sure as shit doesn't deserve to edge out much more deserving artists and albums from being on here. This project is fun but the source material suffers massively from having a Western-Centric, specifically Engl*sh-Centric perspective. There are only a handful of non english language music albums here on this album and they aren't anything memorable. Would it have been so difficult to liaise with the overseas offices of Rolling Stone (of which the main author of this book is a founding editor) to get one or two albums from other countries? There are more Morrissey solo albums on here than Smiths albums and instead we could have had something like Kino whose music was not only basically the anthem of youth dissatisfaction with late 80s USSR, but is fondly remembered still today as one of the best musical acts to ever come out of Russia/The Soviet Union and was massively important to the native rock scene in Russia. That's not even to mention all of the odd genres that this album could have touched on from across the rest of the world. Tuareg blues, YuMex, Schlager, J-Pop, etc. There are so many unique and interesting musical movements that No, you can have fuckin' Shack and The La's. Maybe I'm missing the point of this book, but I think it should be renamed '1001 albums that a bunch of pommy hacks recommend to bring you up to speed to the tastes of a very specific group of music journalists so that on the 0.0001% chance you get invited to some bullshit industry party in a renovated warehouse in Shoreditch you can nod along when someone says how much of groundbreaking album Kid A is while you resist the urge to break a glass over this cunt's head' In terms of the actual album, this would have been good to be assigned as a weekend album, but instead I got Joshua Tree by U2. Luckily the weather here has been overcast and grim, so I am able to slip into the mood for listening to this album. It was pretty good. Highlights: Firesuite, Sea Song, Rise
Underwhelming.
For the first six songs, I thought I was listening to songs that didn’t make it onto the last Oasis album. Then “Melody Calls” and “Catch the Sun” gone one and I look at my phone to see if the album ended and a new band queued up. They seemed to jump back and forth between downbeat and upbeat songs after that. In the end, they sounded like a poor man's Oasis to me. Decent album, all said.
J'ai réalisé après coup que j'avais déjà eu un autre album d'eux. Que j'ai préféré, car lui était tellement ennuyeux, j'avais juste hâte qu'il finisse. Un autre biais UK évident. 4/10
This is what it sounds like when Doves cry… Doves’ maybe slightly better known second album The Last Broadcast came up on here a while ago and I quite enjoyed it - it was spacey and gloomy, but ultimately seemed a bit safe and repetitive. I was quite surprised then that their debut seems a bit more innovative and varied - maybe directionless at times but for a band exploring and figuring out their sound I think that’s easily forgivable. And boy, what a powerful sound that can be
Fav song: Sea Song Not a bad album, a little bland in places but had some interesting tunes. I like how much the singer sounds like Dave Grohl at times and how sometimes the instrumentals are reminiscent of Radiohead, but I feel like this is another band from the 2000’s who struggled to find their identity. Maybe they got better in later albums.
Fantastic. Never heard of this band before!! And yet, a couple of the songs sounded suuuuuper familiar! I liked it so much that I listened to it immediately a second time, it’s just nice sounding :)
kind of reminds me of the verve? pretty good!
A really cool album. Touches of Noel Gallagher in here.
A pleasant surprise. Didn't expect much but this one is quite good. Not perfect but I'll give this one another spin. Dreamy, spacey, somewhat fitting if you're a loner like I am. Solid album.
This album was actually really good. Parts of it reminded me of Sigur Ros, others of Everclear, and other parts were just a nice sound that I didn't necessarily associate with other bands. I'll give this one a 4
Elegant, evocative atmospheric rock (or post-britpop, as some may want to call it) that would have been a classic if there was any justice in this world.
One of the most powerful and poignant atmospheric rock album you'll ever encounter. Wonderful melancholic arrangements - a beacon for all lost souls.
This album is too good for the britpop? Let's call it post-britpop... When strong and melancholic songwriting meets hypnotic atmospheres. A masterpiece of its kind.
Ok alternative band. No great songs.
I occasionally listen to The Last Broadcast and think that I should listen to Doves more, but this album is why I don't. It's mostly pretty landfilly, non-descript indie rock. The Cedar Room is the only song on the album that I'd go out of my way to listen to again, but the rest fall into the Elbow/Coldplay generic genre. Inoffensive but not worth listening to again.
This was interesting. I kinda liked it actually. Nothing groundbreaking but pleasant enough.
Amazing effects and stiff and I wished they developed it more. Almost sent me to space but it didn't :/
Your boys at www.1001albumsgenerator.com sure do love their Doves. I wonder if they'll update the list to add the new album when it comes out? Doves are a pretty consistent band, and I do enjoy them (had this and The Last Broadcast on CD back in the day), but I feel like they would have been fine to include just one album from their catalog on here and then looked to other artists that were effectively snubbed. This can actually be said about a lot of albums on here, and while I agree an artist can have multiple albums in their catalog that are a must, not EVERY artist deserves multiple shoutouts on here. All that said 3/5
Was this designed to wash over people? Apart from where the drums are way too high in tbe mix, there's nothing to attract attention. It's not unpleasant, I just struggled to pay attention - it's like a musical weather forecast.
So my first impression of this CD is that it sucked, and I think that's largely because the beginning of the CD really does suck. But the back half is significantly better than the first. It's another of those fin-de-siècle somewhat genre-less British CDs that this guy really likes, in the same vein as Travis and Badly Drawn Boy. Relative to those two it's generally gloomier. I don't like it as much as Travis, but it's on-par with BDB. So yeah, the first half is awful. It opens with a long, boring instrumental. I honestly can't for the life of me understand why you would do that. Even once they get to the point, the first several songs are incredibly monotonous. "Here It Comes" and especially "Sea Song" are really the same thing over and over again for 5 or 6 minutes. They're a 1-of-5 straight slog. The band really starts to find their footing with "Melody Calls", which is the first borderline-normal song. Thereafter the whole CD is pretty solid. "Catch The Sun" has some really clever changes and a very cool sound - it's just a catchy song. That's the standout highlight. Overall though this is like a 3-4 on the back half and a low 1 on the front half. I prefer that order over the reverse, but all-in it's still just OK.
Cynics will say Radiohead-lite but one prefers to think Coldplay heavy (though comparisons are odious, of course). This is a most impressive effort. Opener is strong and "Rise" is way cool (as was once said [once being 12-15 years prior to his record's release]). Solid+ overall and right up one's alley.
There were some very cool atmospheric vibes from this album after a time started to meld together so that one track became difficult to discern from another. Still, a good candidate for musical wallpaper you might want to play in the background as you chill out at the end of the day...
2 sterne
There doesn’t seem to be much of interest happening here. I’ve seen a few bands go from indie to dance / guitars to synths but I don’t think I can name any other examples of people going the other way. - That’s maybe the most interesting thing about this entry. It’s fine though, inoffensive.
It’s fine.
Not bad. Not very exciting.
I dig the vibes on this one.
Not my style but decent background