Coles Corner
Richard Hawley
2005
Album Summary
Coles Corner is the fourth studio album from English pop/rock musician Richard Hawley, released on 5 September 2005 in the UK and on 6 September 2005 in the US. The title immortalises the legendary Sheffield landmark Coles Corner, a popular meeting place of old and new lovers. The album was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize for best album.
WikipediaWhat a beautiful pop record I had no idea the lead singer was the bassist from Pulp. This album just oozes a nighttime listening experience. The orchestral arrangements and guitars bring this cathartic experience dealing with relationships and breakups. I love the lyrics extremely relatable with some great songs as well. Extremely consistent album I love it. Easy 9/10 for me
What a cozy and snug album. I want to curl up with some hot cocoa and watch the rain while this is spinning.
It's...fine I guess? I think if it had been either a little more or a little less twee I'd have liked it a lot more, but it's not played straight enough to be good or broad enough to be fun.
not really familiar with this genre, but sounds like Arctic Monkeys got something from this (I do know they both come from sheffield and have worked together in the past)
All I had to do was look at the cover to know it was some British thing I've never heard of. This could be an exciting prospect except that it turned out to be some kind of thoroughly bland nostalgia act. Wait, can you even call it a nostalgia act when the person making the music wasn't alive during the time period they are emulating? He sounds very reverent to his inspirations and all, but he also sounds utterly boring. Not only that, but the clean modern production kind of neuters the aesthetic. And his voice just simply isn't capable of pulling off what he's trying to achieve. I'm five songs in and I really don't want to finish this...
I really like the style and vibes from this album. Love the voice and liked all the songs.
I was very surprised by this album. I’d never heard of Richard Hawley before. He sounds like someone who would perform in the Roadhouse on Twin Peaks. I also get some slight Elvis Costello vibes, especially his album with Burt Bacharach. Loved it.
Feels like a bland redo of those golden voice type of american singers in 2005. Why is this even on the list? It's not bad, it doesn't hurt my ears, but is boring as hell. Two songs really stand out though: Coles Corner and The Ocean are pretty good.
I love this album. Richard Hawley is a weird one - a Big Name in British music, who will always garner critical praise and find top-notch collaborators. But as a popular act, he'll never cut through. That's probably because he's ploughing quite a lonely furrow as Britpop's own Roy Orbison / Johnny Cash revanchist. I'm glad somebody's doing it, as this is gorgeous, lovingly crafted and thick with atmosphere. Hawley shepherds the ghosts of the past with grace and charm, yet there's enough of the man himself here to prevent this being a glorified tribute act.
He didn't do himself any favors by placing the title track, which is generic blue-eyed soul, as the opener. I was ready to hate this album after the first couple of songs, but the sound matured as the album went on. A strange experience. Best track: Wading Through (The Waters of My Time)
The corner is still remembered by many Sheffielders above 30 years of age as the place to arrange to meet one's date.
Pleasant enough to listen to in the background but if you heard one song from it you've heard it all. This Aussie gives it two Caramello Koalas out of five.
unexpected. this is like "music to die slowly to".. music for an old folks home. i feel like i'm getting older listening to it. some pat boone 50's thing going on here. pretty boring... born under a bad sign has some morrissey potential in it, but otherwise forgettable.
English rock artist with a 1940's flair, almost smooth crooner meets rockabilly. Strange to see this type of album from the middle of the 2000's. That being said...needed on this list?
I'm sure somebody thinks this is well-written, well-performed music. To me, it's awfully boring.
Hawley kind of effortlessly blends elements of country, 40s-50s rock, and other bits into this album. But it doesn't feel very special or impactful for me. I'm enjoying the songs, but I'm questioning why it was included on the list? It's hard to motivate myself to listen to this one, hence the 1/5
Album acilis ve kapanis sarkilari cok guzeldi. Bir de ocean sarkisi favorim.
Me encantó. Tiene como un mood que me gusta mucho, los arreglos, las letras y la voz. No tengo mucho que decir más que lo disfruté bastante. Sobre todo "Coles Corner", "Hotel Room" y "The Ocean", que sí me pareció maravillosa. Me gustó el cierre instrumental y pues bueno, qué bonito cuando un disco te hace sentir así. 9.5/10
Aunque lo conozco, nunca había escuchado un disco completo. Maravilloso. Mucho rockandroll 50s, onda crooner, Roy Orbinson, Lee Hazlewood, Nancy Sinatra, Harry Nilsson, Dylan. Hermoso, me hizo sentir bien, que se agradece en estos días tan oscuros.
Vraiment bon et rafraichissant, j’ai reecoutee dans lammeme journee car j’avais adore.
Sikke et lækkert album. Har den gamle fede lyd fra Frank Sinatra Robinson et virkelig Hyltebjerg album som jeg skal lytte meget mere til på nogle sene aftner
such as easy listen, i avoided it first day but it is actually very good
Jao što Richard Hawley zna kako do moga srca. Coles corner mi je definitivno na listi najdražih albuma uz Late night final.
Un'atmosfera natalizia senza il Natale, da mettersi sotto le coperte con la cioccolata calda mentre fuori nevica. Anche la seconda canzone continua sulla falsariga, anche per via della voce piena e che sembra provenire da 50 anni prima. 'Darlin' wait for me' è struggente al limite della commozione. Anche 'The Ocean' è veramente bella. Stupendo e non lo avevo mai sentito nominare! 5*
Nisan čula za Richarda, a jako mi se sviđa. Zvuči puno starije od 2005-e haha. I baš je smirujuće
Slušala san navečer i baš odgovara toj nekoj noćnoj atmosferi. Dobar đir skroz, ugodno, malo retro, sve u svemu-sviđa mi se :)
A modern, singer-songwriter interpretation of crooner music. Works better than you might expect.
holy shit, beautiful album I am obsessed with the diversity these tracks have It’s like Nick Cave meets Johnny Cash and that last song sounded like Hans Zimmer or something overall beautiful album - 10/10
Been looking forward to this. 4 at least. And 1 point for the incredible albumcover. (The building is not even fucking Coles Corner)
One of the best albums by one of my favourite artists. This album means the world to me. I wish I could give it 6 stars. Best song, Coles Corner
Once in a while, you get to listen to an album of an artist you haven't had on your radar, but which, upon listening ticks all the right boxes for you. This is a perfect example and a pleasant surprise. The songs are positively old-fashioned and romantic, and Hawley delivers them with a soothing baritone voice and fitting arrangements. I really liked this and will explore this artist further. 4.5/5
Nothing flashy, but sucks you in. Good easy listening with a bit of substance and chill.
12/4 Attempting to rekindle a failing marriage at a countryside hotel. Standout Tracks: Coles Corner, Hotel Room, Darlin’ Wait For Me, The Ocean, I Sleep Alone, Tonight, Last Orders
I may be biased because I like his song with the Arctic Monkeys, but Richard Hawley is cool. Chill, cool rock.
Very chill album. Started with a sorta Sinatra/Peter Cat Recording Co. style of jazzy, later transitioned to folk/county. Starting to notice a theme with this site.
At worst it sounds like watching your 75 year-old relative getting remarried, but at its best it is a gorgeously arranged chamber pop album.
Pues me sorprendió que me gustara un album de este genero musical. No sé si las letras son buenas o no, pero a mí me gustaron. Creo que las canciones que más me complacieron fueron Just like the rain y The Ocean. Mood: Cñor Sad
Really, really enjoyed this album. I was slightly familiar with Richard Hawley from Rewind the Film, but his own work is new to me. Will definitely be checking out more of it. A high 4.
Very interesting that this came shortly after the Frank Sinatra record. It's very old school, and I could see Sinatra having recorded these songs. Good songs, but a lot of them sound similar. Well-produced. Listened twice.
Production: 13/20 Songwriting: 14/20 Innovation: 11/20 Bangers: 10/20 Emotional response: 14/20 =62 Liked it
Gorgeous, gentle, quite beautiful romantic music. Very impressed. Retro, but does that matter?
- stellar recordings, - warm vibes of home, first crooner I've enjoyed - somewhat samey but some standouts (I sleep alone, last orders
Buena voz. Cantante melódico moderno. Piano. Bastante bonito el disco. Un 4 le voy a dar.
6th August 2021 Listened on my phone in the morning before we drove to Norfolk to go camping with Joe, adna and Anna Lewis! Really enjoyed this actually, it was like a cross between brit pop and old school crooning.
What a pleasant surprise. Never heard of this so immediately knew it was something British. I liked the first track but couldn't help groaning knowing this would be a consistent aesthetic choice. But the album spanned a number of genres in this old-school crooner type style and I found myself enjoying much more than I thought, especially on the back end. Some of the country-tinged tunes near the end are really excellent. I didn't expect to dig this here we are. Favorite tracks: Who's Going to Shoe Your Pretty Feet, Coles Corner, The Waters of My Time, Last Orders, Born Under a Bad Sign. Album art: The guy looks like a dweeb but doesn't love make us all look stupid? I really like the colors here. The picture isn't too remarkable but the bold yellow/orange and blue is fantastic. Definitely fits the music. 4/5
Do not listen to this if you're morose or mourning. Wow, I've never heard his solo stuff and this album convinced me I need to dig into it. I don't know how to even categorize this music.
4.0 - Well, I’ll be damned! What a pretty album this is. Ballads of longing, regret and reminiscence, sung in a rich baritone, inflected with old rockabilly/country crooning à la Cash and Orbison.
Lijkt in eerste instantie saai, maar het is naar mijn mening een sfeervol folk/country-album waar ik wel van hou. Verrassend.
he has a great smooth voice and the album feels as good as walk on the beach. Too emotional for me though.
Surprising & interesting album - wide range of styles, maybe not all that many memorable songs but definitely some classics.
This somber, longing album is quite choice for when you are in the crossover zone of romantic and depressed. Standout track is Last Orders.
Never heard him before, but was at a concert Richard Hawley headlined this summer - missed him against my wishes, so chuffed to see this pop up. A lovely, rockabilly, non-ironic album. It's great this.
Iako u trenutcima meni osobno malo dosadan, izaziva toplinu oko srca 🤗 Ne mog to opisat, ovo mi je primjer zasto ovu stranicu koristimo, jer sam nit bi otkrio nit pustio. #mellowyellow
Perfectly pleasant. Not entirely sure it belongs on the list, as the schtick is that he's perfectly and earnestly recreating the sound of a bygone era - so why not give us some of the originals this is aping? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Fave track - "Coles Corner" was a lovely opener, and "Last Orders" a lovely closer, so let's go with them....
Listened to this without knowing anything about it. Didn't even look at the year. It felt like it was 50s or 60s. Surprised it was 2005. I liked it a lot. Soothing, comfortable.