Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Who knew Richard Hawley was a crooner? Not what I expected from someone who was such a important part of BritPop. It's pleasant enough, reminiscent of the 50's and early 60's, but it's all fairly innocuous and slightly boring. My favourite track was "The Ocean".
An enjoyable offering with fine songs well delivered with neat arrangements. It all went sideways towards the end with an alternative style. Nothing really wrong with it but felt odd. Some songs are ripe for covering.
Album 239 of 1001 Richard Hawley - Coles Corner Rating : 3 / 5 Pleasant listen. Another who brought Leonard Cohen to mind. Wouldn't mind another listen but not likely to seek it out. Very mellow and relaxing.
Itw as alright, not much of a fan though.
Romanttista countrya? En tiiä, mutta aika rauhallisia balladeja kummiskin
Lovely voice and some really good arrangements, especially on the title track.
The Ocean is really good. Richard Hawley does well here, but aside from the single-worthy The Ocean, there's not much here to bring me back.
Surprised by this album. Didn't think I would be into it but it's a nice pleasant listen this morning at work.
3.5/5. I have a feeling that this was a big influence on Sheffield native Alex Turner.
Album is okay. The guy has a deep baritone voice.
This is the first album that's been totally new to me, no context, no familiarity. Feels classic, like atmosphere music. Nice touches.
An aggressively fine album.
Surprisingly enjoyable. Maybe just caught me at a weak moment ! 3*
Chill
50 jaar te laat gereleased, maar kon er wel van genieten.
Smörsångare!
Aye
Not what I was expecting at all… could be one of those Starbucks records. Some nice background music.
While it may not be completely for me, this is a great mood album with swelling strings and landscaped tracks that take the listener on a somber journey. In some cases it’s like a Tom Waits record produced by Phil Spector.
Not particularly Memorable.
I appreciate Richard Hawley far more as a producer and sessions artist than I do a songwriter. It's easy on the ears, it's an overall enjoyable listen back to back, but nothing spectacular, and often lacking any identity or focus.
After the first 15 seconds I was prepared to skip this album...but I'm glad I didn't, this was a joy to listen to. Really enjoyed it.
This was pretty good. I had low expectations for this, so that probably helped.
Didnt hate it but it was boring
Kinda hit tbh
I was torn on whether this sounded more like Johnny Cash or Frank Sinatra, but there were some serious retro vibes going on here. It could have all fallen apart, but the backing music was spot on and the vocal performance was suitably underplayed. It all came together to make this sit nicely together. I'm still not sure if this album needed to be made in the early 2000s, but it was pleasant enough to earn 3 stats from me even though it was slow and not a genre I'm terribly interested in.
it’s ok!
Can here the overlap with Pulp. Not my thing.
So this is a sweet little record, with a few GREAT tracks on it, but its like the opposite of visionary. Struggling to see how this made the list, despite my personal enjoyment of it 3/5
Niks mis mee, hij heeft een fijne stem, prettige rustige muziek, maar heel boeiend vind ik het nou ook weer niet.
I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's pleasant but not that engaging for me.
Love it so far. It's like Johnny Cash with older 50's/60's music. Very heartfelt and heartwarming
Pretty :) kinda mad that this was nominated for a Mercury Prize though
Chill
Quaint
first time listening
"The Ocean" feels like a dream ☺️🌊 very calm album
brilliant songwriting and a great sound - like a modern roy orbison! best tracks: just like the rain, born under a bad sign, hotel room
Fav: Darlin wait for me Least fav: who’s going to show your pretty feet
High 3. I really liked some of the songs and was about to give it a 4, but then it veered too much into country with The Waters of My Time. Was it very exciting? No. But I enjoyed (most of) it.
Coles Corner is the fourth album from English pop/rock musician Richard Hawley. This chamber pop / art rock album was a critical success and a beautiful old-fashioned piece of emotional songs. Richard Hawley used vintage sounds to create a retro vibe while mixing in genres of country, early rock, jazz, and blues. I enjoyed the gorgeous, chilled-out sound from this album and think this is a wonderful album. Don't skip out on listening to this masterpiece.
A modern day throwback album. Nostalgic in a totally alien way. Pretty boring, but not grating, like a ferris wheel ride.
Chill Sheffield Elvis. Wish there was at least one more upbeat song but that's selfish of me. I enjoyed it. Particularly hotel room and wading through the waters of my time. It's a very high 3 from me.
Like a perfectly coiffed head of hair, not a strand is out of place on this album. But it elicited about as much emotion as a good hairdo. This is one inclusion I questioned — what makes this a must listen? I didn't dislike it, it was just so safe.
This album really surprised me. Never hear dog him before or any of the tunes. Really great start especially on a Sunday morning. I did find it slowed right down towards the end but overall I'll probably listen again.
This album strives to be a timeless classic and almost makes it. But it's not quite good enough to be great, but also not camp enough to be lovable, which leaves us in an awkward middle space. The music is pleasant enough and creates a nice cozy mood playing in the background but I don't really get why this album is on this list. 2.5
I mean it’s fine.It’s slow melancholy blues.It sounds like it could be from the 70s.Not much to remember.
I liked it. The highs on this make for some absolutely stunning pieces of music (see the title track and The Ocean), which execute the vision of the album to perfection. It sounds like a great and modernized recapitulation of the 50s crooner style, but that unfortunately comes with its downsides at times, when the songs can become a bit cheesy, and a few of the more ambient tracks lost me a bit. Overall the content is good, however, and I definitely can recommend at least some songs as wholeheartedly great.
Pretty damn good. Great music, some lulls, but overall lovely music.
I thought this album was very calming and pretty cool.
Soft listen but nothing more than background music. A less impactful version of Johnny Cash.
Decent Singer/Songwriter Pop/Rock Fuse that is enjoyable but fast forgotten
It's not bad. I wasn't really sure what to expect here, but I was not expecting a simple crooner. Decent. I would have liked to have heard him tackle a standard or two. Because again, the songs start to sound the same after a while. There's a bit of blandness after a while. After a while I was all "great, what else do you have?" Maybe the whole shuffle thing on Spotify and other electronic devices ruined my patience for these type of records. I'm just expecting... more.
"The Ocean" is a really great song. This is a much different sound than what I would expect from an album by a guy who was briefly in Pulp. I find the music to be fairly slow, but still engaging. While I did enjoy this album, I don't know how it belongs on this list.
This was a little bit of a snooze to me. Some songs were fairly lovely, but I can't say this left much of an impression, writing this the day after my listen.
Best Song: The Ocean. Beautiful, sonorous voice. This song would fit well in any Leonard Cohen album. Worst Song: (Wading Through) The Waters of my Time. Not a fan of this sleepy rockabilly. Seems like it was made for old people to sway along to, slapping their thighs out of rhythm and trying to forget death. Overall: An alright album that toes the line between listenable throwback and parlor room camp. Wouldn't go back and listen to the whole album, but there are a few choice tracks that aren't bad.
I am not familiar with this artist at all. Yay! Finally. sounds British and croony and sad. Which is fine. Like American Music Club, minus the British. AMC...That's a cool fucking band. San Francisco. Great album. First minute that is what this reminds me of. So I might just like it.... i get a little Pulp, some Morrissey, Nick Cave and a Bad Seed or 2, Blur maybe? the schmaltzier (and good) Arctic Monkey songs.... quick google... mothafucka was in Pulp. Good call KD! and the LongPigs! Who da fuck The Long Pigs? This is fine. I like it. I will be a Richard Hawley fan when I feel like it. I learned something today. What did you learn?
"Tonight" was the standout song that I've been listening to on repeat. The rest was a good listen. It reminded me a bit of Andy Williams and others of that time/genre. That's not necessarily a bad thing.
Not completely my cup of tea or what I expected a tribute to the steel city to sound like, but I'm here for it. Richard creates some smooth, nostalgic scenes. This has a proper melancholic, night time atmosphere throughout. My only criticism would be that it feels a bit low on energy. 3.5/5
It's not that deep. This was pretty mid. Personal Enjoyment - 5 Songwriting - 6 Lyrics - 7 Originality - 6 Production Value - 9 Artwork - 9 Overall - 6.5
Soothing and okay. No something I would go to frequently, but it was alright.
Found myself enjoying this more often than not, and I particularly like the last instrumental track.
This is a nice, pretty, heartfelt set. Probably reveals a lot more depth with repeats and listens. And wouldn’t be bad for an armchair and a book.
Enjoyable Listen
Leuk rustig, beetje sinatra vibes
Oke i like the vibe
I like this, but as background music. Calming but not very interesting. Despite the 3-star rating, I don’t think it needs to be on this list. 1 - bad 2 - average 3 - good 4 - great 5 - outstanding
Solid
It’s pretty music, but not really my thing at all. C
Au départ, cet album m'a un peu ennuyée, je l'ai trouvé monotone. Par contre, j'aime beaucoup la voix du chanteur. Au fil des pistes, je me suis un peu réchauffée à son égard.
Like Michael buble but no Christmas vibes
7,5/10
Very romantic
It's interesting that when Arctic Monkeys won the Mercury prize, edging out this album, they said that Richard Hawley was robbed. Especially so, because these days, Arctic Monkeys sound alot like this - except better. I like the title track and a couple others, though some are more Paul Anka inspired, as mentioned by JG. I give Hawley credit for his ernest attempt at creating music half a century out of time that had little chance of commercial success.
Very nice change of pace from Pulp for Hawley. I’ve always loved The Ocean and the rest of the album is similarly lush and romantic. Great baritone voice also.
Some catchy tunes but nothing distinctive.
Nice and cozy but also kind of forgettable.
Mira, este sí que era desconocido para mí, pero me ha gustado bastante. O sea, si discos de country tienen cabida en este listado, entonces por qué no Richard Hawley
Mjög fín plata, aldrei heyrt áður. 2-3 lög þarna sem fara pottþétt í róteringuna.
I always wondered what happened to the Longpigs. Now I know what one of them did.
Loved this album, enjoyed it very much. Nothing here incredibly original, but it’s nice. 3/5
Solid 3, nice and nostalgic/dreamy but dragged on for me
Chilled out, pleasant-enough listen. Think I'd prefer "Hawley Corner" by Richard Coles though.
This is a mellow, dreamy, cozy album with 40s crooner vibes. I didn't love it at first but it grew on me as I listened. It's unusual enough to catch my attention while being eeeeeeasy to listen to. It's not revolutionary but it is well crafted and enjoyable.
Very chill, sounded straight outta the 50-60s
Not a huge fan of his voice, but loved some of the arrangements
This was a nice surprise. Born under a Bad Sign, Tonight, Last Orders were particularly interesting. Hearing John Grant vibes.
This really grew on me.
Conflicted about this one. It sounded gorgeous at first, but very tired by the end. Soothing without sounding like certain recent purveyors of piano-led soft rock: this album is much more interesting. Another one that could span several decades. Shades of Roy Orbison (sort of) and Johnny Cash and much else that you wouldn't expect from someone active during the Britpop era. I'll play tracks from this again, but perhaps not the full album. Prime cuts: Coles Corner, Born Under a Bad Sign
Charming, earnestly old fashioned pop with sleepy, languid arrangements. Wears a little thin well before it's over, but I enjoyed it. Fave Songs: Just Like the Rain, Born Under a Bad Sign, The Ocean, Last Orders, I Sleep Alone, Hotel Room
3/5 Again another british pop rock album. Nothing really to differentiate them right now
A bit slow, but not in a bad way. Enjoyable listen, but nothing that made me take notice. Great album to study or work to.
I was sure I was going to hate this album by about two songs in, but it actually kinda grew on me. It's a real folksy, melancholy thing that I dig.
Sounds like it could've been released in the 50s
Nice voice, so-so album.
Great atmospheric album, you can really feel Hawley's influences in his songwriting and performance. Found two new faves in The Ocean and Last Orders. Will return to this album when the atmosphere calls for it.
First half sounded like music you’d put in the background of a montage in a corny and maybe beachy romantic movie. Ngl was bored second half but no strong feelings about any of it. Very background music
Well crafted record, though not really my jam.
Such an unexpected sound and voice. Really enjoyed it. 3.5
It's a strange choice for this list as the influences are so obvious it comes across as a pastiche tribute album. You might well as just gone back to the 50s/60s source material and picked an album from there.
An album and artist I'd never heard of before. Fairly pleasant I suppose, not sure about having to listen to it before I die though
An odd album for it's time. Great vocal talent and nice for a rainy morning with coffee but the tracks blend together.
This album grew on me as it went. I actually thought the songs got better near the middle, which means they were probably put in the wrong order, for me at least. A pretty record, but not one I can see myself going back to again.
Quite nice but it needed more fundamental range.
It starts strong and remains cozy throughout, but I wanted a bit more variation and memorable melodies.
I wish someone asked me to guess what year this came out before I saw the answer. I don’t know what I would have said but probably not 2005. Richard Hawley had a great, old-fashioned style and his songs are filled with nostalgia, both in the musical influences and also in the bittersweet, sentimental lyrics. The music feels deliberately timeless. He has a great voice. Sounds a lot like Morrissey at times. “The Ocean” could be a Nicole Atkins song. I guess they’re both drawing from similar influences. She’s always had a pretty old-fashioned style too. The closing track “Last Orders” is stunning. (And probably the track that would most tip me off that this is a more modern record.) Such a beautiful instrumental. It’s the kind of calming music that could soothe you to sleep. Really wonderful.
Great voice with a timeless sound. I looked ahead and saw Steve's comment about "The Ocean" sounding like it could be a Nicole Atkins song, and I could not agree more!
The album is beautiful. Everything is really pretty and romantic and also meticulous without sounding too perfect. I really like how polished everything is. I think it has a lovely timeless sound and I think it will get even better with age. Thoroughly enjoyed all around. Just remembering that I randomly heard one of his tracks "Tonight The Streets Are Ours" from a different album and I've been listening to it all year. Pretty cool!
Oof this did not start our well for me. Mediocre/derivative white man croons. The lounge/country thing just doesn’t do much for me— I felt the same about Willie Nelson’s lounge album. Not repulsive, but not much for me to love here. I will say, the album improved as I kept listening. Wish I could give it 2.5 stars. I’ll round up because it more tolerable as the album went on.
Easy listening, inoffensive, bit lethargic at times.
Aight
I thought I had this album in the past but must have been a different Richard Hawley one. I prefer the other one. Rip Coles.
Fantastic voice, not my style of music. Somewhere between elevator and lounge music.
It is nice, but I got bored
Helped me fall asleep
Smooth
Some lovely moments in this one
There are some really nice arrangements here but it is a bit derivative, and I don't think the vocals are powerful enough to carry through as much as they should
What’s going on? A country Christmas album… from Sheffield? You’re being weird Richard. Stop being so weird. Nothing offensive but nothing I’ll revisit.
His voice is lovely, the first track is wonderful. Songs will really depend on the mood but he's good.
This is... not what I expected... but really quite good. Very easy, gentle listening in general, and he takes it up a notch every now and then. It's an interesting sound, somewhere between crooner and the slightly arch conversational style (you can tell he was in Pulp for a bit!). I'm coming into this after a little run of really dire albums, so resisting the urge to overrate this one because it's not them, but it comfortably merits a 3. The Ocean in particular is a great song, title track is good, and none of the rest are bad.
This starts off sounding a lot like a Christmas album and ends up as a lullaby. It does pick up in the middle around The Ocean and Born Under A Bad Sign. Eerily enough Spotify added Tonight the Streets Are Ours to my Discover Weekly playlist last week. Certianly an album that probably grows on you.
bnitol album pero aveces s hace country nose como jejefkfjhkdfgbf
smooth singer but low key. 3 or 4? but its so slick. 3 because its heteronormative but might work to keep me calm.
I thought I would hate this, I am almost disappointed that I like it. Who knew.
I love Hawley's voice. It's like a cross between Nick Lowe and Damon Albarn. A lot of it reminded me of Blur's The Universal. A nice chill listen!
I remember this being praised when it was released but never gave it a listen. Earnest old-timey crooning (with a slightly modern sheen) that clearly influenced Alex Turner. Might be a bit top heavy? Either the best tracks are in the first half, or I just got a little weary of it towards the end. Or both.
A fairly bland exploration through honey.
ganz nettes pop album mit ein paar coolen instrumentals und einigen tracks die ich mir definitiv nochmal anhören werde. viel mehr aber auch nicht
I liked it
Het openingsnummer is mooi! En de rest kan ik eigenlijk ook best goed hebben.
Mooie stem, mooie liedjes, maar op een gegeven moment wilde ik gaan slapen.
Very gentle. The Roy Orbison of Sheffield...
Great when I’m in the mood for it
6/10. Pretty good, wouldn't listen to it again though.
I liked it a lot actually
I went to listen to this album with low expectations, was already prepared to not like it, buuuuut it was a nice surprise. It reminded me of 50/60s music, with a lot of influence from Johnny Cash. Overall a decent album, probably gonna listen to it some more times. Favorite tracks: * Ocean * Just Like The Rain * Coles Corner
This would have been a great album in 1965
Glad to be intrduced
Almost wrote this one off, not sure why it was even on the list. Reading about it, it was apparently critically acclaimed, nominated for a Mercury and such. Finding out that he wrote most of the songs made me warm up to it, at first I thought it was some guy singing standards. The fact that I thought they were standards is a testament to his writing ability I suppose. Gave it a couple listens, in the end coming down in the middle.
Retro-sounding. I can appreciate it but sort of boring for me.
Listened Before? N This was a surprise! Never heard of the man or the album. Pros: Wonderful old-school sound. They keyboards on some of the slower songs are chill-inducing. A nice mellow listen for a romantic evening or a melancholy day. I love the instrumental outtro of "Last Orders". Cons: Some of the songs (Who's Going to Shoe Your Pretty Feet) are too long and meander a bit slowly to keep my interest, but it's a small gripe. I can skip it. Songs added to Playlist: Just Like the Rain Added To Library: N
This one's tough. The album cover kind of looks like a self-distributed album by one of your friend's dads. And then you start listening to it and the strings come in and you feel like "uh-oh, what am I in for." But then the vocals come in and it's not the amateur hour thing you thought it was going to be. But then as it goes on, you realize none of this is connecting with you. And maybe that's because you don't know who Richard Hawley is and nothing in the music is giving you a ton of affection for him. I don't know what the personality is here. I couldn't get into it. But it's a pretty pro sounding record.
Not bad, not bad. It gave me Mark Lanegan vibes, minus a few hundred whiskey bottles and several decades of smoking cigs. Probably the kind of music that would work well in some David Lynch scenes, which is a very specific, but personally enjoyable compliment. If another Richard Hawley record shows up on this list I won't roll my eyes. Pretty. High. Praise, guys.
Calm and relaxing album. Would be nice background music, "The Ocean" my favourite song. All the songs are very similar, nothing extremely standout either good nor bad.
This album was fine. He has a good voice and the lyrics work well enough. It's not my thing, but I could see why people like it. For me, though, it was hard to understand how this album was innovative or significant. It seemed like another late era Brit Pop album that made it to this list because it was popular, not because it was particularly meaningful or groundbreaking. Also, this album just keeps fucking going without really changing or doing anything interesting 3/5
Not really my thing but I can appreciate it, the ocean is a great song.
Had not heard of Richard Hawley before and I don't recall ever hearing any of these songs in the past. I'm not always great at picking up when a musician is performing something ironically, but to me, he is not, and I like that. There is so much familiarity in what he's doing, but it also doesn't sound just like someone imitating or covering music from the past. That's really hard to do. Impressive.
Enjoyable album
Pop. Soul. Lento. Suave
Relaxing and easy listening. Something I could listen to again just trying to unwind.
You would never know this album is from the 21st century. Very easy to listen to and love the crooner style voice.
Cool voice, pretty slow, good song writing, loved the slide guitar in various tracks. Best track: Hotel Room
Definitely an interesting album overall. I dig Hawley's voice, and despite the album falling under a folksy/country umbrella (which I'm not the biggest fan of) I definitely appreciated it and liked the subtle hints of blues and jazz throughout. Favorite Tracks: Coles Corner, Darlin' Wait for Me
Good album, had a nice Christmas feel in parts despite not ostensibly being about Christmas
Pleasant album to be driving through the snowy suburbs and highways of Greater Manchester to.
Rating: 6/10
211121 10:40 3 :(
I have never heard of this man before in my life. But hear me out, he sounds like a mixture of Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, and Elvis. He has a great sound. Makes you want to sit down with a nice whiskey and with about your existence
A modern 50's pop rock n roll album. Coherent and excellent production, which hides any dud tracks, except for the country ones at the end to which you take notice. Several really great tracks. I like albums where everyone has a different favorite track. Not a fan of the songwriting, which seems like a big component, but there's a lot of other things to like here. Favorites: Darlin Wait For Me, The Ocean, Born Under A Bad Sign, Tonight
Solid album - I had listened to it a few times when it was released and now I again. It is quite pleasant and I may listen to it again in the future, as with so many records: not clear why is in the 1001-list.
Melancholic, dreamy, smooth, and a tad boring to be honest. Seems influenced by singers like Elvis and Johnny Cash.
Chill, jazzy, acoustic album. It was alright
Mislim da bi mi baš više pasao album, bio je dobar dok sam ga slušao, ali sam zaspao. Tak mi je reko Ivan da si ga pustim taman navečer jer tad paše. Dao bi 4 možda da sam stigo do kraja.
It's always weird hearing this kinda oldies-style music coming from someone way after, in this case 2005. I can never really get it out of my head that it's all a big gag, some ironic hipster thing. This honestly doesn't sound bad, but again: how on earth is this something I needed to hear before I die? Or more to the point, why are the only albums in this style i've had so far been by this guy and fucking Morrisey? About the closest thing otherwise has been maybe Johnny Cash, and even then it's still miles off. I'm over 400 albums in; surely there could have been some kind of original crooner-type in there by now. 3/5 cause it's honestly not a bad listen. Biggest criticism is that it's a bit boring. At 45min he doesn't really break any of my album length rules, but it doesn't mix it up at all.
Pausado, tranquilo, relajado, buena voz y melodías.
Mellow to the point I forgot I was listening to music. 3 listens of the album with the same drifting off each time. Happy to know that this album was made in the mid-2000's, fully respect people that just disregard current musical trends and just make the music they want to make.
Looking at the track list I see songs named "The Ocean" and "Born Under a Bad Sign", so of course I'm thinking Led Zeppelin and Cream covers. Turns out not to be the case. In fact, couldn't be much different from those two bands. Pleasant enough, but not really my thing. 3 stars.
First half is like really dark, and almost kinda boring? It sounds like death, not the band but actual dying. Coudln't explain why I felt that way, I could just feel myself slowly aging as it went on. Second half I liked a lore more. I felt like a good amiunt of the music gained a new sort of personality vs. just the sound of slowly dying to alcoholism and cigarettes'.
Ik vind het wel lekkere muziek. Leuke melodieën met een aangename stem. Mijn favoriet is "Just Like the Rain". ***
This was pretty good, but I had had enough by half way through. It was rather samey
this one's easier to be objective about, since i'd never heard of him at all, despite pretty clearly remembering being alive when it was released. it was an interesting mix of tracks i did not care for one bit, and a couple i found really nice. great voice, and of course the one standout track for me was the one that got the least play on that album (according to spotify) - which tells me i probably don't really like his overall style that much. but I Sleep Alone was a great one, just sayin'.
Really smooth listening. Some twangy stuff, soft voice, enjoyable.
Liked this album…. Good listen
All of this guys songs sound like they are the song that plays at the end of the movie as the credits roll. I'm not sure why this came out in 2005 or who this guy is but I liked Ocean. He almost is like a knock off Johnny Cash in a way. And so he is just waiting outside at his own concert for someone to show up and they aren't showing up? Kind a sad.
It was pretty alright
Decent album…not what I was expecting
A lot more interesting in context with what Cole's Corner is, and to me paints a lonely guy who just can't seem to find the love he's looking for. Not my type of music, maybe too slow for me, but the album was good. Its lyrics definitely stand out more than the music for me, except for the title track where the music stands out just as much
Top 3 1. (1) Coles Corner 2. (3) Hotel Room 3. (5) The Ocean Bonus: (11) Last Orders
3.5
Thoroughly enjoyed. Born under a bad sign is my favourite off the album.
Leonard Cohen-ish, Perry Como-ish, Roy Rogers-ish, lounge singer-ish. That probably sounds worse than I mean it to. It’s not sleazy or anything, just kinda beige. Bland. Nondescript. Perfectly inoffensive, but challenges the listener not at all. Still, there’s something comforting about it, like eating a cupcake or snuggling a teddy bear or slipping on your favorite pajamas and staying in bed all day. There’s value in that. Also, holy crap! This album is from 2005! I would’ve guessed 1958.
Fantastic production and a great voice, however, I felt like there was not much sonic variation and many of the songs blandly waltzed along. Nice dinner party background music.
3 1/2
OK
Was very easy listening. Inoffensive - I liked some bits but it was very easy to tune out of.
Sounds like the soundtrack to a Richard Curtis movie.
Really easy to listen but nothing outstanding. Might return to it one day.
Very beautiful, sublime and we'll crafted album
Un départ en fanfare rapidement anéanti par un tapis dans lequel Richard va se prendre les pieds dès le second morceau. Heureusement que l'intéressé a su en rire par la suite en transformant cet épisode potentiellement traumatique en une force avec le lancement de sa propre marque de revêtement de sol.
Song got to my likes. Nice
Best Song: Last Orders Worst Song: I Sleep Alone
pleasantly surprised by how much i liked this album
sacre intro, sinon sympa sans grand renversement de situation, 3/5 vu qu'il y a pas 3.5
A lovely album, nice songs and sounds fantastic
Great voice and nice songs, not quite enough to drag me back though
A wonderful surprise.
This was close to a 4, but a few songs near the end brought this down a bit for me. Still a big fan of this - its very somber and croony, but I like how it feels way older than it is Liked: Coles Corner, The Ocean
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Coles Corner, Just Like the Rain, The Ocean, Born Under A Bad Sign, I Sleep Alone Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Britpop and Easy Listening had a decently enjoyable child
Classic country beats, but recorded in 2005. Interesting.
was always going to be a 3, fairly nice songs and voice but instantly forgettable
It was a surprise back in the mid 00s, such a rara avis in that musical landscape. I always preferred his posterior Ladies' Bridge, but The Ocean is such a beautiful song
nice and slow solid three
Ein Mann wie Whisky. Nicht immer aber in gewissen Stunden genau richtig. 3.4
Mit dem ersten Song hat er mich total abgeholt, mit dem letzten wunderbar wieder rausgleiten lassen, da steuerte ich schon auf eine 4. Dazwischen war mir dann aber zu wenig Variation und zu viel Johnny Cash, und das lag dann nur bei einer zwei. Insgesamt: macht das: 2,5
Semibängeri Skön musik, lite väl långsamt för min smak
Listenable, not very exciting or new. Not my favorite vocal quality
The album sound like crooner music. It is pleasant to listen to. I was surprised by the 'recent' release date.
2.5. I like his voice. Songs, meh.
Definition of easy listening
Not bad
Could have sworn I heard roy oberson a couple of times...
Quite soft and slow, but actually not that bad. Good combination of different genres.
Very pleasant
Ok?
Very okay
Starts off a bit drab, but settles cleanly into a kind of groove as it meanders through a few styles. By the time I got to The Ocean I was certain that I had heard the song before, though I can find no record of that happening. Builds, or rather cruises, to the end, capping off a smooth fifty minutes. This is perfect music to slot into a day, though I'm not sure the album is dynamic enough to draw one back for an active listen.
Interesting album. The Ocean in particular is amazing. The album loses steam later on though.
Not for me
Bloody hell it Pat Boon
not my thing at all sorry
I have not heard this before. I don’t think I’ve heard Richard Hawley before. Apparently he was in Pulp, who I remember liking, but also so was Jarvis Cocker, who I find to be incredibly dull and uninspired. Unfortunately Richard Hawley is following Jarvis in his solo career making incredibly dull and uninspired music. The bulk of this is late 60s/early 70s style crooning ballads with a few halfhearted uptempo numbers interspersed and one mopey country style ballad. There is a guitar part in Born Under A Bad Sign that goes on for a few bars that really caught my ear and the lap steel solo in Wading Through The Waters Of My Time is good, and then it ends on two nice atmospheric songs. The rest of the album comes off like day old white bread.
Music so boring I actually forgot it was playing.
This felt like an album out of time. 2000s production values, 1950s tunes. I didn't like it. If I want to hear Elvis, I'll just listen to Elvis.
Some of this crooning was all right, but it soon got old, and boring.
Boring! So much of the same.
Either the instrumentals or the vocals needed to be a lot more passionate to elevate this album from competently made but ultimately boring to something great. Also, I was floored the see this was made in 2005. You could have subtracted several decades and I would not have bat an eye.
Sonic ambien. I can't deny that this album objectively is well made, but I wish everyone involved had applied their talents toward something less boring. "Born Under a Bad Sign" really rubs this in by reminding you about the existence of better music that you could be listening to instead.
If this album had come out 50 years earlier I’d probably have a kinder review. But everything that was done on this album has been done better decades previously.
3/10
Interesting listen
Baffling inclusion #5 This is from 2005, so it’s certainly from the 1001 albums extension to 1089. The same rule applies to others though- if people aren’t talking about your album 10, 20 years later- is it a classic? Is it worth inclusion? I suppose what Richard Hawley does here is novel, if old fashioned this is essentially a crooner album in the vein of Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin that would have been more at home in the 40s or 50s than 2005. It’s not bad, but it’s not worthy. ⭐️⭐️
405/1089 there’s a bit of leonard cohen in his voice i feel? though the songs aren’t on that level imo The Ocean is the first song i’ve properly resonated with, he sounds great there and the instrumental sounds fresh and classy, the strings especially omg kinda love that it ended on an instrumental track Overall i liked it but didn’t connect to a lot faves: The Ocean, Last Orders 44/100
Boring and pretty much one-note. There was nothing here that interested me.
I don’t want more man with guitar please give me something else I just can’t, I did like the ocean and lowkey last orders was good ambient noise
dreamy and fine overall, very slow and soft. Not something I'd ever really revisit but I can see if this is someone's jam
Parts were ok but overall it was too mellow for me in the places I didn't want it to be
What in the name of lounge singing is this shit? I *had* to listen to this before I died? Exactly why, may I ask?
It's alright. Very lowkey which makes it good to listen to late at night, which is a common time for me because I work overnights. Unfortunately some of its tracks skew too close to country for me so it won't be entering rotation.
2.5/5 has a couple good spots but then loses me towards the end. Coles Corner 7.5 good slow jazzy tune. Just Like the Rain 6.5 more up tempo folky Hotel Room 6.5 slow 50's kinda style song Darlin' Wait for Me 6 good but similar to the previous. The Ocean 6 its starting to sound a little similar. Born Under a Bad Sign 5 not noteworthy I Sleep Alone 6 thankfully a little more uptempo and energetic on this. Tonight 4.5 about ready to go to bed from this one. (Wading Through) The Waters of My Time 7 country almost twangy. Nice slide guitar bit at the end. Who's Going to Shoe Your Pretty Feet snoozefest 4.5 Last Orders 5 kinda good kinda dookie
There's some nice sounding stuff on here but it's overall a little too slow, a little too country, and a little too nostalgic for a musical era I don't care about.
What is this like old country? Nah
Boring christmasmusic
A bit too country for me but he does have a nice voice.
What in the name of bland-ass muzak is this. Yikes. Someone probably enjoys this, good for them, keep them out of my listening space.
Wasn't sure what to expect here but turned out to be interesting. High 2s
It's all very well done, but this type of throwback pre-Beatles pop music is not my cup of tea.
meh, not my type
How is a 50s crooner throwback essential? Not bad, just derivative and sleepy.
ich weiß nicht es war schon bisschen langweilig und hat mich nicht abgeholt mag denke ich seine stimme vor allem auch nicht soo fav tracks: wading through the waters of my time
Cool and diferent actually enjoyed something more relaxing. A little too long songs and the intros were long silence in a few song so that took away a bit for me
I enjoyed some of these songs to an extent, but found the album on the whole to be a bit too sleepy and a bit too croon-y.
Never heard of him or this album. He looks like a guy who's about to get stood up, he sounds like a guy who would've died of old age in the 90's. This is music from the late 50's, early 60's (to fit his look) and doesn't break any new ground. Heavy on strings I should have fucking known, he's from Sheffield upon Avon from the Spotted Dick neighborhood and lives on Leicester Avenue above the Custard Pot Pub in the UK. God damn this list is so slanted for random Brit albums that never made a dent in the US. He must have an audience of elderly Brits who learned Spotify from their grandkids cause he has 26M listens of "The Ocean". Boring ass song. There's a Disc Two on the 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, gee thanks! Flat vocal, boring music from start to finish, didn't move the needle or offer anything that hasn't already been done, no hits (in the US), zero influence, and a complete unknown. 2 stars, it's listenable but has no place in the Top 1001. If you are looking for an album to help you sleep, you're in luck!
Um punhado de canções com interpretações à moda antiga, algumas de inclinação country. Disco Fraco!
This is #day703 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… lately I've been feeling like I'm on a streak of inessential albums. Like, help me understand what makes this particular entry so significant that I'd somehow be missing out without it. Haven't we heard this all before? I'm getting weary of selections like this. Oh well, at least I learned the singer was a member of Pulp and Longpigs. Otherwise, this is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day704.
Like scott walker's less interesting cousin
Idk it’s decent I guess. I this he’s got a good voice but it kinda had the same problem as the divine comedy there’s something kinda offputting.
Competently performed but only relevant because some old people who refuse to let go of the past think this deserved to win the mercury prize over *checks notes* arctic monkeys... I am not an arctic monkeys fan at all but, seriously? In what world? If this album were released 50 years earlier it would be praised for its slick production, but the songwriting is simply nostalgic tribalism.
From Turbonegro to this? Oh, you’re a funny guy, but this will not sit. Die scum! Sorry… I’m still in the Apocalypse Dudes mood.
There's nothing particularly bad about this, I just don't need Roy Orbison style baritone ballads about broken hearts and lost/missed/failed love.
For those who have been waiting for decades for Nick Lowe to turn his charming but limited vocal powers to the project of reviving Neil Diamond's ghost -- Good News! That album exists and has been located. (Neil is actually alive. Thanks, Wikipedia.) The cover photo is a shambolic trainwreck. Get a haircut. And comb your hair. In either order; makes no difference. And then get new glasses. And the all black outfit is ... I mean, come on. Get it together, Hawley! This album has its moments, but overall it is a beguiling blend of the boring and the tedious. With a dash of the tiresome to pull it all together. At least Paul Anka's Nirvana cover on Rock Swings is funny. Closing with something that sounds like it came from a Brian Eno ambient album qualifies as a true surprise.
4/10 Coles Corner is an album in which Richard Hawley peruses his record collection for inspiration, plucks out a selection of tunes and then creates a selection of “inspired by” songs that don’t really add anything new to the music he’s been influenced by apart from a sheen of high-quality modern production. There is a reasonable range of influences here, from traditional mid 20th century pop standards, via bluesy, country and a touch of jazz, but each of those influences seems to be largely imparted in single tracks, rather than being blended together into something fresh and unique. It’s a bit of a weird one, because in passing, I didn’t mind this album. It creates a fairly coherent sound palette, is harmonically rich and full, and doesn’t do anything overtly wrong at any point. He’s also got a really nice voice, with a subtle and warm delivery. But it just didn’t excite me in any way at all. There were times where I felt like I was listening to the kind of thing that Michael Bublé would release as an album track, and others where I felt like this was some spruced up “lost track” from a Johnny Cash record, but at no point did anything really jump out and demand my attention, despite me doing my best to give it that focus. The aforementioned production does give this a modern sheen, but even that feels like it goes a touch too far. The whole thing is reverb soaked and dreamy, but in that slightly undefined dreamy way that you can’t remember the details of when you’ve woken up. The longer this record went on, the less it engaged me, really, and by the end of it, it just felt like a bit of a wash of nothingness. Pleasant enough nothingness, but in all honesty, the only thing I can really remember after three listens through is the general vibe, which is not the sign of an album that managed to resonate with me. Coles Corner - The rich timbre of Hawley’s voice is lovely. This is very pretty in a dramatic, almost musical theatre way, particularly the way the main melodic motif is echoed between the vocals and the strings. It’s a warm and tender piece that’s entirely pleasant, without having much of an edge to it, and while I’m enjoying it well enough, it also isn’t doing much to grab hold of me. Just Like The Rain - This feels a bit lighter of foot and delivers a little more musical range than the opener through its different sections, adding a depth of instrumentation as the track progresses. There’s an edge of country-blues to the rhythm here that gives it a bit of impetus and it does have a bit more that appeals to me musically within the composition, but it’s still nice rather than exciting. Hotel Room - This drifts back towards what Coles Corner was doing, but with a hint of country coming from the slide guitar, which is really nice. There’s a slight jazzy edge to this too and it all calls back to traditional pop of the mid 20th century era but given a more modern, full and clear production style. It’s got a very clear brief and it’s absolutely nailing that, but for me, it’s just a touch safe and a little on the bland side, despite being harmonically rich and warm. Darlin' Wait For Me - The lead guitar here is gorgeous and gives this more of a tonal focus than I was able to find in the first few tracks. From a songwriting point of view, the chord structure feels very familiar, like this has been plucked out of the American songbook, so it’s hardly groundbreaking work, but it’s melodically pleasant, very well performed and produced, and his voice is lovely. The Ocean - Another very nice, easy-listening effort now. I know these are all original compositions, but if someone stuck this on in the background, I’d probably just think we were listening to someone like Michael Bublé singing pop standards. It’s really, really well executed, the orchestration is lovely, but it all feels so safe and samey that I’m just not getting a lot out of it. Born Under A Bad Sign - There’s something of the lullaby to this. There are bits and pieces in this that are very good, like some bits of guitar work, but again, it’s quite bland and repetitive, and the chorus just isn’t doing it for me. I Sleep Alone - This leans more towards the country rock of Johnny Cash. It’s got more rhythmic drive and the groove skips along at a decent, toe-tapping clip. The more laid back vocal works quite nicely against that pace in the rhythm section and I’m getting a bit more out of this than the more laid back efforts. It’s still not lighting a fire in me, but it’s a decent enough listen. Tonight - This is sparse and pretty, but quite boring. As with much of the album, it’s absolutely dripping in reverb. It does get better once the bass comes in to give it a bit of weight and swagger. It’s still very musically repetitive, despite the build of the instrumentation as the song progresses. Four and a half minutes of that same guitar arpeggiation is quite a lot. Meh. (Wading Through) The Waters Of My Time - Back to something more Johnny Cash like. It’s bluesy, it’s pleasant enough, but it’s so derivative as to be largely redundant. Stylistically, I’d say the more stripped back instrumentation and the genre beats that it hits mean that it doesn’t really gel that well with the rest of the record either. Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet - We’re definitely leaning into that croony side of things now with an arrangement of a traditional song. As with much of the album, it’s well performed and produced, but it’s quite bland and uninspiring. I’m getting rather bored of this album now. Last Orders - This is very, very slow. It’s pretty enough, but it feels like the album is just slowly grinding to a halt. I’d probably have a lot more time for this if the album hadn’t started to drag by this point. But it has.
Mushy man rock that sounded like it should have been from the 60's.
Formulaic. The whole crooning over romantic strings and jazzy instrumentation. Like, I can never take shit like this seriously. I mean, it doesn't sound bad. In fact, it's well-played, well-produced, not even sung terribly. But it's all ready-made. It's "I want to do this and this and this" and then get studio musicians together to play out whatever the idea is ('cause everyone already know what it needs), and it comes together nicely. And it does, like it sounds fine. Background music for people who aren't me or asssociate with me. Would be great for those people who listen to Norah Jones. Same type of shit: music made for people with property and secure investment portfolios.
Let's all be very honest here and admit that the only thing that's particularly remarkable about this album is the fact that it was made in the twenty-first century... most everything on it having already been played out rather comprehensively in the work of artists fifty and sixty years earlier. The music's nice, inherently, I guess, but for real emotional impact it's relying heavily on nostalgia bait that just does nothing for me. To be even more honest I ought to say that I'm always kind of suspicious of men from relatively-modern times who produce apparently heartfelt homages to the mainstream culture of an era predating second-wave feminism...
I really liked the opening title track. Felt pretty epic. The rest was melodramatic country twang sad boy chamber pop with very little that really caught my attention.
Random thoughts: * I'm kinda mixed on this one. The execution is brilliant but do we really need another crooner who was a member of a brit-pop band (Pulp). * The nostalgic notes are dead on and you can feel the depth of his love for the period and time and music. * It's cool that he made the album about a real place (Coles Corner) in his hometown of Sheffield. * I'd probably give this a 2.5 if I could but I'm going with a 2 because of the over indexing on crooners and English musicians.
what a voice & what lackluster music. ugh
What a weird album. I understand this guy is from the band Pulp, which figures: during the the earlier part of the album he sounds like he's doing a poor impersonation of Jarvis Cocker, then it slowly devolves into a poor impersonation of Johnny Cash. Either way, the music style is a huge throwback - I don't think it was awful, however that definitely threw me. I wouldn't listen again.
Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for this miserable, plodding croonfest. Or maybe it's a really boring and insignificant album.
p906. 2005. 2 stars. Roy Orbison wannabee without the songs or the voice. This is a single paced dirge. No thanks.
A pretty calm and uneventful album.
After reading some of the reviews I thought “hmm, that seems like something I might like.” But after listening I’ve gotta agree with some of the negatives. Meh. Schmalzy. Mawkish. Bathetic. Nah.
2.5
An entire album at 33 1/3 that should be played at 45. Just ponderous.
Feels like listening to a modernized Sinatra, due to the singers slow way of singing and low voice and the variation in terms of sound, as it blends traditional pop with singer songwriter and country. While this might sounds an interesting experience, I find it to be quite boring nonetheless. All the songs here are super slow with most of them lacking any charm that appealed to me. Not even the soothing orchestration and the very clear sound could really caught my attention. I do however like a lot "The Ocean". Is a really beautiful song that has a sense of growth, as the vocals and instruments get more intense as the track passes. It is truly the best song in here. The rest I think lands in a range between boring and decent.
Jazzy Sinatra achtig
This would be fine at a restaurant where I could sip wine and be able to talk with people at my table, instead of the ones that I compete with old top 40, the football games from the bar and all the people trying to talk over the same.
Not really for me. Sounds like 50’s slow pop.
Not for me, nothing bad to say about it but just a bit underwhelming
2.5 Not sure who that music was made for but I don't think it's me. Just find it extremely dull tbh, not sure why but baritone vocals don't really do it for me, sounds like someones taking the piss. There were some decent moments - the ocean, I sleep alone, and last orders were pleasant, but unfortunately on too many tracks I was dying to press the skip button. Wrong vibe for me.
Relatively boring album. It sounds good. Vocally it's good, but it's like a soundtrack to a sad movie of some guy that got stood up and is holding some flowers in front of a theater in the movie poster. Wait, that's the album art. A+ decent.
Adult alternative is an underrepresented genre on this list. That’s not to say I like this album that much, but it is a worthy observation.
Okay I'm 3 songs in and I'm giving up. This is sapping the life from me. Each song takes years off my life. By the time the album is over, I'll be elderly enough to enjoy it. 2 stars, because although this is one of the most boring things I've ever heard, it is at least recorded and performed well. Not for me.
Not so wild about this, I enjoyed one or two of the more "C&W" tracks, but it largely bored me. Not offensive though. 2.5/5
Meh 2/5
No, this is not my music. The music quite good, the singing is quite good, and even the songs are quite good. But everything on the album is slow, soooo slow. And this monotony simply makes the album as a whole quite boring.
Nice voice but didn’t care for it.
Well executed, but almost completely uninteresting to me personally. "The Ocean" may be the best song here. "I Sleep Alone" is pretty decent too. I can't in good conscience call it bad, but it's boring. Nothing I'd choose to listen to again.
Quite pleasant easy listening. Nothing special, and nothing to hate. Not for me 2.
This may be the whitest album on this list.
Hopefully the Coles Corner hangout is not as boring and forgettable as this album
Tää ei ollut mitenkään erikoinen levy. Aikalailla hissimuzakia. Ei jäänyt mitään mieleen.
Had a hard time getting into this one. The retro vibe was ok and it may have been an attempt at soft rock but it could be more accurately described as flaccid.
Kind of wild that this came out in 2005; it sounds like songwriting from the 70s with 90s production. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just really out of place. I’m not sure who the audience is here other than clear channel radio. Completely forgettable but not unpleasant.
Orudo piporu ko ro shi te ya ru
- Love his silky crooning vocals. - The songs are soothing, but nothing really stands out beyond his voice, and nothing really excited me that much.
I want to like this, but I don’t. Sounds a bit like Roy Orbison.
You read a bit on the effort and it's classified as pop-rock by an artist you've honestly never heard of before. Not Something to look forward to if you're not a pop-rock kind of person, so I was groaning slightly before I even hit play. And when I finally did... what? What is this supposed to be? I was feeling a retro blue-eyed-soul influence with an occasional Americana spin. I always find it curious when an English artist appropriates that traditional American folk sound, and I suppose it's pretty well done and varied, the effort feels cohesive, it's just a giant chore for me to finish. I made it to the end with zero hopes for a second listen. 2/5
This sounds like lounge-singer stuff from the 70s, but it's from 2005. Is it some kind of great leap forward for lounge singing? Why is this on the list rather than an originator of the genre? Not that I want to listen to either of them, you understand. Now that I have read this guy is out of Pulp, I do hear a bit of Pulp in there, but not enough to interest me. And I could actually go and listen to Pulp if that's what I wanted to do.