Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Vocally, it's a 180º shift from yesterday's Lou Reed. This guy's got a really good, rich, baritone. While not entirely "different styles filtered through a jazz crooner ballad vibe," this album does feel like a studio version of a laid-back, ballad-heavy Las Vegas residency. So, I can't say i love this album, but it's more listenable than yesterday's (Lou Reed, Transformer) by a long shot. Listening to it as a musician, there's a ton of stylistic authenticity of the parts that are carrying the underlying style. I suppose a more specific comp for this might be if Elvis did an album of ballads with a mix of his regular style and Vegas crooning. There are no sharp edges on this album. There's a lot of really, really, really great playing and arranging and quite good singing...but it's all just way too safe. "The Ocean" is utterly gorgeous, but is emblematic of the all that is good and bad about this album. 5 stars for the phenomenal playing and arranging and good singing, but 2 stars taken off for the utter lack of tension/drama throughout the album.
This one needs to be enjoyed in a cozy environment. It improved greatly in the second listen at home
Didn’t seem remarkable to me.
This album was a surprise listen in a good way. Buttery chilled out music throughout. In some ways it was reminiscent of the early Elvis bollards and it reminded me of other artists down the years, in some ways it wasnt/isn't dissimilar to croon. Lovely album 👍
I think he's an amazing person, and he was in Pulp. I should be there for it. But this revivalist rock and roll is largely very boring.
A nice, calming album. Soothing vocals backed by solid instrumentals. Gets a bit boring as it goes on but above average overall. I much prefer this over a Leonard Cohen or something similar. 6.5/10 (3.25/5)
This was entirely uninteresting
I'm torn about this. The opening arrangement is really beautiful, the singing isn't too shabby, the ocean is a wonderful song. But all the rest is just so.... Ughhhhh! Not going to play this again so 2/5
Album was really slow and I found it kind of boring. Never really caught my attention. 2/5 Won’t listen again
At the beginning of the album, I was ready to write it off as boring. But the style and his voice really grew on me. By the time I got to The Ocean, and I heard the emotion in his voice, I realized I was wrong. At the end, I considered giving this a 5. But I'm not sure the album as a whole deserved a perfect score. I'll definitely listen more and look up his other stuff
Throwback old style crooner vibes that sounds like the soundtrack to a movie that never got made.
Rating: 2.4
I thought it started off a bit slow but by the end of it I was fully captivated by this love letter to an older era of music.
Maybe I'm just not feeling this today, but I hated this. It's just a version of things that have been done better 100s of times before. It sounds like some average talent musician in a coffee shop or winery. It commits the worst sin in the arts... it's boring. This is the first record I've gotten where I have no clue why I would need to hear this before I die.
3.7
First album I don't really feel strongly a particular way about. The album can get a bit tiresome and is a bit sluggish, but the dude's talented I guess. May give another listen when I'm in the mood for something sappy.
Definition of OK. At Swim Two Birds / Montgolfier Brothers do this same thing with way more Chutzpah
brotha eughhhh
I liked the atmosphere this album had. Felt like modern 50s music which was kinda cool. The cover is also pretty representative of the music in my opinion.
Liked this more than I thought I would, it’s surprisingly nice
really liked it.. hadn't heard of him before, but loved his voice, and would listen to this again..
Lovely album. The Ocean is out of this world, phenomenal track.
Okay this album is chill as fuck, perfect for my walk home in the winter. His voice is perfect for the mood and the guitar work at times was amazing. I don't think it'll have much lasting effect and it blended together at times, but still a very solid listen.
This wouldn't make this list if it wasn't for the Pulp connection. But it's a fine effort - low key but fun.
I loved a couple of parts but mostly forgot I was listening to this.
I don't think I'd want to hang around this corner for too long. Stone Coles Shit.
Pop que se eleva e chama atenção.
Only heard 'born under a bad sign' in a commercial. But it is a cozy background album but nothing special.
Even though this is an album with original songs, it still sounds like a long album of covers. There is no personality here.
I feel like I've heard the name before, and sounds like they were part of a bigger band at some point but that doesn't seem to be the case. Listening to this album it seems like he was born in the wrong era. That is sometimes a good thing but overall it felt dated rather than timeless. There were quite a few tracks I liked and was one of the rare albums with a skip just because it was a bit boring. Kind of a vanilla album for me Favorite track "The Ocean" 2/5
Croony croony croony. Decent enough album, sounds like it should have been made in the 50s or 60s. Won't be going back to it.
Lovely.
Everything about this record is just fine. Nothing is great. The songs are just fine, the instrumentation is just fine, his voice is, well he ain't no Frank Sinatra, but it's fine. I wonder how this ended up on the list. It was neither groundbreaking nor the start of a new revival. It's just fine. Favorite song: Tonight.
Middling operatic Brit rock verging on country and Americana. Didn’t care for it much but interesting part of the palette in the genre.
I'm a sucker for a rich baritone. Beautiful.
Music that your great grandparents will like
This didn't really do anything for me. It feels like it should have been recorded in the 70s, not the 00s. I also got big "I love to go to the local karaoke and queue 6 Elvis songs back-to-back" vibes from it
I like this quite a lot. Sedate and soulful
Songwriting-wise there's a lot of Rod McKuen-vibes mixed with Scott Walker-esque vocals. He ranges in sound from classic 60's pop to indie to Brill Building to country and even an ambient at the end for good measure. This feels so iconic I couldn't place the era initially. Really impressed by this one and will be digging into it more!
3.5
beautiful orchestration on the first track , But the rest of the album doesn’t interest me at all .
Wow. I wasn't expecting that. Very comfy listening. Will check out more of his work.
A few standouts but a few too many snoozes.
This album grew on me with a couple listens. Some of the songs were incredibly cheesy, but the more folksy songs had a nice sound to them that I ended up enjoying.
It's not bad but not what I'd listen to normally
Tepid. Vanilla. Drowsy.
Shocked by how beautiful this is. A couple songs drag, but I’m glad this entered my life
Who knew we needed a deep baritone with a soulful northern voice, a penchant for sweeping strings and a sense of magnificent melancholy. Never used to better effect than on the title track and the Ocean, Hawley crafts a classic out of fifties crooner styles, Northern grit and lyrics that send him out into the rain one more time in search of love.
Leuk dit. Melancholiek, bluesy, warm, niet bang af en toe een blikje violen open te trekken, maar met een prettig rauwe stem waardoor het niet zoetsappig wordt. Een beetje in het hoekje van mensen als Gordon Haskell en de door sommigen verguisde Elvis Costello, en dat is een heel prettig hoekje om in te zitten.
Is deze man vergeten dat deze muziek 70 jaar geleden al gemaakt is? Tergend gedateerd. We verkennen in de lijst nu even het segment 'saai'. Ik heb net net twee saaie albums drie sterren gegeven. Maar hier is nauwelijks doorheen te komen...
Ok, is dit uit 2005? Ik snap wel dat ik dit niet ken, want het is een gedateerde crooner uit vervlogen tijden. Een soort imitatie van de broer van de tante van Jan de Bakker en die zijn zus die om de hoek woont, die Frank Sinatra, Elvis en Roy Orbison probeert na te doen. Terwijl deze gast gewoon uit Sheffield komt, klinkt het eerder alsof hij uit Volendam komt en Engels probeert te zingen. Er zit ook overdreven veel galm in, echt typisch die gast die net zijn versterker uit de kofferbak heeft gehaald en dan 3 uur gaat lopen soundchecken. Wat is dit ongelooflijk saai. Een absolute aanfluiting.
Noo kyllähän tämän kuuntelee mutta eipä se paljoa herättänyt 2/5
Vähän jännä valinta listalle, mutta yllättävän jees ja kiva tunnelma. Pitää ehkä kuunnella toistekin. Vahva 3
Ihan kelpo moderni kantri-platta. laitetaan nyt kuitenkin 2/5 koska ei oo mitään sen enempää.
velproduceret, røvkedelig
Er efterhånden temmelig skeptisk med det samme jeg ser at dagens album er britisk pop/rock som jeg aldrig har hørt fra 90erne eller senere. Det her var egentlig ret lækkert, lød virkelig pænt, men godt nok også kedeligt
Ikke just essentielt..
Richard Hawley's lush adult contemporary music actually works quite well and some of the cuts here are downright gorgeous. There's a good reason "The Ocean" was such a hit. That is, besides the times the album sounds like sensual mum muzak.
Maybe it's because I'm a sad bitch tonight but I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would.
Before jumping into the listening of the album, my immediate reaction to this album cover is that it's shit and I'm afraid of the music that I'm about to hear if it matches the vibes in this cover. The cold war era diner esque building with the basic 60s/70s font mixed with the 90s/2000s appearance of Hawley gives some immediate dissonance when combined. Even separately, they are not very pleasant to look at like beige mixed with brown. After listening, I kinda see how the music matched the cover. The music itself wasn’t bad. It was like some sappy 60s/70s love songs with 2000s content and a thick layer of irony. It reminded me a lot of The Magnetic Fields’ 69 love songs. Decently pleasant listen but nothing stood out in particular
A little corny but The Ocean was an absolute ripper. Will not revisit but i enjoyed my stay
A pretty good easier listening album.
Not my thing
Buena voz. Cantante melódico moderno. Piano. Bastante bonito el disco. Un 4 le voy a dar.
The sort of thing that i'd assume isn't really for me, but found it quite pleasant instead. I like the tone of his voice, fits the music very well. Maybe a little tempo change or some other change-up would help the album out, but it's not that long and doesn't get too boring.
Everything about this is nice, but not something I can get into
Wanders between operatic/orchestral, pop, and roots rock
I couldn't finish it. I was surprised this was recorded in 2005 and the singer isn't much older than me. Sounds like something my mother-in-law would enjoy.
My initial listen didn't impress me much.
I did appreciate this album and its retro charm even if I didn’t love it.
It didn't thrill me, but it was nice.
Some very pleasant smooth, old-school crooning reminiscent of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and kd lang. A nice surprise.
I really enjoyed this. It was a nice change of pace.
zu ruhig, zu melancholisch
2.5
I don't know how much you can really say about this album. It's pleasant to listen to, he's got a nice voice, doesn't do anything particularly innovative or provocative in my opinion. It feels a little more like nice background music than something that really belongs on this list but I don't have anything bad to say about it.
Hey mate, can you pass me the sick bucket...bleuhh..... On the surface, this is horrible schmaltzy MOR record with a cabaret style crooner wooing middle aged ladies. But as I listened more, I realised Hawley actually has a lovely, warm understated voice that is totally sincere. The combination of bittersweet songs and that achingly sad voice showcases emotional music of depth. It's melancholic, but there always that lingering feeling of hope hiding somewhere in the shadows. This is beautiful, sad, warm, moving music.
This was just awful
A crap leonard cohen, maybe a bit harsh but didnt see why this needed to be listened at!
Why?
Lovely but consistently dour. The title track is really catchy, the rest just kind of sits there.
I'm not too familiar with Richard Hawley's solo work, (I listened to Lady's Bridge last year, which was decent enough). I quite liked Coles Corner, bit slow in places, but overall had a classic rockabilly vibe to it.
Coles Corner is a record that is designed to be listened at dusk. It’s a record that is designed for lonely evenings. The kind where there is a vast longing to be filled but you find yourself having no capacity to properly fill it. Listening to the record is like checking into a heartbreak hotel and not quite intending to check out.
This album was an interesting one for me. I came into it expecting it to be more garbage electronica, so it was a relief to find out it wasn't that. On the other hand, I was ready to write the whole album off 40 seconds into the first track — it was too Neil Diamond/muzak for me. But I pushed through, and I didn't hate it as much as I was expecting to. His voice is very reminiscent of old-school crooners like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, but he also sounds a bit like Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison on a couple songs (probably because of the Country-Western instrumentation). Lyrically and musically, this reminds me of artists like Robbie Williams and Morrissey (to a less annoying extent) — more introspective than I would have expected, poetic but still plainspoken. A few of the lyrics are kind of cringe in their attempt to sound meaningful ("The Ocean" is pretty poorly executed in my opinion). A lot of the instrumentation is pretty stripped down and basic, with some interesting flourishes — there are shades of Nick Drake folk and Chris Isaak soft surf rock on the slower songs. It's got a lot of 60s/70s pop sound to it and draws from Motown and Buddy Holly. There's also a lot of Country-Western influence, which I always find funny coming from Brits. Those songs sound heavily influenced by George Harrison, Johnny Cash, and even Willie Nelson. The last song is an instrumental that sounds like it's tailor-made for the sad ending of a "deep" indie film (I actually had to look up whether I might have heard it, or another of Hawley's songs, in "All Of Us Strangers"). It's got that sort of pseudo-religious vibe that's trying to be profound. I could imagine a lot of this album being featured in a quirky movie by Zach Braff. It's not a bad album, but it is pretty sleepy. I'm not sure I'd listen to it again. "Hotel Room" and "Born Under a Bad Sign" were the highlights for me. 3/5
Underwhelming Chamber Pop. Wouldn't listen again.
Pretty decent and enjoyable pop music, quite well done. The wannabe country songs at the end were bad though. Stand-out: Just Like the Rain
Definitely revisiting this album
Decent but a little on the boring side. Depending on my mood, this might be nice as background in a half empty bar on a lazy afternoon. Kind of reminds me of Nick Lowe (who I also find unexciting).
Decent, much like yesterday’s album, fairly bland and most likely not something I will return to
Another boring album, but this time one I hadn’t heard of by someone I haven’t heard of. This was OK, but didn’t really do anything for me. It could be the type of thing that I end up loving after a few listens, but more likely is something I will never think about again after today.
I think I could've died without hearing this.
This album is so unremarkable that I still can't tell you what the words are even though I read the lyrics.
Your grandparents would slow dance to this in their kitchen in 1957. It's utterly beautiful, and there isn't a single thing I would change. I just wish I could be able to listen to this again for the first time.
I found it very one-dimensional.
Favorite Track: Darlin' Wait for Me This album had an abundance of slower songs. Two songs I particularly enjoyed were "Darlin' Wait for Me" & "Born Under a Bad Sign". I rate this album 2.7/5.0. I enjoyed this album for what it was, but I would not go out of my way to relisten to it.
Foi uma experiência agradável, o álbum começa com alguma força e prosseguindo parece que vai-se diluindo no decorrer do álbum. Existem claras influências de música country. Contudo, além de música de fundo não me imagino a revisitar o álbum. As melhores músicas seriam a Coles Corner e o Hotel Room. Nota: 5/10 19/05/2024
Yeh nice, real nice
Richard Hawley unquestionably wears his Scott Walker via Jarvis Cocker influences on his sleeve but he does it's so well. Dreamy pop ballads the feel like you are flying through a cloud.
Uneventful
A little bleak and dreary, didn't do much for me.
I think when I hit my 40s or 50s I'll listen back to this and have a different appreciation. I liked it now but I get sense that this is an album that grows with the listener.
It's okay, but I don't know why it's on the list. Nothing to write home about.
Started off much stronger than it finished in my opinion. I was actually enamored by the first track, with its lush strings and Richard's deep baritone voice smoothly floating on top of it. This continues but not as effectively on the next few tracks (maybe The Ocean being the exception). By the end it's just a few older styled country ballads that don't really have much emotion in any way. 5/10
Totally fine but didn't really do anything for me. I liked "I Sleep Alone" so I'll bump it up to 2.5 stars
The only Richard Hawley song that I know is "Tonight The Streets are Ours", which is from the album after this one. I like his sound, very classic but done very well.
First 3/4 of this album is spectacular! Starts to wind down too early. Gets a little boring. Would have been better with maybe 2-3 less tracks. Still great though 4.2
I absolutely adore Hotel Room and how it taps into an early 60s crooned ballad format. So pretty. I feel a similar way about The Ocean. The orchestral flourishes are really nice and make a very pretty atmosphere. All around this reminds me a bit of Father John Misty in the prettiness of it all. I think there are some really high points, but I think a lot of this falls into a space where I enjoy it, but wouldn't choose it of my own right very often. A pretty and enjoyable album to be sure, so I'll give it a 4 / 5, but I doubt I'll be back.
This dude is interesting, english guy but the album sounds like old western twang feel almost mixed with Johnny Cash. Weird that on his wikipedia the genre in indie pop. The album overall was easy to listen to and not bad to put headphones on at work. I enjoyed it. 4 stars for me.
I think this is another one in that 3-4 range. I think I'll go with a 3 because ultimately I was pretty happy for this one to end even though it was an appropriate length of an album. I only need like 2-4 of these types of songs to get my fill.
Coles Corner is a pretty incredible song to start off the album. The Ocean is giving off huge War on Drugs vibes with the strings and whatever effect that is on the repeating guitar. Not really sure how to describe it but that song was very very good. This whole album was so good. The different guitar tones and speeds that were used throughout the album really kept things fresh. It would switch between rock, folk, and country-esque genres which I liked all of. The 2 songs after tonight were a bit slow to wind things down, but ending on Last Orders with the somber piano and whatever that ghostly sounding instrument were was perfect. I would really like to see this man perform live with a whole band of the different amount of instruments that were used in this album. This Richard Hawley fella sure is instrumentally talented. Reading through the wiki for this album he played vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, 12-string electric guitar, baritone guitar, Spanish guitar, Hawaiian lap steel, hammer dulcimer, enchanted lyre, Omnichord, piano, drums, steel drum, vibraphone, baby glockenspiel
This dude was on some Arctic Monkey songs! Honestly the Arctic Monkeys are turning into him based on this album a la The Car and Tranquility Base Hotel. He was also a guest vocalist on that Elbow album I loved. Such a soothing voice. Really was digging most until Wading Through the Waters kinda threw me for a loop as everything seemed so crisp before that. This was a strong 4 the whole way until the end there, which I debated knocking down to a 3, but the spaciness of the last track reminded me of some Radiohead so low 4 it is.
When you start this project, your mind inevitably wanders to what you may add to the list. If it wasn't already here, this would be a strong contender for me. Richard Hawley is magic. He takes the raw ingredients of old school rockabilly, country and rnb and filters it through a more modern lense. He has a beautiful voice, lyrics that make a grown man feel and lush orchestration. An easy 5 stars for a defining album.
Coles Corner I like Richard Hawley, and I really love the track Time Is from Further, but I’m not that familiar with a lot of his oeuvre, including this one, although I am aware of it. Coles Corner is not a promising start at all, pretty anaemic and very Bridget Jones soundtrack. Just Like the Rain and Hotel Room are better but only marginally, (although I did warm a bit more to Just Like the Rain on the 2nd and 3rd listen) Darlin wait for me is really rather lovely though, more what I was expecting. The Ocean is very nice too, the circular strings arrangement is very evocative. Born Under a Bad Sign I wasn’t as keen on, again drifting a bit close to the line of inspipidity I Sleep Alone is great, and again more in line with what I was expecting. Love his voice on it. Tonight I also liked a lot, lyrically and musically, particularly the lead guitar sound and the string motif. I also really like the Sun Studios slapback echo production style and Johnny Cash-ness on (Wading Through) The Waters of my Time. Who’s Going to Shoe your Pretty Feet and Last Orders passed me by a little bit, they felt like interesting musical ideas that don’t quite reach fruition. I get the impression that he’s finding his style with this, working out how to combine his influences (Morrisey, Johnny Cash, Rockabilly, Country, Crooners) into something more unique and representative of him. I also definitely prefer his voice on his recent albums where it’s a bit rougher round the edges, a bit careworn with a more lived in feel to it. Overall it’s a bit of a mixed bag for me. There are some really lovely songs, and maybe it suffers from high expectations, but there’s a bit of a pervasive sense of Radio 2 to much of the rest of it, a sense that if this was a Chris Rea or Mark Knopfler album it would likely be dismissed as bland and middle of the road. However those good songs and interesting moments do elevate it, and even if I wasn’t already aware of him I would be intrigued to delve into his catalogue and find out more about him. I’ll go 3, that maybe low but I think I’m holding him to high standards. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Ps I think Paul might mention his train journey at dusk playlist in his review)
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
This one is going to be heavily dependent on mood when listening. I happened to be in the mood for a kind of softer toned, downbeat record so this worked quite well. File under: sad jazz
This is a weird sound to come out of 2005. Not awful but not exciting either. A real bore.
I never got the need to hit the skip button or anything like that. But it's not good, it's strange to come from the time period it did, and I'll never listen to it again. Good voice, I guess?
Kinda felt like I was in an elevator for 46 mins...not bad but pretty unmemorable
it's nice but boy is it boring
This is another one of those records where it's fine but I'm not really sure why it made this list. It doesn't seem like it's doing anything special or influential. I'm sure we can find 1001 albums now days where all 1001 of them have some sort of innovation or musical significance. While this record isn't bad by any means (I enjoyed listening to it), there is absolutely nothing special about it other than it feels a little out of place for a 2005 album. I like the old country sounds to some of the songs.
Super cool and interesting album. I love the old country, R&B, rockabilly influence. A lot of the songs were slow and moody, but overall enjoyable. I'm not really why this is on the list..? I feel like songs on the list should have a cultural impact, formative for the artist or for the genre, or push the genre forward. And... I don't feel like this has really any of that. Like its cool music, but I don't feel like it means anything or really has anything bringing me back. I'll probably revisit some songs, but I don't see myself revisiting this album anytime soon.
..(.
Es ist nicht schlecht. Irgendwie anachronistisch. Vor allem aber langweilig…
I swear that I Sleep Alone is a total ripoff of the Stone Roses’ Waterfall. You can hear it in the second half. Ok, so this was cute. Very nice, easy listening. Lots of late 50s / early 60s sounds throughout. Kinda dreamy. Kinda like old Los Angeles. Every song reminds me of something else I’ve heard. He didn’t reinvent the wheel here. But he made a pretty good wheel.
I'll admit I hadn't heard of Richard Hawley before. He seems to be a prolific singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer who's worked with artists such as Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, and Gwen Stefani. For this being my first album of his listening to, it's pretty solid. There's a bit of variety in the throwback sound employed here, from vintage pop to country and blues. It's well-crafted and easy to listen to, though its momentum slows down by the end with the ambient instrumental "Last Orders". It's pleasant to have in the background, though not many songs stand out.
The first half of the album is definitely better than the second half, but yet again, i dont know why this album is on this list. Its not great. its not bad either... its mainly just boring and bland...
Not my favorite.
Just Like the Rain while in a Hotel Room with a view of The Ocean, this was a peaceful piece.
Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it. I’m not gonna hate on a guy who makes nice sounding music from a past era. At least he’s not a copycat. The first song was my favorite.
Nothing to complain about here, just not super memorable.
Surprising addition, never heard of Rich but of course would have heard him as part of Pulp. A lovely little collection of Divine Comedy style pop tunes.
This is an utterly gorgeous record The title track and The Ocean in particular are wonderful but there’s not a dud track on here.
Nah
Interesting. A good album. Full of rich vocal tones.
I knew the ocean for a long time but not the artist or the album. I really enjoyed it, the deep voice and the quite landscape-y lyrics go so well together, he really paints a picture. It was simple and lovely but I wasn’t thrilled by many of the songs, 3.5
Really, its quite nice. Beautiful and obv deeply personal to the artist. However, a tad boring, and there are probably many more albums that deserve inclusion over this one. The author’s heavy british bias has manifest itself supremely these last few albums, and every day i am just grateful its less british mid i have to listen to later.
Beautiful.
I was actually pretty surprised here, a musician who made melodies not noise; and sang lyrics not gibberish, and in a smooth deep resonant tone. And in the 21st century!!! This is a man outta time clearly.
# Playlist Track - Coles Corner # Notes - Slow and not very interesting, but has a soothing, enjoyable quality to it. - Kind of corny, too.
I'unno. I get what it's doing—some kinda Roy Orbison-style nostalgia throwback—and normally I'd eat that sort of thing up, but for whatever reason it just didn't click with me the day I had it. Maybe I just didn't catch it at the right time, maybe blame it on the fact that I was too lazy to move from the room where my mom was blasting "It's Gonna Be Me"... For what it's doing, it's very good, but just for my own personal enjoyment, I'm givin' it a 3 right now. And the building on the cover isn't even Coles Corner. I'd remove a star for that alone~!
IDK if it's just me, but I love these sorts of albums where it's just one man and his instruments. This one gives me the feeling of a private performance in a club where it's just you and some other guests just being mesmerized by the artist.
It’s a very nice 3 that I'll round up to a 4. I really enjoyed this, honestly; I think what’s here makes for a great listen, there’s about 6 tracks that properly caught my ear in a captivating way, but the other 5 or so just sort of exist in a way that were only made for casual listening, at least to me. I thought the last track being fully instrumental was a bit baffling. Regardless though, this album evokes so much of that 50s/60s country sound that I tend to have a bias towards, and I thought it really faithfully captured a lot of its production quirks in a way that made the whole album feel authentically done and with a lot of respect towards that era. Hence, the round-up.
Gorgeous album cover! It’s evocative of a warm-ish September night in the city. Summer is ending, fall chilliness is not quite yet nipping at our heels, but we know we need to make the most of a glorious night like this. Because there won’t be many more like it for a while. See the show, grab a beer, walk around after, get a hot dog, have deep talks outside the bar, share a first sweet kiss or have horny public make out before you race to catch the latest train possible home… oh what a night! The music however, does not meet the completely unreasonable expectations I’ve had set in my mind based on this album artwork alone. It tries, but I think I put too much pressure on it.
I had no idea who Richard Hawley is, but after some googling I found that he was in Pulp. I do quite like Pulp, so I’m hopeful for this album today. Let’s listen! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Just Like The Rain, Born Under A Bad Sign This wasn’t anything at all like I was expecting from a member of Pulp, but I did very much enjoy it. It’s much more folky than I imagined, and is fantastically composed. The vocals together with the instrumentation made my chair feel more comfortable as I sank into it, enjoying the richness of the music. Singer songwriter music just tends to hit different a lot of the time. This is pretty great.
ok - kann man gut finden: Leider wieder nix für mich aus dem 1001-Funds.
Album makes me feel alive
Just meh, feels like it belongs in another decade. Just not that impressed.
It’s OK. I was expecting a bit more from a member of Pulp I guess. It sort of felt like the British version of country music.
really enjoyed it, had never heard of him but was relaxing and a pleasant listen
Too sad
Easy listening
Very decent crooner music
Sehr angenehm und smooth zu hören. Sehr entspannend das Ganze.
Enjoyed
Agradable sorpresa.
muy piola
Coles Corner The Ocean
Love Pulp. Did not care for this.
This whole album felt like a cigarette with a cup of coffee. 5 stars
An Englishman with the intonation of Johnny Cash and the crooned melodies of Bacharach. Gorgeously gravelly adult contemporary pop with some real feel and emotion behind it. Surprisingly enjoyable on a mellow sort of night, though obviously not the most upbeat of music. Thoroughly good. The ending, though, might drift you off to sleep~
Never heard of this guy before and not what I expected but well sung, arranged and produced very traditional old school songs.
Beautiful voice, lovely songs, but is it really one of the 1001 albums I needed to hear before I die?
very very low key, too much so
I had no idea what to expect from this album and was very pleasantly surprised. It is obviously explicitly referencing a variety of influences, but never sounds like a nostalgia act. “Born Under a Bad Sign” reminded me a lot of “Maple Leaves”-era Jens Lekman, which I love. I am really glad to have heard this for the first time.
Really left me depressed after listening to this.
There are several albums in this list that get praise for how sad and melancholy they are but to me that seems kind of pathetic. Sometimes it’s done right and is good but an album like this just comes off as whiny and shallow. There’s nothing too redeeming on this album and it doesn’t need to be revisited. 4.6/10
Like, for real? Why is this album on this list? The music on this album made in 2005 is extremely reminiscent of the “old people” lounge music that would be sung by Steve Lawrence on variety shows in the 1970s. I’m not going to give it a 1, because it is atmospheric. I can easily imagine a 60 year old guy whose wife left him, sitting in a bar drowning his sorrows to this music. It just seems strange to find something so derivative on this list. I will now be upset if Barry Manilow isn’t included at some point. At least he was more original than this.
Not my type of music. He's a crooner. Slow, orchestral.
Pretty solid but also lowkey not thay memorable. Highly rec listening to under stars 4/7
This was cool. Melancholy, orchestral, a bit different. Nice
soporific (literally. I fell asleep). Pleasant enough, but surprisingly weak songwriting for an album so highly praised.
Where's this been all of my life? This is a goddamn beautiful pop album.
This album feels like an odd mix of Frank Sinatra's In the Wee Small Hours, a bit of Morrissey and Timber Timbre + country elements. It's a nice concept album about the lonely people of the night but it is a bit too long. As with most of concept albums like this, less would be more to keep the style over time.
Had no idea the guitarist from Pulp was a solo artist. I enjoyed this album, took many songs for playlists and plan to listen to this again. Very much enjoyed it.
Good album. Not the kind of music I like, though
He's from Sheffield and has worked with Jarvis Cocker and the Arctic Monkeys, and I can hear how he inspired some of their more boring stuff. I kinda get the feeling he's going for of being lonely in a dark town in the norf but it's still not my cup of tea.
Really odd, it sounded like 1960 but it was 2010 or something? But yeah, it was okay but decidedly meh. Sorry!
2.5
Zzzzzzz
dosadno
I had never heard of this artist before, so I had zero expectations. It was very pleasant! I think it's interesting to combine jazz and county on the same album—a combination I never really thought of before. It brought forward feelings of nostalga and a little tinge of heartache—like I was a grandparent sitting with a grandchild, relaxing, in a cottage looking out over the ocean.
Woof. Maybe if I were in a better mood, or if this was dated 50 years earlier, I'd give it a 2 and say it's simply not my jam. I started skipping on track 2, listened to a few seconds of each, found them to all basically sound the same, and got the fuck out. No thanks. I'm sure this works for some people, but it ain't me.
Great vocals, songwriting and it has a beautiful atmosphere. It captures a modernised 50s crooner style in a way that could easily be derivative but it works really well. Some tracks blended together, and I felt like it was lacking in places. I did really like this record overall though.
This crooner of an album would be a great one to sort of take a nap to on a rainy day. Peaceful and generally harmonious. Some of the lyrics are a little odd!
“Cole’s Corner” is really not my style of music. But Richard Hawley smoothly and anachronistically defied eras with this 2005 album. Nothing is spectacular here, but Hawley’s voice is pleasing and his style somehow merges Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Nick DrakeI would never have been able to tell you that this album came out in the 2000s. But knowing it was a British album from the 2000s that made the 1001, I could tell you that it must have been nominated for the Mercury Prize. Which is a good thing, I think. It shows that the modern British albums on the list have been widely acclaimed and are deserving of the attention. And even though 2005 was a pretty strong year for British music (Arctic Monkeys won and other nominees included Thom Yorke, Muse, and Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan), Hawley feels deserving.
We already have a Johnny Cash and he did it better.
The music is chill and I like his voice a lot. It soothes me.
#149. This sounds like it was from 1955, not 2005. Good, I guess, if you're someone's grandpa. I'll probably forget this by the end of the week though. 3/5: it's fine? Song added to playlist: Coles Corner I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
this album is amazing. its full of songs that deal with heartbreak and love in general. the first few tracks really set the tone for the rest of the album and does it perfectly.
I disliked how the album started, but deeper cuts proved to mellow out his sound
I loved this at first listen. Not anything I'd usually listen to but so we'll done, amazing album.
Beautiful album. Really took me away. It is so peaceful. Not my absolute favourite but it deserves praise
Ok
Sweet melancholy
B- Coles Corner 3 Just Like The Rain 3 Hotel Room 3 Darlin' Wait For Me 3 The Ocean 3 Born Under A Bad Sign 3 I Sleep Alone 3 Tonight 3 (Wading Through) The Waters Of My Time 3 Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet 3 Last Orders 3 This was pretty good.
I really liked about 80% of this album. Got a little too country for me at the end, but the rest was great
ok in parts, too much crooning
Endearing and charming.
It's a little surprising to find it on the list of top 1001 albums because I don't see anything particularly unique about it. It sounds a little old, like Elvis or whatnot. But it's an OK melancholy sound.
I actually like the sound of a lot of these song, individually. It harkens to older music without feeling like a shtick. Together though, they get a little samey on the tail end, and I'm perplexed about why it's included on the list.
The definition of meh. Like, it's fine - could see it playing in a coffee shop & failing to offend anybody. But it's utterly unmemorable - a Frank Sinatra / Elvis/ shades of Leonard Cohen amalgam that doesn't do anything significant on its own.
The first part of this album vaguely reminded me of the more recent Arctic Monkeys albums and if this had been sung by the distinct vocals of Alex Turner, I would be all over it. Alas it was not. Coles Corner brought you back to the vintage-'40s pop, jazz, and even some blues, which felt authentic, just not what I'm into. Best: Hotel Room Worst: Who's Going to Shoe Your Pretty Feet 2.5 Stars
Pleasant indie chamber pop. He has a fantastic voice and the arrangements here are really solid. Ultimately I have the same issue as I do with a lot of post-2000 albums on here - I'm not sure that this has the long-term cultural relevance or influence to justify its inclusion here. It is fun though.
Oof, couldn't even finish it.
Never knew he existed. Very relaxing.
01) Coles Corner - 8,0 02) Just Like the Rain - 7,5 03) Hotel Room - 8,0 04) Darlin' Wait for Me - 7,0 05) The Ocean - 8,0 06) Born Under a Bad Sign - 7,5 07) I Sleep Alone - 8,0 08) Tonight - 7,0 09) (Wading Through) The Waters of My Time - 7,0 10) Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet? - 6,5 11) Last Orders - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,41 (74/100) Never heard of him. So, Wikipedia says that he was with Pulp? Yep, can see a bit of Jarvis in his music. He collaborated with Arctic Monkeys? Well, his voice definitely reminds me in some places of Alex Turner's voice (especially on "Tranquility..." and "The Car" albums). It also says that he has done some film scores? Well, the last track "Last Orders" makes much more sense now. The music is soft, nice, very easy listening... Not great - not terrible...
I'm loving the chamber pop and transitions into more pared down numbers. A work of beauty.
Last Orders is the essence of the entire album
I had to make sure Spotify wasn’t accidentally looping the same song
Never heard of this guy before, but this was really good. “The Ocean” is utterly fantastic.
not sure what to make of this one. i liked parts of it, other parts i found dull. overall it was a decent enough listening experience. i particularly liked the 50s throwback sound - particularly '(wading through) the waters of my time' - i find a lot of this album has a retro feel. sometimes it works well and sometimes i found myself uninterested. was this an album really must hear? probably not. was it alright? yeah!
1.6 not great but didn't completely hate it
I don’t know about this one, I couldn’t get into it. Whether I wasn’t in the right mood or what but this was a bit too slow for my taste and kind of dull to be honest.
Didn't expect the Longpigs guitarist to have a celebrated solo career, but this was pretty nice. Reminds me of the Blue Nile and Chris Isaak (but maybe not quite as good as either). 3.5/5
Although Coles Corner is perfect, their Knowledges is even better. Since I think his Knowledges won't be on the list, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. In Barcelona, after his concert at the Sala Apolo, on the street behind, he gave me a pick ☺️
This is controversial for me, 'cause i like that it doesn't sound like the classic 2000's and that it sound more like the 60's, but at the same time it gets me bored that it's basically all the same thing over again and that it's soo calmed gets me a little bit bored and sleepy to be honesta, i would give it 1 star, but i'm giving it 2 for the thing i said first that it doesn't sound like the classic 2000's
Better than I was expecting, I had no idea how this would sound and I was pleasantly surprised I liked it. Kind of a retro crooner style with a modern Brit-pop take and for the most part is successful, the songs are interesting and they create a mood and atmosphere that suits the music. Worth the listen.
Meh
Coles Corner, The Ocean, I Sleep Alone, and Last Orders are really wonderful. I listened this album four times in one day. I could see it growing on me even more. Loved it. 4.5/5
Burt Bacharach!? Elvis Costello!? Nope! It’s a guy who’s been in a couple of bands you’ve heard of! Glib kidding aside, I actually really liked this album. It may cover some well-worn territory, but it does it effectively and convincingly. Maybe not surprising when you look at the bands he’s been associated with. I did not know Richard Hawley before, but he’s on my radar now - especially since he appears to still be releasing new work.
Totally cinematic in it's production which makes it actually very absorbing
So much of this album sounds like what falling in love feels like. Sweeping and moving, gentle comfort. What a pleasant surprise this morning. Such a warm tone to his voice.
Great music. Great music. Doesn’t get enough credit for his music.
Dreamy sad Las Vegas soundtrack music
Oh my God this is one of the most fucking boring albums I have ever listened to. I listened to this while quite hungover so as soon as I pressed play on the first song I thought "perfect, exactly what I need right now". But little did I know that's all this album would be, all the way through. There are plenty of amazing chill albums to listen to while hungover, but what they all have in common is that while still remaining super calm, they keep the music interesting. This album fails so hard at remaining interesting that it's almost funny. Normally, albums that are boring but inoffensive would receive a 2/5, but this album stretches the meaning of the word "boring" to realms I thought were never possible. And for that it gets a 1/5 from me.
Cool 😎
Sounded like some good old fashioned country music. I would have never guessed he is British as he captured Americana sound. Was pleasant to listen to....will keep him in my playlist.
Actually really enjoyed this one while doing a puzzle yesterday morning. A real crooner that sounds like it comes from earlier decades. Wild that this came out 2005! Very soothing and calm tracks, Michael Buble probably took major inspo from this guy, but way more gimmicky in my opinion. Would consider checking out more of Hawley's discography for rainy days or just lazy days lounging at home.
This was playing when I learned that Usher will perform the halftime show for the Superbowl on Feb. 11th. YEAH! I wanna hear Usher! Is Usher on this cursed list? *UPDATE* None of Usher's albums are on the list, but U2 make it to the list 4 times! GAH, subjective euro-centric (specifically British) refuse. Richard Hawley, you do you. I was too distracted to listen closely.
Good for a slow, melancholic morning. Not really my cup of tea, though.
Weirdly unstuck from time. Pretty, but not super engaging.
Suena bien y eso. No sabía ni quien era así que he mirado la referencia en wikipedia y veo que es un personaje interesante, pero ni su música en general ni este disco en particular me parecen nada del otro mundo.
Loved the vibes. Will never remember his name! Ha
I’ve never heard him before. I like his style and the mellowness of his music.
A few songs were highlights
* Only the first song but his voice is buttery smooth. Love the violin (?) in the background. * Getting diet Frank Sinatra vibes from him two songs in. Not a bad thing. * Have I heard The Ocean before? I think so? * Tonight is the first song I actually dislike on this album, which is impressive. Everything else is, for the most part, enjoyable to listen to. * It almost sounds like a train whistle towards the end of (Wading Through) The Waters of My Time. Mentioned Frank Sinatra before but that song he sounds a bit like Johnny Cash. * That top 4 is tough. I like all 4 of them a bunch. Don't know where to put (Wading Through) The Waters of My Time at. I really like that one and it speaks to me but so does Coles Corner. What gets top spot? Sigh. Whatever I decide, I think it could honestly go in several different directions depending on the day, maybe even on the minute. * It's weird, I genuinely liked nearly every number on this album... and yet, I find myself hesitating to rate it 5 stars. Towards the back half of the album, there were a few whiffs. Not major but just enough, maybe? Maybe it's because nothing really wowed me, even though I enjoyed it overall? Idk. Probably the album I've liked the most from beginning to end so far. * The most normal sounding album so far, which is fine by me. Nice to have a relatively basic album after the previous days' more stylistic ones. * There was a good while there where I thought I'd end up ranking the songs exactly how the album had them listed already, which felt kinda bad but would've made things a bit quicker for me. Eventually, I did switch it up some though. -- Album Rankings -- 1. (Wading Through) The Waters of My Time 2. Coles Corner 3. Just Like the Rain 4. Hotel Room 5. The Ocean 6. I Sleep Alone 7. Darlin' Wait for Me 8. Born Under a Bad Sign 9. Who's Going to Shoe Your Pretty Feet 10. Tonight 11. Last Orders
Super easy to listen to, but didn’t blow me away.
This is the music that you listen to in a high rise with a glass of wine in your hand and your partner pulls you into dance. I love this type of music, it kind of felt nostalgic for easy going music in maybe the 50s?
Feels like trying to hark to country crooner hybrid but hasn't got enough oomph. All a little bit vanilla, although can't dispute that the background music is quite nice. Just overall quite a boring record. 1.5/5
Would like to give 2.5 but will give 2. I don't have nearly enough sorrow in my heart to find this enjoyable.
Meh…..ok but a bit boring
I liked one song
Not for me.
Not sure I'm really feeling this modern take on Sinatra/showtunes. The instrumentation was great and had some cool ideas going on, but mostly I found myself wishing I was listening to The Growlers instead. Not enough tempo variation and upbeat oomph to keep this thing going for me, even though there were some moments of beauty here and there.
Not my style
Terrible. Started skipping around after track 2 and stopped listening quickly.
If I had played this on an old record player in my grandparents’ basement, I would have thought this came from their generation.
Several of the songs had Johnny Cash vibes. Born Under A Bad Sign and I Sleep Alone were not bad
Smooth. Country? 'Rockabilly' I can work while this is running in the background.
Same style as Leonard Cohen
first listen nuanced with a lot of quiet lovely moments
It's decent. Beautiful at times
Peaceful and enjoyable album. Great for rainy day mornings or chilly sunsets.
An absolute snooze of an album and the guy's hair is horrible in the artwork - I don't care if it was 2005. 5/10.
bla bla bla singer songwriter mellow musician folky tunes bla bla bla it feels like ive listened to every single of the songs in this album a billion times, made by different smingmer smongwrimters in different times with different instruments. but somehow they make the same shit time and time again Significant 30/91 Liked 14/91 Added 4/91 NNN
Crooning country rock. Not bad but a bit boring at times.
I can only describe this as slow and melancholy. I guess it isn't terrible, but I don't like it very much Feeling a strong 2 on this one
Britpop-turned-fancy! It's actually a gorgeous album through and through. Moments like The Ocean make this extraordinarily moving. The pop conventions are almost certainly borrowed from britpop, but the chamber and ambient instrumentation elevates it. Even the twangs of country influence feel earned as Hawley's wit plays through the lyrics. I enjoyed this!
Fantastic. Deserves so much more acclaim and recognition. He goes deeply and powerfully old-fashioned right out to the gate and closes with something haunting and beautiful to remember by. Goes rich and heavy on the emotion but avoids sentimentality – no easy trick, that. "The Ocean" is one of the best songs of the 21st century. Don't sleep on True Love's Gutter, which nearly blew a hole in the top of one's head first time one heard it and which easily merits inclusion on this list.
Guitarist from Pulp done good and I watched him earlier this year, but he's done better. Quite a boring album this.
Rounded up 2.5, pleasant but never really grabbed me.
It’s alright. A more polished, and more boring version of Johnny Cash’s American records. Nothing memorable.
A bit of a crooner, a la Van Morrison almost? Just a low key and chill album that was pleasant but unremarkable overall. 3.5
pretty good all the way through. the second to last song i didn’t like at all but that was the only one. good vibes and i love when an album is just a bunch of songs each telling its own story. i hope to make an album like that one day
Shiiiet hvað þetta er þægilegt. Hann var í Pulp á tímabili enda vinur Jarvis og frá Sheffield. Þetta er góð vinnuplata.
Frábær plata. Elska röddina hans Hawley. Coles corner og The ocean eru mögnuð lög.
Easy listening, kind of hear some Cousin Tony's in his voice on some tracks
I should like this more than I do. All about my home city and he's a great guy. Its all a bit maudlin. The Ocean is solid 5/5 though.3 5
Heeee’s a 1950’s conman. This was a nice throwback album but I didn’t get much more from it. The lyrics didn’t really grab me. I’ve never heard his music but I’ve always thought this guy was a bit of a poser.
the ocean is the best song here.
Cool style.
Done
Mezcla de estilo de Elvis, Sinatra, etc. cantado en la actualidad. Un 4.
Buena voz. Cantante melódico moderno. Piano. Bastante bonito el disco. Un 4 le voy a dar.
Gear: Hifiman Arya Mische: Streicher aus der Konserve, alles generisch und ohne Tiefgang Mugge: klingt wie ein schlechter Christmas Sampler, fade Hölle Wertung: 1/5
Sadly, I found this album to be forgettable. Like it was on and I listened. But it would stay in my head long enough to firm an opinion.
Cat says bad
Wholly unnecessary album
Boring and British indie. Ugh
I absolutely didn't need to hear this album before I died. And I feel like lounge singer was already covered by previous generations.
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".
I like this in the same way I like Neil young, Leonard cohen, and Tom Petty. Not that he’s better than them, but he’s not the same either. I felt like his style and voice were different and unique enough in that context. He has a voice that stands out and he has enjoyable lyrics that make me think about getting older and past decisions in a way that isn’t trite. I enjoyed it but listened again to see if it was a 4 or a 5 for me and I think the whole package being what it is, nothing really smacking me as that bad, I’m going to go with a 5 — I liked all of it!
its good stuff.... i have never heard of him before
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.
Put me to sleep.
Wasn't familiar with this one at all. I looked him up on wikipedia and - he was in Longpigs, who had a song back in the 90s called On and On that I used to really like. Anyway, I thought this was really good. Definitely something I would re-visit.
Itw as alright, not much of a fan though.
Rescaté tres temazos pero en su generalidad no me gustó tanto.
hard to believe he wrote some of these songs, they seem like eternal standards
Why am I being made to listen to this? So non-descript, no edge, no personality.
I want to rate this higher. I didn't dislike it, it shines in a couple spots. But it can't escape sounding like the solo effort of a guy who does his best work collaborating with other artists (which it is)
I was just kind of bored the whole time. He sounded fine, just it was not my type of music. It really dragged.
1.5
1) I think I wasn't depressed enough to listen to this today 2) It's very interesting (negative/derogatory) to me that this album from 2005 is on this list when its praise seems to be for being a bluesy, countryish, retro sounding record because so far (admittedly only 31 albums in) I would think a blues or country album from the 60s would be better featured
First song made me want to go lay in the snow and be sad I feel like this would be the perfect album to play as background music to a Christmas dinner party. It sounds fine it’s just not super interesting. I skipped the second half of the ocean, because the first half was so frustrating and looking at the lyrics the second half was not better
every song was so perfectly my vibe
Romanttista countrya? En tiiä, mutta aika rauhallisia balladeja kummiskin
Nice, but pretty dull towards the end
Lovely voice and some really good arrangements, especially on the title track.