Reviews (page 7 of 8)
I wasn't familiar with the name Richard Hawley, but several songs on “Coles Corner” sounded familiar to me. I don't have much to say about the content; this album doesn't strike me as particularly noteworthy. I think it's fine for an album to include a few slow tracks. But ballads that take up the whole album? I don't really need that. Sure, the songs are all fine and the production is thoroughly professional. You can certainly do it that way, but on a list of the best albums of all time, I actually expect something that’s somehow special.
sounded like british country, a bit boring
Movie music for artistic directors. 2/5
Mid.
boring
The first track is a throwback to the days of crooners. The second track adds the jangle of almost western style, but still with that same Mel Torme feel. This is where I stifled a yawn and tried not to skip to the next track. The third track imitates early rock tracks and now I feel like I'm being taken on a tour of historical musical styles. The fourth track feels like an early Elvis Presley\Buddy Holly song and now I feel pretty sure of the cavalcade of American music styles theory of this album. So when I get to Born Under a Bad Sign, it definitely isn't what I had anticipated. All the tracks are looking back to earlier musical styles. If nostalgia is your thing, you might find something here. I'm going to listen to Lou Reed's Perfect Day and maybe some Misfits/Rockabilly to get the taste out of my mouth.
Stinks, but no worse than Pulp. Has to be worth something.
Made me feel like I was in a nursing home.
There’s no need for this. Not awful, I liked the last song the most. 2.5/5
Boring
This sounded much older stylistically than it is, at least to me. Pleasant enough but not my favorite.
2005 brit cosplay as Johnny Cash. There's something here, but I would need ot listen more to get it.
Moreeee UK alt man
2000s crooner
Some of the most toothless, generic music I’ve heard on this project. At least it’s well-produced and well-performed.
Did not care for this guys voice. Other than that, the music was ok but not something I’d probably listen to again. Melancholic crooning is how I’d describe this album. (2)
Really boring
Yet another boring album
Haunting voice and overall ambience. I didn't hate it but didn't love it either. 4.5/10 Top song Just like the rain
"Coles Corner" is a decent song. Often a simple song is better at making you feel something. "Hotel Room" reminds me of Santo & Johnny. And like their vocal-less music, this one could have done without vocals and more pedal steel I do wonder if I needed to hear this before I die. Makes me wish there were more records here from countries other than the US and UK. That being said, I enjoyed it somewhat. There's emotional potency at least. The last track was nice, a bit of ambient which we haven't had yet.
Crooner? Elevator or grocery store aisle music of previous generations, just recorded this century. Voice is ok; arrangements are ok. It's just ok background for a nap. ⭐⭐
Sweet aber find persönlich bisschen schnulzig langweilig, aber für so einen Abend bestimmt top
Too slow for me. Probably good to fall asleep to. The ocean song was good.
When to listen: while cooking a fancy dinner and drinking a glass of red wine... AKA you need to concentrate on the cooking and not on the music. It's pleasant, it's background-y, but it didn't rearrange my mind.
Zzzzzzzzzzzz
Mm boring
a tad snoozy. apart from 'the ocean', which was delivered without any power or passion, this album was just boring and tedious
Accurate 50s pastiche, not for me
beetje saai
I feel the need to point out that "Elvis Costello vibes" aren't typically a good thing. So the 5-star review with that as its main justification isn't convincing at all. Fortunately the comparison to Costello is pretty inaccurate (at least in terms of vocals), and the sonic similarities mainly lie in the instrumentation. Much less fortunate is the fact that, unlike Costello, Hawley's contributions to 21st-century music are extremely and consistently dull. Now don't get me wrong: the choice of instruments is pretty solid. We start with an old-Hollywood-esque number that wouldn't be out of place as a love ballad in a musical. So the lyrics are a maybe a little surprising: this isn't about love at all! (At least, not love of a person.) It could feasibly be a Christmas ballad with a few lyrical tweaks. Hotel Room makes you want to sway, dance, maybe shine your phone light back and forth at the concert. The chord progression is the extremely predictable Heart And Soul classic – so it sounds decent until you pay attention and realise there isn't that much cool stuff to pay attention to. With all these underwhelming aspects taken into account, I have to assume Hawley is a lyrical musician to get any level of critical praise – but lyricism isn't something I pay heed to when judging music. (Though, just when I think the soft, understated instruments are this album's main strength, dang it, Who's Going to Shoe Your Pretty Feet shows up without any instruments at all. What am I supposed to with four minutes of soft, mumbled, slow, arrhythmic crooning?) The Ocean isn't *quite* as good as its Led Zeppelin namesake. (Actually, to be honest, the comparison isn't close at all. Zep beats all of these tracks with essentially any track from their own discography.) But Hawley's version is still fine. It really goes all-in on the two-chord thing (I-iii-I-iii-...) which can get pretty repetitive. There isn't much excuse for this lack of innovation in 21st-century inclusions in the list of 1001 most important albums of all time. Later on the record, Tonight appears to do the same thing, but has much fewer interesting things going on sonically. (Wading Through) The Waters of My Time is a dull ripoff of San Tropez (Floyd, Meddle, 1971) – complete with a near-identical guitar melody and sound during the solo. I say "dull" here because it's a heck of a lot less groovy than San Tropez. 2/5 Key tracks: Coles Corner, The Ocean
This is well-executed, but mostly really samey and quite dull? I was starting to like the alt-country vibes on the last track, but it did not make up for a whole album of Sheffield Man Is Not Johnny Cash.
What a massive waste of time.
A bit boring, but definitely not bad
British people sure do love Pulp, don’t they?
Ganska intetsägande i gränslandet mellan singer/songwriter och crooner. En tvåa
I recognised the voice and style immediately from Elbow's "The Fix" which, honestly, I wasn't a fan of. All in all there were parts of this album I enjoyed, but as a whole it was just so incredibly boring.
Doesn’t quite make it with me; a somewhat credible attempt to mirror a mix of folk music & crooner. Strikes me as monotonous & a bit irritating.
Boring, just very boring. Not good, not bad. 2/5
Rigtig fint chamber pop? Synes det var decent, men måske også en anelse forgetable. Tror det er noget jeg skal genbesøge senere.
Crooner meets old time music - kinda trite but good singer.
Mostly boring
nothing really standout here in my opinion. this album, i thought, almost sounded like american country at some parts, but others it had a nice indie spin to it. it was aight, but nothing i would really come back to. i liked 'The Ocean', but could leave the rest of the album
1. corner - 1.5 2. rain - 1 3. hotel- 1.5 4. uuait - 2 5. ocean - 1.5 6. born - 1 7. alone - 1 8. tonight - 1.5 9. uuaterz - 1.5 10. feet - 2.5 11. orders - 1.5
not my vibe lol
sounds pretty lame. no catchy melodies.
Look at me I’m melancholic
Singer-songwriter, 65 eme album =>2/5 Pas désagréable mais rien d'original. Morceaux (et album) inutilement longs.
Ovo je kao malo manje nepodnošljiv Nick Cave ili nešto (mrzim Nicka Cavea i nadam se da ga ovim neću prizvati).
Well, that was pleasant. I like the final instrumental of Last Orders.
Costó una banda. Entiendo que debe estar bueno que un artista haga un álbum asi en 2005 pero imagino mejores canciones se hacían antes de este mismo género. 4/10
This dude really wishes was a crooner. I found a single song to even be really enjoyable, and the rest of the album was forgettable. Another pick on this list that doesn’t deserve its spot.
전반적으로 무난한 리듬, 무난한 흐름. 잔잔해서 듣고있자면 잠이 온다.
hes got a nice voice but this was incredibly boring
Sounds like that stupid song from love actually that the pop star sings a Christmas version of. Boring.
Didn’t know anyone made this music anymore.
A perfectly cromulent album. Almost frustratingly generic.
Pleasant but boring and entirely forgettable
As big of a fan of 'The Car' by Arctic Monkeys I am, I was surprised that this one left me a little bored. There are some good moments here and there, but I found the arrangements pretty sleepy and unimaginative.
Richard mate this is good music but I’m not really that into it
It’s a good record. Nothing that is not available other places but it’s solid. Probably wouldn’t seek it out but I am glad I came across it.
It's okay, but it makes me question how this record is on this list. There's nothing inherently captivating about this record. It gets a little weird past the half way point too. Favourite Track(s): Coles Corner, Just Like The Rain Least Favourite Track(s): Who's Going to Shoe Your Pretty Feet
Didn’t really stand out to me
Too slow for me. Liked The Ocean
this record is Tylenol PM. Maybe I just don't get it. "I Sleep Alone" could be used during a movie montage...that's something, I guess?
The voice is lovely but stays safe all the way through. Ended up too gentle for me.
Started off liking this - nice voice - but after a while realised I'd stopped listening. It's just too bland.
I wondered whether my opinion of Richard Hawley might have changed in the 10 years since I saw him at Cardiff Student Union. I am much more into crooners now than I was a decade ago, and it’s true that some of Hawley’s romantic, mellow style sits more comfortably with me now but even accounting for genre his music is extremely uneventful. His fans hail Cole’s Corner as the best of his LPs so I can only imagine how little happens on a typical album! There’s a nice, swaying lyrical nature to it but I’d prefer to be listening to a grander, more detailed Elbow album.
A bit insipid and generic. OK for background music. 5/10
Mystic Seaport rock
It was fine
I need a bit more music in my music
It’s got some okay parts, maybe a 3 on a good day
Not really my thing. Guy has a nice voice but this is not my style of music.
This is really not my thing
Too slow for my tastes. ★★
Like one of the classic crooners but with no memorable hits
mmm
Quite listenable but I agree with those who call it boring because I also can't find a single remarkable facet on this album.
A British Roy Orbison?
The Ocean
Another album that's not for me. I won't say it's not good. The songs have a good structure and lyrics. But it's not something I would listen to voluntarily.
Crying (tears of boredom) into my beer
Boring. There’s some potential here, but it never gets there.
Pretty boring and certainly not essential.
Is this what people mean when they describe music as "Americana?" (Funny enough recorded by a British dude) An ok mix of blues/jazz/folk that sounds like something I'd here in a department store. I will give it props that it did fit my early morning commute perfectly. However, when the sun came up and I was more awake I gave the album another listen and found it a bit drab and boring and I wish I was listening to all the artists that clearly influenced this album rather than the album itself.
Listened to most of this while food shopping, and when passively listening wasn't a terrible experience. Feels like another brit bias pick. Not for me.
Not my bag, but this wasnt bad by any means. Hawley has a thick and deep Sinatra like voice with Leonard Cohen’s dark vibes. Good diversity of tracks on the album. Some are a little slow though I definitely need another spin or two on this. Somewhere around the 2.5 star mark
Man, this album was fucking lame. I was so bored by every minute. This guy sounds like he's on a near lethal dose of lithium at all times. What a comedown from HYBRID THEORY
Reminds me alot of an artist I used to like - Jens Lekman. Finding this just a little too snoozy, doesn't really go anywhere new. Needs more turn table scratching.
2.09
Sounded like early 2000s Nick Lowe albums, but less interesting.
This is the kind of junk that makes this list tilted brit. I don't get this. It could be anyone from Harry Connick to someone in a NYC club who is down on his luck. cmon man do better... 3.0
Every song is exactly the same. Wore thin after the first few tracks. Lovely songwriting skills though.
Was a little too old lady/waiting room vibes for me honestly? The Ocean is a standout song though so honestly like a 1.5 but I guess I’ll round up.
Boring
Pretty mellow and a little boring.
This didn't work for me. Some of the music was pretty. I don't like this guy's voice, and hearing it for song after song got old. I don't think he's quite the crooner he thinks he is. Maybe someone like Brendan Perry would have better results. There's a lonely, nighttime feel to it, but with a weird hint of cowpoke country-western that made it unintentionally comical at times. Overall it feels sleepy. A relatively benign, completely forgettable album.
It was fine while I was listening to it, and then after it ended I immediately had no desire to listen to it again. There’s a real over abundance of albums like this on the list. Male singer-songwriters from 95-2010 that all kinda sound like this. Baritone, Baroque, Romantic. Kinda Morrissey. Kinda Wainwright. Shit that really set off indie music websites reviewers. Best of 2005 on Pitchfork type album. And, like, it’s all so self-important. And not that memorable.
Not my speed
Had 1 song I liked, but the rest was pretty boring & unremarkable.
I'm compelled to give this album a chance to make its case because I listen to a fair amount of whatever we're calling this genre - southern gothic? haunting country ballads? sad western dirges? After listening, I have no doubt that Richard is an accomplished musician. Musically, the arrangements are very good, but he doesn’t have the voice to push this over the finish line for me. I'd say he's about 90% there, but give me a few big notes and prove your chops! Like my review of Bill Callahan’s Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle, I’d love to hear covers of these songs from more competent (and compelling) vocalists. I can see myself adding a few tracks to my "ImPECKable Summer" playlist, but I don't know if I'll come back for the full album again. I'm also not totally convinced this makes the list if it was done by an artist who wasn't already 'British famous' when it was released.
Reminds me of feelings of longing, a bit sad and melancholic. A lot of loneliness, and longing for a partner. *Wading through the waters of my time* reminds me of Johnny Cash, a few of the other tracks as well. An okay album, but I definitely prefer Pulp. Musically a bit boring for me.
It's alright; it's almost a predecessor to late Arctic Monkeys, but maybe that's Sheffield coming through. Feel this is on the list as a zeitgeisty 2005 "This is going to be revered forever it NEEDS to go in the book otherwise i'm going to look like an idiot", but has since been forgotten
It's decent whenever the pace picks up, but there's too much dreary crooning guff in between the fun bits.
Det startede med kedelig Frank Sinatra agtig crooning og hik over i forfærdeligt country sang
Baroque country pop not really catching my ear
I was caught up by the first track but then rather disappointed the rest of the way. It all sounds the same to me, and far too soft for my temperament.
An uninspiring trip down a well-trodden path. Laconic country’ish crooner — a little Johnnie Cash mixed with Frank Sinatra and Roy Orbison. But boring. Sounds like the kind of music a male movie lead would listen to as he sipped his 🍸 overlooking the Hollywood Hills at dusk. A two.
Not my thing. Quite a boring listen, I did think this album was a lot older than 2005 though.
Ah, yet another slow album with a baritone. I do enjoy the vocals here slightly more than yesterdays (Nick Cave); but that's maybe the only positive thing I can say about this album. Not that I can say anything negative either - It isn't bad or offensive, just not my thing. Actually, now that I finished listening to it fully, I can say one more positive thing: the last track was superb. Listened to it like 4 times on repeat. Overall 4/10 Favorites: Last Orders; The Ocean; Born Under A Bad Sign
2.5
Quite depressing, and not in a good way.
Monotonous but otherwise decent easy listening.
Imagine faire un album de crooner en 2005. On rigole, mais imagine.
This shit was so boring.
The album is good, but not my style of sound. You can hear influences from scuffle, new wave and lots of good good British sound. The Neo classic style is rather boring to me. Album is balanced and I cant say it's not good.
Wasn’t really for me. Almost sounded like a Xmas album.
This was alright but I didn't get much out of it
Calm background music that doesn't linger
ok, but not my listening to kind of music
Odd selection. Rough start leads to a few peaks and ends well… There are some truly great songs on this record but as a whole it’s underwhelming with limited lyricism. Listening to an artist perform a homage to specific genres only works if it’s either an adaptation or complete committal to the period - this feels more like a studio recording of someone acting the style out. Hard to understand why this made the list but I appreciate the exposure.
Too much crooner for me. I gave it an extra star for the country-ish song “(Wading Through) The Waters of My Time“ which was the only standout. The rest I don’t ever need to hear again before I die.
Generic background music. Kind of cozy, nostalgic-ish but not something I’d remember or return to.
immensely boring. this is fine enough to hear in the grocery store or something, but i’m truly tired of seeing stuff like this on this list that’s supposed to have some magnitude
The Ocean is really gorgeous. The rest is kinda boring but that one song is really good and the rest was easy on the ears so meh.
The first album on here that I’ve never ever even heard a single track from or the artist!! Such a nice surprise. Laid-back baroque bliss.
So soporific - I almost fell asleep on the treadmill. No one else could turn "BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN" into a lullaby.
Kind of just feels like a trite throwback croooner stuff. Why not just put the obvious influences on the list
Second half dragged
What a bunch of cheesy bulshit. Decent music though.
not good, yet not bad
Sounds boring.
Elvis presley ??? En 2000 ????
Too many of these albums have just blended together. Similar stuff, nothing to write home about
Likte da ikkje
Very adult contemporary, kind of soft old feeling with a little jazz fusion. It's fine but pretty one note, not mad at it but it didn't make me feel anything about it really
Chill but nothing special
Easy listening / adult contemporary feel. Not bad but that last instrumental song lasted forever and sounded like church music gone wrong.
At least he's better than Leonard Cohen
Couldn't finish the first song. No thank you.
Standout Songs: Just Like the Rain I Sleep Alone Nearly fell asleep while walking to work because I was listening to this album, what a snoozer
Ok. Last Orders is a great song 2/5
I look forward to putting this on and having incredibly boring sex.
This was ok. Seemed like one that needed repeat listens
The crooner vibes weren't it for me
The vibe is generally nice. But musically and lyrically, just stops short. Repetitive and not particularly inventive.
Would be super impressive if it came out 40 years prior.
It's alright, but couldn't I have listened to it after departing my earthly body? Perhaps on the elevator up.
This was kind of boring, but kind of beautiful. It felt almost country in a way, but then had the beautiful orchestra. The guitar was on point, and I love a lot of the chord structures. But, I don't know if I'm ageist, the guy's voice felt not as strong or poignant as I would've cared for. I felt like I could fall asleep at any time. 2/5
I didn't hate it but its a one and done.
Fun fact: the only Richard Hawley track in my library is his cover of John Cage's 4'33" on the STUMM433 compilation. Now onto playing this album! My feeling is that it's a bit too easy-listening for me - too much crooning. That said, it's hardly an offensive album (though that isn't much of a compliment).
Just didn’t enjoy this all that much
Overall: 1.9/5 Favorite Song: Just Like The Rain Notes: A talented guy with a beautiful voice. While this album was not at all for me, I can appreciate the beauty in his music. Neither pop nor punk, this album had me feeling like I was at a 90s homecoming dance awkwardly slow dancing with my crush around parent chaperones. After reading the wikipedia, this makes much more sense considering Coles Corner is at the lovers' stomping grounds. I was shocked to see the album was released just 20 years ago
Bore off mate
Very palatable crooning although it feels a bit overly clean and smooth to achieve the down beat country folk it is aping.
This was really boring. And very forgettable.
Not my jam... Idk man just not enough depressed boomer core in me
A couple decent tracks, but overall boring.
Hab irgendwie bei ein paar Liedern an Elvis Presley gedacht. Hab ihn dann gegoogelt und er hat auf jeden Fall ne ähnliche Frisur. Tatsächlich ist er aber eher von Johnny Cash beeinflusst - passt auch. Mich hats nicht sooo abgeholt, würde gern 2,5 Sterne geben.
Also, ich bin eigentlich fest devo überzüügt gsi, dass de Richi mir es klassischs 2er Album uf em Silbertablett serviert, aber nacheme biz füechtfröhliche geburtstagsaperöle hani das Album bim abwäsche nomal glost und doch paar qualitäte müsse feststelle. Isch jetzt keis Album woni in zuekunft würd lose aber für de mood ide besagte halb stund hets föllig glanget. Prosecco sei dank. und meh Prosecco sei danker. Darum gnüss die drü flügende Korke Richi und bis ned so ganz bald wider! (edit 2 lieder wiiter) Fuck country, chum mer vor wie bi SpongeBob, nimm der wider en Punkt weg
He's got a good voice but this whole this is just kind of plodding and boring.
Moody and melodic but not for me
not rlly my type liked the first song
This takes the Leonard Cohen formula and adds better singing at the cost of worse songwriting. Not particularly my thing, but I get some people probably like it.
- A couple of borderline interesting songs; "Cole's Corner" sounds like it could be crooning me at Christmas and "The Ocean" has some atypical backing that had me perk up. - "Who's Going to Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet" should be taken out and shot. Just horrible. - I do not dislike much here. But including this album instead of hundreds of other way more diverse and groundbreaking options is rage-inducing. Why should I listen to an old white Brit imitate styles from decades past when I can just listen to the originals and be much more entertained and engrossed?
Kind of surprised to get an easy listening crooner on this list. I suppose they call it country but this feels closer to Musak than country. Not my bag. Born Under a Bad Sign and I Sleep Alone were pretty good. Then Tonight comes in and just crushes the mood and was down hill from there.
So, I don't know what I was expecting from the album cover and such -- and for all the songs I was able to listen to, I honestly couldn't tell if I liked it or not. It was the strangest thing, I felt like my opinion of a song could swing wildly within the song........IDK man, just weird.
While I do not think this is bad music, I think it is mostly very "edgeless" and watered-down. It reminds me a bit of music like Nick Cave or Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach, but "Coles Corner" rarely had anything of interest and just felt like something that would play in the background of a movie about old people. I did like the last few songs the most, when it got more somber, but it still wasn't enough for me to ever want to listen to this album again.
Kuulostaa kuin tyyppi tekis leffaa, itse soittimet ovat niin taustalla ja laulu, ”näyttelijä”, niin keskellä. Miellyttävän kuuloista kyllä, rauhoittavaa ja kaunista ja pehmeää. Mutta kaipaan musiikilta iskuvoimaa, soitinten tahtoa päästä etualalle. Melkein kolmonen silti.
Not terrible, just boring. I really don’t think this deserves to be on this list. There’s so many below-average British albums taking up residence on this list, and this is one of them.
Relentlessly tedious. One song peaked my interest as it sounded a bit like Scott Walker.. but most of it was so boring
This did very little for me. I'm tempted to give it one star but the execution is competent.
"Coles Corner," released in 2005, is often celebrated as one of Richard Hawley's best works. However, upon listening to it with a critical ear, I notice some flaws that left me with a negative impression. Firstly, the production of the album, although well-crafted, sounds excessively polished, which dilutes the authenticity and rawness that many expect from folk and rock music. This overly refined approach makes the songs feel more like replicas than genuine expressions of emotion. Instead of capturing the essence of life and human experiences, the production leaves a sense of superficiality. Moreover, the album's sound, while pleasant, becomes monotonous over the course of the tracks. The repetition of certain arrangements and the lack of variety in instrumentation make me lose interest before the album concludes. But I managed to finish listening to the album, hoping that there would be some moment that would break the cycle of dated arrangements and offer something interesting, rather than just a empty and boring melodies. I was completely mistaken. Interestingly, even for an album released in 2005, it already feels dated from that time, just imagine how it sounds now. It seems like a combination of folk styles that were popular 30 to 40 years ago. Another point to consider is the lyrics of the songs. While Hawley undeniably has a knack for storytelling, some of his lyrics come across as clichéd and predictable. Instead of surprising or provoking thought, they often fall into common themes like love and loss without bringing new perspectives or depth. In conclusion, although "Coles Corner" has its admirers and is considered a landmark in Richard Hawley's career, its excessive production, monotonous sound, and clichéd lyrics make me feel that the album does not deliver the emotional depth it promises. For those seeking a more authentic and impactful musical experience, "Coles Corner" may leave something to be desired.
Sounded like a British mix of Frank Sinatra crooning and 50s country/americana/rock. I'd probably rather listen to this than the Frank Sinatra that made it into this list, but not much else I can say about it.
Look, I hate to be the guy that constantly wants this list to live up to its name, but c'mon... No offense to this guy because it's not bad, but I didn't need to hear this. It's not for me and I don't understand why it was picked.
So is this a Christmas album?
POV : You're heading back to the cheap motel after a couple of drinks you couldn't afford. You're thinking about the revolver in the glove compartment and how you almost ended it two days ago. All of a sudden, a weird looking clown walks up the road. No chance to hit the brakes, you ram him over. A man and a woman, well dressed, knocks on your window. As you roll it down, they start singing a tune you know you've heard before, but you can't quite put your finger on it. Oh no! You're in a Lynch movie!
It was a hard one to go through
I'll have to try this again sometime. I was really not in the mood for this kind of music when I heard it. For now, 2
Mellow and boring. 2/5
meh
Really generic
Not my vibe. Just ok
Boring
Elvis on Zoloft.
I have already forgotten about this
Nothing here that struck me as list worthy. He's not bad but it's just not special or great and there's so many albums and artists left off the list for something like this.
Weird
It’s a shame; I like Richard Hawley a lot - he was great supporting Pulp in Sheffield, but this album is just a bit too low and slow for me. The crooning works for a while but does begin to drag a little about halfway through. Lyricism is good. A little bit of an air of club singer about it.
Gentle album that does well at a certain, coffee shop / lounge ambiance. I Sleep Alone was a highlight for me but it’s not overly for me. 5/10
I had high hopes for this album, but it really ended up being a one-trick pony. No variation on his delivery or instrumentals for 46 mins was a pretty grating experience. 2.4/5 -> 2/5
I was confused about what genre this album is. And I think Richard was too. In general I don't believe it is in some way special. I'd rather listen to many other albums (by different artists) that are not on this list.
To me, this is an example of music that is phenomenally well made and well produced, but the end product doesn't quite add up to the sum of its parts. Some really beautiful instrumentation, yet the songs themselves feel a little boring and uninspired. A 5 from a production standpoint, but overall misses the mark for me.
This is what a coma sounds like.
too pop to get three stars
sleepy ahh
Decent album, solid songs. The Ocean stuck out to me but nothing else, really. Not bad but probably wouldn't revisit anytime soon.
Coles Corner is one of those albums that just kinda exists. The music sounds okay, the vocals work with the songs well enough, and the lyrics are there but this album simply plays it far too safe. All the songs (except for the last one) use pretty much the same formula of acoustic guitar, sad melancholy lyrics, with maybe some background ambiance here and there. That's kinda it for this album, it never tries anything interesting or all that different, it just follows an overly safe and bland formula all the way throughout. It is definitely something when i like the ambient song of an album the most simply because it sounds the most different. This album is just there. Best Song: Last Orders Worst Song: Darlin' Wait For Me (Side note: The worst song here is kinda just interchangeable since all these songs sound virtually identical)
A hit in the UK! Mid Americana in the US.
Two almost listenable songs, extremely dull
Coles Corner by Richard Hawley is a melancholic album that offers a soothing soundscape but lacks the emotional depth and energy to truly captivate listeners. While the lo-fi aesthetic and distinctive vocals may appeal to some, the songs feel repetitive and ultimately fail to deliver anything truly engaging. It's a shame, as Hawley's talent for creating atmospheric music is undeniable. If you're seeking a soundtrack to your insomnia, this album might be just what you need. However, if you're looking for something more stimulating, you might want to look elsewhere.
2.5 Too normal to be a top 1001 album.
Chill album but didn't really leave an impression. Was it nice? Sure. Will I listen to it again? Probably not. Maybe when I'm more in the mood this will stand out more. Strong 2.
Didn’t seem remarkable to me.
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.
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
Rating: 2.4
Definition of OK. At Swim Two Birds / Montgolfier Brothers do this same thing with way more Chutzpah
brotha eughhhh
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
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.
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
beautiful orchestration on the first track , But the rest of the album doesn’t interest me at all .
A few standouts but a few too many snoozes.
It's not bad but not what I'd listen to normally
Noo kyllähän tämän kuuntelee mutta eipä se paljoa herättänyt 2/5
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..
Not my thing
Everything about this is nice, but not something I can get into
My initial listen didn't impress me much.
2.5
This album is so unremarkable that I still can't tell you what the words are even though I read the lyrics.
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.
A little bleak and dreary, didn't do much for me.
It's okay, but I don't know why it's on the list. Nothing to write home about.
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
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
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?
it's nice but boy is it boring
..(.
Es ist nicht schlecht. Irgendwie anachronistisch. Vor allem aber langweilig…
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.
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.
ok - kann man gut finden: Leider wieder nix für mich aus dem 1001-Funds.
Just meh, feels like it belongs in another decade. Just not that impressed.
Too sad
Love Pulp. Did not care for 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.
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!
dosadno
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!
We already have a Johnny Cash and he did it better.
Ok
ok in parts, too much crooning
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
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.
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
Meh
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.
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.
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.
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.
Several of the songs had Johnny Cash vibes. Born Under A Bad Sign and I Sleep Alone were not bad
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
Wholly unnecessary album
Rescaté tres temazos pero en su generalidad no me gustó tanto.
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) 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
Nice, but pretty dull towards the end
Sorry, but I just don't get it.
Having read previous reviews, I was hoping that we'd get past the oppressively vanilla, blue-eyed soul vibe... but it never went away. It just got more and more bland and boring. Overblown production, underwhelming performances, and bland songwriting. There's just... nothing of value on display. I fail to see the point of having it here other than to pad the already significant number of British blue-eyed soul albums on the list.
not for me
A bit dreary.
Meni vähä ohi, jotai kolmosta ja kakkosta
Really not my thing
Essential Tracks: Cole’s Corner (Playlist) Just Like the Rain
doesn't even have his big hit on.
Very nice, chill background music.
I typically like this kind of music but I just can’t stand the dude’s voice. Too much of a crooner.
Album started pretty decent! I was a little excited for this album and artist I had never heard of. Then I was transported into a time warp where my concept of minutes and seconds was skewed, and I felt dizzy. Just time slowing down every so slightly with every passing second — or was it a minute? I’m not sure. I’m along for the ride. I don’t fight it. Grooving alone I find myself wondering how long the first song is… kinda feels like 46 minutes and 17 seconds. Before I know it, I hear the opening of the album again. A reprise? Nay. The album had repeated, and I realized the songs were entirely indistinguishable from one another, and time had traveled as normal. Much to my dismay since I was at work, and the previous five hour long journey I thought I had taken only took… 46 minutes and 17 seconds. 2/5 because the beginning is a bit of a bop.
The only track of Richard Hawley I ever liked was Tonight The Streets Are Ours, but it's not on this album. I found this album to be disappointing, had the promise of easy listening... only to border very noticeably toward country (dangerous territory)
Boring.
Sounds older than it is. I was not convinced when the first track began, and it never really hooked me. I do like some slower, softer albums, but this just isn't for me. 2.5/5
If I was in the mood for this type of music, and I frequently am, why would I not just play Johnny Cash? Could have been so much more but missed and became nothing special.
Beautiful. Heartfelt. I’m probably not going to remember much about it.
After a run of albums that are arguably must listen, even if I didn’t like all of them, we get this trendoid crap. Released in 2005. Won awards. Completely forgotten by 2006. I’m sure there’s a coterie of people holding onto this as they try and hold on to their thinning hair, trying to live in a place where it’s always 2005 and wondering why it doesn’t have the resonance of 1968 or 1992. Not as bad as I’m making it out. But nowhere near ‘must-listen’.
Sounds like an impression of Seth MacFarlane's impression of Frank Sinatra. Like something they'd play in Family Guy for a single gag. People who listen to this in their free time are scarier to me than people who listen to harsh noise wall. Too many words. Here's my reaction summed up in three emojis: 😴😴😴
This is somebody's jam, but not mine. Bit of a snoozefest
Decent enough
The bits I skimmed through sounded flawless. I just don't find it very interesting.
Val Doonican was far too much of a feature of TV growing up for me to have any positive feelings about this type of music I'm afraid. There were, maybe, two slightly brighter moments and I think that just about - and it is just about - saves it from my first 1 star. If I hadn't given that My Bloody Valentine record 2 stars then this might have fallen - as it is it joins it as the worst thing I've listened to on this list I'm afraid. It's probably genius, but I quite actively dislike it.