Microshift

Great album!

Good.

10/10 super fun, mildly psychedelic I really like this

Super album

I have never heard of Hookworms, so everything about this was new to me. I'm surprised to say that this was very enjoyable. Look at me--liking music from the current decade! Way to go! That said, who are these people? Is this really one of the top 1001 albums ever made? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I still liked it.

This is why I'm here - unexpected gems. Such a great combo of mellow tunes with a driving beat. An espresso martini for your ears.

This album was unexpectedly really good.

I really liked this!

Начало первой песни альбома очень психоделическое.... (Потом прочитала, что это нео-психоделический рок) Вокал прикольный, да и песня сама по себе. Первая песня на четвертой минуте так раскрывается, блаженство. Чем-то напоминает пилотов, первая песня полетела в плейлист. Боже это что за алмаз?? Я кайфую. Все песни были успешно добавлены в плейлист)

Fantastic surprise. 100% my shit.

Love this album, but had largely forgotten it. It was my #1 back in 2018 (not a great year for albums). So great front to back...a true no skips. 5/5

rock elettronico sperimentale. Ipnotizzante. tra il 4 e il 5

I actually really liked this one even though the beginning is weird

ООООО вот это моя тема,такое мне нравится!!! кайфанула

Man, did those first 30 seconds have me worried. But it turned out to be a very unjustified worry. In fact, just the opposite. Everything after that intro was fantastic. I had completely missed Hookworms’ 8 year career in the 2010s, Wiki calls them neo-psychedelia, but Hookworms has a lot of diverse influences in 2000s alt and indie rock. Radiohead and TV on the Radio and more ripple through “Microshift,” but they distill all of that into a sound still their own, and one that is very approachable (which those two aforementioned bands often aren’t). I’m on the fence between 4 and 5 stars, but I’ll give it the boost as a new discovery I’m happy to have encountered. I’ll have to check out the rest of their work.

As the children say, bruh…this album cooks! Holy shit great stuff!! MB and MJ are my synth boys!!!

A+ album cover. This album rocked. Felt like a mix of Arcade Fire, MGMT, and Kraftwerk. Was especially bumping to "Opener". Boxing Day and Reunion took me out of it a bit because I was on a run listening to this, but Shortcomings brought it right back. Contemplated a high 4, but this album deserves a 5 because I certainly want to come back to it at some point. Definitely on a heater right now!

Well what an absolute banger of an album from a band I'd never heard of, & never would have without this list. I was 62 when this came out ffs!! & it's totally brilliant there's not a track on it that isn't 5 stars & I've already played it again.

It's been a few days and I keep coming back to it. Updating my rating from 4 to 5.

The music sounds like New Order playing an Amon Duul II album (post punk, electronica, and krautrock genre mix). A very engrossing experience. While there are no "bangers", the album as a whole has a great flow and really works as just that - the album as a single piece of art, rather than a collection of songs.

I'd never heard of them before but I loved it.

Great songs with fun sounds

The most interesting and likely the best of the “modern” albums I’ve listened to on this list so far. Every song is sonically pleasing and has a lot to like. It’s a good mix of rock and electronic.

Quite the fun album. Reminds me a bit of MGMT. Would definitely re-listen.

Hvis was so fun and nice and interesting

I really liked this! This is definitely my type of music. I wasn't blown away but I'm going to listen to it again and see if it grows on me even more. Edit: 2025-01-31, coming back to change this to a 5 because I recently rediscovered it and absolutely love it.

Very much a 2000s indie rock sound, so I can't say it hasn't been done before, but it was done very well. A couple of certified bangers carried the album. Just don't try to Google the band's name

Esta muy bueno, super sampleable y enérgico. 10/10

Chucha que bueno este álbum. 10/10

Microshift feels like a mix of The War On Drugs' indie sound mixed with an organ and some arcade/slot machine sounding sound effects. And boy do i love it for that. While this might be considered a noise album which a lot of people don't seem to like very much, this album managed to find a way to make the noise come together extremely well and make it sound absolutely beautiful at times. It also does help that the album is on the longer side when it comes to most of it songs which allows the album to grow on you a lot. Tracks 7 and 8 might have dropped the ball a bit when it comes to quality but they were the shortest songs making that not much of an issue. I think that this is a really great album that is really underrated. Best Song: Negative Space Worst Song: Boxing Day

This was gorgeous all the way through, and I loved the energy

If The Postal Service grew up and married Devotchka and was best friends with Moby and Architecture in Helsinki

Top!

My first time listening to Microshift, but this was fantastic. A swirl of pop, dream pop, indie, and electronic influence.

Album was sick

First time hearing Hookworms and I like it!

Loved it

I didnt know this one, was awesome!

I think I need to re listen to this with some HiFi headphones. This seemed really interesting but I feel like I missed a lot of the point

9/10 - I quite liked this album. Everything but Boxing Day I thought was fresh and interesting. Some of the transitions were so smooth between songs. Its interesting to see how this is the newest album we have listened to so far and it is still kinda old timey but I can hear the more modern aspects.

A cool blend of psychedelic space rock and electronics with good vocals and a propulsive groove. Love the organ, sounds very retro in a good way. Highly enjoyable.

Ullswater — это же прям краутрок какой-то. Вот этот забавный долбящий ритм в ушах. Много дисторшна, музыка такая, по большей части трансовая, с кучей повторений. И да, краут тут почти в каждой песне — вот этот вот фиксированный бит кажется уже ни с чем не спутаешь после группы Neu! The Soft Season — привет группе Spiritualised и их «Ladies and Gentlemen we are floating into space» А ещё альбом построен в форме многочастных произведений, которые плавно перетекают одно в другое. Я очень долго не мог понять, в какой момент случается переход от одного к другому — но в целом, это и не нужно здесь.

Сладко кайфанул и был бы не против сделать это ещё раз. Хорошо, что сезон начинается именно так.

сындром самазванза лайт по музыке, чутка смеси с левисом дел маре, особенно по текстам о потере флешбекнуло. а эти две (три, включая продюссера лдм) имени у меня во врапде. так что (добавив немного флешбеков на крафтверк), тут ничего иного не поставлю

I somehow missed Hookworms entirely, but this is a great album! I am now going back through their catalogue - they’ve got a great sound.

Hookworms MORE LIKE HOOK LINE AND SINKER HAHA. No but really this is some of the freshest stuff I've heard this year. Didn't know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised along the way. It's been a while since I've been surprised by an album that wasn't meant to be something experimental. The high pitched vocals tickle the prog-rock fan in me in the right way. The lyrics are touching but floaty enough to zone out to if one wishes to do so. The songs feel high energy at first listen, but the synths, keyboards, and the at times appropriately monotone guitar riffs provide enough calmth to hone in on.

That shit was lit.

Very interesting album. This sounds unique

Wow this was a fantastic surprise. Never heard of them before and this was right up my alley. Moody almost progressive like, easily one of my favorite discoveries. This will definitely be getting added to the main rotation.

loved it loved it loved it

Never heard of Hookworms before so didn’t know what to expect. If I had heard the music and been asked to guess the artist I might have said Stereolab. This is great to just sit back and chill out to or play in the background while I work.

This album is like the backing for a techno rom com set in the 80’s. If Tron Legacy had been about Flynn falling in love with a computer.

Singer sounds a little like Brandon Flowers on some songs… and I love Brandon Flowers. This was very good. I’ve never heard of Hookworms but will dive deeper into them now.

вау!! очень классный альбом!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great. It hit me in the right mood. Good mix of modern indie electronics and psychedelia

Voice is slightly annoying but the music is really good and Im into it. Great album

Primeira música é impressionante, demonstra opção de psicoldelia ampliada.

Great stuff! Sounds a bit like gizz, a little like arcade fire, but all around very enjoyable song writing

Leuk plaatje. Blij dit te hebben leren kennen

this was great! and totally new to me

idk

Cool synth album

A New Favourite

Really awesome! I had never heard of these guys, but it is just great cool driving indie rock.

Added to my catalog. Love discovering nuggets like this.

Beautiful, complex, and fun

Pleasant little psychidelic rock album, enjoyed it quite a bit and glad to see a group so obscure on the list.

Never heard of them. A pleasant surprise

Never heard of this beat combo before and was surprised they were British. Throughout I thought they sounded familiar and eventually settled on Arcade Fire. Whilst ruminating on this the album finished and because I had ‘play similar’ enabled on Apple Music, blow me down the next song was Black Mirror. Only serves to further the theory that there is something spooky about streaming services because on researching Hookworms there is not the slightest mention of any similarity with Arcade Fire. Thing is not so keen on Arcade Fire but was strangely attracted to this album and thought overall it was a good collection of songs and worthy of a further listen. Particularly when my research also revealed Hookworms are from Leeds. A city just down the road from me and home of the magnificent Leeds United. MOT to those who know and an extra star because We’re All Leeds Aren’t We! 4/5 1/7/26

really liked this one !!

Honestly, I really enjoyed this. Part Spiritualized, part Radiohead, part Krautrock, part synth-pop, and all of this coming out in 2018. The music industry is alive and well. Unfortunately human decency is not, I guess. Whatever. I enjoyed this and the album cover is gorgeous. 4 stars. Fave tracks: - Negative Space - Static Resistance - Ullswater (in 9/4 time? Fuck yeah) - Boxing Day - Shortcomings

Can feel the Krautrock influence here with the extended rhythms that transition over the course of the songs with an injection of alt rock vocals. The opening is very strong and set me up for the rest of the album. Enjoy the transitional flow of songs into each other and really sets the album up as a specific experience. Bummer the band imploded but probably for the best, still enjoyed the music.

Never heard about this band, and the end of the band sounds messy, involving some allegations that were later sort of withdrawn but maybe not really. But. This is a great album.

It's pleasant and I like it, especially as background while working, but I don't know if I'd put it in Top 1000 of All Time

I’ve listened to this quite a few times, trying to make up my mind about what I think of the album. On the one hand, it feels like 2010s hipster bullshit; on the other hand, I actually enjoy large stretches of it. It starts off strong with “Negative Space” and “Static Resistance.” There’s energy to the music and plenty of bops. The problem is that each song is about twice as long as it needs to be. The most egregious example is “Opener,” which hides a great song behind the first five minutes of junk. I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt and award it a weak 4. I’d never heard of this band before, so it was a nice find.

7.6/10

The soundscape this album creates was just an incredible throwback to the music I was listening to in college. That poppy alternative variety that the 1975, LANY, etc had mixed in with some 2000's era Bloc Party sounds. Just a great listen front to back and an easy add to my catalog.

Never heard of Hookworms, but this was another album that I enjoyed. “Boxing Day” was especially fun. This isn’t 100% my jam but I couldn’t help being sold on it.

Cool!

When they rock they rock. If they could get rid of the Kraftwerk bloops and bleeps I’d really like it.

Hookworms caught me completely off guard and delivered an undiscovered treasure in my 1001 journey. Side-A is near perfection, leaving Side-B worse off by default, but there's a pretty significant drop off...It almost doesn't matter though. The overall experience is pretty mind blowing.

Knew from the very first song this would be a good work beats album.

3.5+/5 Solide

Actually liked this.

This was good. Reminds me of MUTEMATH. Could be one of the better discoveries from this list.

It's good, but it's nothing too special. Solid 4 Stars.

So I'm feeling very conflicted about Microshift. The music? Good for the most part pretty synthy (great) a bit too poppy for my psychdelic-type music (bad). But that's only a little part of my issue with Hookworms. The book this website was inspired by was reissued several times, one of which was in 2018--this was the very latest album put on the list. A couple months after the list was republished, very serious abuse allegations were given towards one of the members (everyone in the band has initials instead of names but I wish that gimmick went further to their live appearances by doing weird stuff but I suppose Brits can either be 100% serious or 100% silly with wankers being everyone in-between). The allegations were serious enough that led to the dissolution of the group, a future lawsuit that was dismissed (which to correct a misconception: that does not mean the abuse didn't happen). A very messy affair that clogs my judgement of the very ill-timed selection to put this on this list, over several 2010s bands that deserve it (AND AREN'T JUST FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM). That fact could not escape my mind listening to the mostly good music. Look, I got another of those "newer" selections to the list earlier in Jane Weaver's Modern Kosmology. I have that same criticism about these popular in the UK and not much elsewhere bands to be on the list, and I quite enjoyed that album. But there's other albums that have better acclaim and current mainstream (as of middle 2026) that definitely deserve to usurp this selection. I should give this time to talk more about the music: It's got a great mix of synthesizer/psychedelic rock action that is definitely fun to hear. Must hear? Over a bunch of neglected hip hop/metal/music big outside the western world? No. Other than everything I just typed, it is a fine record.

No strong feelings, nice for background music

Microshift is not a record built on immediate hooks or brute-force gratification. Some of its power is cumulative, and some listeners hear the central stretch as immersive while others hear it as slightly drawn out. Even positive reactions sometimes noted that the album can blur at the edges if you are not willing to give yourself over to its pacing and atmosphere.

Neat

Surprised I liked it, but is was nice

C’est bien! Quoique le cover et le nom de band son affreux et apparemment le chanteur est un abuseur. Rough un peu.

How did I miss this one in 2018

If this album would have been introduced to me in my 20s I would have had it in heavy car rotation. It’s a bit too upbeat for anyone with children’s and a mortgage, but that’s not the albums fault. A fun listen.

Their fourth album. Rock / Electronica. Like many I had no idea who or what this was and I am British. I actually really enjoyed it. The combination of Rock and Electronica is done really well and the production is very good. This had me nodding my head an tapping my toes. A fun album. Grading this one purely on the art.

I've listened to this off and on for days now. In some moments I feel like I'm listening to something experimental and novel. in others I feel like I'm listening to an arcade fire/death cab for cutie cover band. Still though, I can't deny that I like it overall. 4/5

Really good - Nice chord changes and atmospheres

Call me worm the way this got me hooked (pause for laughter). This was a fun blend of electronic and rock and I found myself bopping along throughout my listen. Likes: Negative Space; Static Resistance; Ullswater; Opener; Shortcomings

I don't think I've heard of this band, never mind this album, and it was a wise choice to listen to the whole thing before reading their Wikipedia page. We've made a lot of noise about the 1,001 book celebrating middling English artists who are a bigger deal in the UK than anywhere else, but this one is great. I saved a bunch of the tracks to a playlist and started following Hookworms on Spotify... only to read they broke up years ago under dispiriting circumstances. I don't know what to make of how that situation played out, but I do know that I really liked Microshift.

I really got lost in this album, but in the best of ways. It started out one way and morphed all over the place ending in a beautiful cacophony of sounds that had a wide range but kept a common theme throughout. The melding of electronic beats and modern indie rock sounds is just done so well. It's unique in a way that I haven't really experienced beofre.

Pretty nice; smooth jazz-esque feelings.

A bit of a surprise here, I’d never heard of them, I enjoyed the album, and played it twice, then played some of their other tracks, great find this band, I’ll look them up

Fresh music from this list - what a surprise. British - and it can be heard. Liked it.

I've spent a lot of time on here thinking about what sounds "dated" and what doesn't, and if that concept even carries any currency or not, and it's kind of funny because this is album came out basically a minute before COVID happened and to me it already sounds like it only could've come out at a particular place and time: at the end of the long tail of psychedelic indie rock popularized by MGMT (tbh) and exemplified by other bands around this time like Kikagaku Moyo, and at the end of the long tail of dancey post punk popularized by LCD Soundsystem (tbh) and exemplified by other bands around this time by bands like Factory Floor. There's something a little krautrocky about it, a little "indie kids on the dancefloor" about it, a little trippy about it, and all of it kind of works! I don't know if this is the best spot this band could've landed on with this sound, but I guess we'll never know otherwise for reasons you can find out on your own. Shame all around.

Nice little surprise. Have never heard of these guys.

I liked it, the first song was good

That was great. Very unique. Not a sound I've ever heard before.

Me gustó mucho el album, es algo que re escucharía por placer. Siento que es un sonido familiar y distinto a la vez. Lo unico que le critico es que algunos sonidos tecno de a ratos molestan un poco. Tambien hay canciones con intros o instrumentales muy largas.

I thought this was pretty creative and had some engaging musical hooks and good ideas. Very modern. Hard to pigeonhole.

3.6 It's pleasant. But on paper I should like it more. Neo psycahdelica, shades of LCD, Flaming Lips, Kraftwerk etc. yet maybe it's because I keep thinking "oh this track reminds me of..." That it doesn't feel too fresh unfortunately. It's good, but I feel like it could have been better.

I really liked it. It’s not my usual Genre but the web of sound was fire

Surprisingly good. Would listen again.

Franchement très bon album. Les sonorités y sont très originales, avec un mélange bien géré entre une atmosphère rock et une esthétique electro assumée. Personnellement, n'étant pas particulièrement fan de musique électronique, le premier son de l'album "Negative Space" m'a tout d'abord vraiment repoussé dans les premiers instants. Néanmoins, cette mauvaise surprise a très vite été contre balancé par la mise en place du reste de l'atmosphère et de la voix venant se caler sur le rythme, apportant dès lors, une ambiance très plaisante dans sa mélancolie et son aspect planant et qui souligne selon moi la plus grande force de l'album, se mélange des styles. De plus, cette fusion entre l'electronique et le rock qui reste dans tout l'album offre selon moi une vraie prise de risque qui est très maitrisée, rappelant même certains albums comme "A Moon Shaped Pool" de Radiohead. L'album fait donc s'entre choquer différentes visions, ressenties dans les tonalités, largement mélancolique, mais en opposition aux titres comme "Soft Season" qui apportent une lueur de bonheur et de vitalité dans le projet.

What a strangely addicting album. It’s odd yet grounded; modern yet retro. I found myself drawn in to the hypnotic, harmonic and repeating motifs in this, where everything sounds new even after the fifth listen. Wonderful.

so nice and vibrant

I think I would have loved this if I knew about it but when it came out

Pretty good. Pleasantly surprised.

Good, but this feels like an “I know this genre is important, but since I don’t know enough about which albums from it are important I’ll just randomly pick a British band to represent it” choice from Dimery. I’d like this more if I didn’t know anything about Passion Pit.

Interesting

I thought this was pretty interesting. It's got a great wall of sound, indie influences with almost a Radiohead vibe at times. I'll check out more for sure.

I really like it

Negative Space // Ullswater // The Soft Season // Opener // Shortcomings

Nice, sounds nostalgic

I’d not heard these before. I’m informed this is quite different from their earlier work and they split shortly after this, which is a shame as it’s rather good. Spacey, electro - indie pop probably covers it

I'd never heard of this band let alone this album. Thoroughly enjoyed and will listen again.

Can’t believe this is 8 years old. I remember it getting some votes in the end of year polls and thinking “I really should listen to that again” but not sure I ever did. Really good album

Not heard of this band before or this album. I actually really enjoyed it. Will check out more of their catalogue.

Great songcraft - really liked the quickly sound design.

Love The Soft Season. In general, like this album. Rock, but melodic and catchy. Driving rhythms in some songs, others with no drums and more atmospheric. Didn't like Boxing Day.

What a gem. Never heard of Hookworms before, but it's magnificient. At the same time, it's complicated, poppy, introverted, playful and has odd timings. An Album just like me. Fav: Negative Space

This was quite good, I’d never heard of the artist before I really enjoyed this

bastante buono

Nice

I love the amount of energy delivered and how it’s done. The production so skillfully supports whatever the through line is and gives it even more power. From a strong bassline to an electric guitar’s rhythmic melody, there is matching passion in the vocals and production that does an amazing job at building up to big moments. There’s often several minutes of what seems like more of the same at first, only to transition to a climax that you feel deeply. All across the album you get developments like this due to the dynamism that’s ever-present. Faves: Negative Space, Static Resistance, Opener, Shortcomings

Misc thoughts: robots banging pots and pans in a cool way. Vocals like if radiohead was cheerful

I like it. Bringing electronic back to it's roots while retaining a bit of that indie scumbaggery that spawned groups like Battles, Hot Chip, Justice, Crystal Castles, etc.

Nice

Never heard of them but like a hot chip mix up. Enjoyed !

I enjoyed this one, low 4. Some fun time signatures and nice sounds

How have I not heard this before? This album rips

This is an interesting album - there are some bangers on here and some examples of musical masturbation. Thankfully there was more banging that masturbating.

i like it it’s cool!!!!

Симпатичная музыка.

I really liked this album. If I’d discovered it as a 17 year old I probably would’ve been obsessed with it. A really creative take on the 2010s indie sound.

This was really good! Fun - easy to listen to - good vibes

Not only had I not heard this album but I hadn’t even heard of the artist. I was impressed.

sceptisch bij de eerste tonen, aangenaam verrast richting het einde

I can pull out my hipster card again and say that I did know about this album before going through this list. It’s an odd little psychedelic indie rock album. Fun but probably doesn’t need to be included here

Tuli välillä mieleen Blondie. Täs on yritystä

I enjoyed this alot. Kinda felt like LCD Soundsystem mixed with M83. Dope modern psychedelic rock. I am gonna listen to this one again.

Loved this! Just the thing I want from this project. 4/5

I liked the energy of a lot of this, although it did start to overstay its welcome. I'll err on the generous side today.

3.88/5 Stars Top Songs: Negative Space, Soft Season, Ullswater

Enjoyed this, defo up my street. Feels a bit like Django Django

Cool and chill

bummer because it was actually so good

Transitions….. I love a good transition so this album got bonus points in my book for this. Felt like I was in the world they created with this album, it’s so fun when that happens. This is an album I would definitely revisit and know I would’ve been obsessed with if I would have found in 2018 when it came out, it’s such a pre-2020 album haha. - Standouts: Each Time We Pass

I was set to call it another "huh" of an un-relevant record. Which it may still be. But then I listened again and got fairly hooked on Ullswater, a poppy electroclash song in 9. Anyone who makes a fun electronic song in a weird signature is alright by me. Might come back. A 3.5 rounded up.

Its pretty good honestly, but I have no idea what merited it to get on here over more influential albums from 2028

Extremely experimental and some really insane sounds I like it a lot

A surreal, modern, and inviting swirl of sounds, samples, and melodies. Expansive in its atmosphere yet precise in the details. Feels like walking through one of those illusion museums where around every corner is a new distortion of reality, not in a dreadful way but an intriguing, curiosity-piquing one. Hook, worm, and sinker.

It's been almost 6 years since we've started the project so I might not remember it correctly, but I'm pretty sure this is what Kraftwerk sounds like Okay it was only the intro, the actual songs sound more like Animal Collective Very good nice, esp The Soft Season and Each Time We Pass

Really good modern...whatever it is

Got a little random noise-ish at parts, but overall a very pleasant listen. I would definitely throw it on again.

Actually enjoyed this, nice sound, album flows really well

Literally never heard of this band, and apparently they broke up less than a year after this album released due to abuse allegations against the lead singer 💀 so weird pull. But that said, this was actually a pretty cool listen. The first 5 tracks make for a great run, just loses me a bit in the back half. 3.5/5

This album exceeded my expectations, which were set by reading some of the negative comments by other listeners. I find the music to be quite different from most British alt rock bands, although I must admit it does get a bit repetitive after the first few songs. Still, I feel it's worth four stars, even if I'm tempted to dock one for the awful band name.

# In-Depth Review: *Microshift* by Hookworms *(Released 30 Jan 2018, Domino offshoot Weird World)* --- ## 1. Lyrical Focus – “The first time MJ lets you read his diary” - **Subject Matter**: Mental-health collapse, survivor’s guilt, romantic self-sabotage, the 2015 Leeds flood that destroyed front-man/producer Matthew “MJ” Johnson’s studio. - **Tone**: Wistful, almost conversational; the old psych-shriek is replaced by a soft northern accent that cracks under pressure. - **Key Lines**: – “I still hear you every time I’m down” (*Negative Space*). – “How long’s forever?” – the record’s central rhetorical hook. – “It’s hard to find a better world where we can count up all the shortcomings” (*Opener*). - **Technique**: Sparse repetition, negative-space metaphors (literally living in the void left by someone), sudden last-verse confessions that feel ripped from a crisis-line transcript. > “The lyrics are unequivocally wistful and confessional… hiding desire only to be betrayed by the expression on their face” . --- ## 2. Musical DNA – From Psych Squall to Neon Pulse - **Core Shift**: Distorted shackles removed; motorik krautrock, DFA-style disco throb, modular-synth bubbles and Spiritualized gospel lift form the new chassis. - **Tempo Strategy**: Three 7-minute pillars (*Negative Space / Ullswater / Opener*) hold up shorter, hook-driven satellites. - **Dynamics**: Still explosive, but explosions now rise out of pin-drop silence rather than guitar-swell fog. - **Reference Points**: – *LCD Soundsystem*’s hand-clap percussive layers . – Early-*Devo* synth spikes . – *Spiritualized*’s hymnal melancholy (*The Soft Season*) . > “…a maximal, DFA-flavoured playland, driven by drums that make it sound like a hand from above is physically pounding the reverb-laden fog of the first two albums out of the system” . --- ## 3. Production – MJ’s Rebuilt Playroom - **Gear Story**: After the River Aire flood, MJ re-stocked with boutique modular racks, new ribbon mics, and a Calrec console allegedly once owned by the BBC. - **Sound Palette**: – Glittering stereo splits (hi-hats duck from ear to ear). – Side-chained synth pads that inhale/exhale against the bass drum. – Brass recorded in a stone staircase for natural reverb, then sliced into stabs on *Boxing Day*. - **Mastering**: Heavier low-mid punch than previous records; treble is air-bright rather than ear-blasting. > “Microshift is full of space and sharpness… the sound handcrafted” . --- ## 4. Themes – Trauma, Technology, Transcendence 1. **Personal Aftermath**: Survivor’s guilt (*“Reunion”*) and seasonal depression (*“The Soft Season”*). 2. **Digital Ghosts**: Voicemail samples, iPhone notification clicks tucked into the mix = modern loneliness. 3. **Water & Weather**: Recurrent flood imagery; the album artwork’s rippled barcode suggests a data sheet washed clean. 4. **Hopeful Glow**: Even at its most defeated, a synth arpeggio or gospel-tinged backing vocal lifts the curtain—acceptance rather than nihilism. --- ## 5. Influence & Legacy - **Immediate Ripple**: 2018 “Best Album” short-lists in *The Guardian*, *Pitchfork*, *Loud & Quiet*; pushed contemporaries (*Goat, Kikagaku Moyo*) toward cleaner, synth-forward mixes. - **Producer MJ**: Subsequent credits for *Peanut*, *Vanishing*, *Mandy, Indiana* show the *Microshift* drum sound becoming a Northern-studio trademark. - **DIY Community**: Demonstrated that a basement psych act could pivot to electronic without losing credibility—important for bands like *Black Midi* and *Squid* who later hybridised their sounds. --- ## 6. Pros & Cons | Pros | Cons | |------|------| | + Bold reinvention: keeps emotional intensity while swapping guitar fuzz for synth shimmer. | – Devotees of the old wall-of-noise may find the cleaner palette “polite”. | | + Lyrical candour: MJ’s mental-health openness adds human weight rare in kraut-disco. | – Runtime: three 7-minute songs plus coda can feel lopsided; some edits meander. | | + Production master-class: every tick, tom and filter sweep is three-dimensional. | – Hook inconsistency: highs (*Negative Space, Opener*) overshadow a couple of mid-album tracks that never quite bloom. | | + Emotional uplift: despite heavy themes, the record arcs toward catharsis, making repeat plays rewarding. | – Niche appeal: if you dislike 80s synth-brass or motorik grooves, centre pieces may grate. | > “…a vast leap forward into a powerful, pop-wise future without sacrificing any intensity” ; conversely, “each song after is rather relaxed… almost shoegaze” which may underwhelm fans seeking constant bombast . --- ## Verdict *Microshift* is less a cautious step than a pole-vault. It sacrifices some of the feral distortion that originally defined Hookworms, but the trade-off is a laser-focused, emotionally naked album whose production tricks and melodic earworms continue to reveal themselves years on. In the Venn overlap of *LCD Soundsystem* pulse, *Spiritualized* ache and *krautrock* hypnotics, *Microshift* stakes out a sweet spot few bands have managed since.

Good band, terrible name.

I like this

This album came into it's own in the 2nd half. The Soft Season is a particular favourite like a more dreamy Hot Chip. Good addition to the list

This one feels like a bit of a Rorschach Test. I am hearing LCD Soundsystem, Spacemen 3, Krautrock and particularly Stereolab, though it does lack the latters Gallic shruggery and Marxist Dialectics. Good enough to get me checking out their earlier leas polished but arguably superior albums.

One of the more interesting British groups of modern times on this list, although admittedly I was unaware of their existence before listening. Plenty of creativity on show here, heavily influenced by Arcade Fire in places, but I also heard a bit of new order in there too. It was a rewarding listen, even if it didn’t soar to any great heights in any single place. A good find.

Loved

- Never heard of this, which is somewhat surprising as it's British Indie but also not, as seven years ago I just wasn't looking for new music to get into. - But it's glorious, melodic Neo-Psychedelia. This can go directly into my veins all day. I love the way they've woven the tracks into each other in places. It feels like a journey. It lurches and shifts between playful electronic beats, guitar riffs and thumping bass. - Listened multiple times over the weekend and will look for a copy. This is great stuff.

That was a good experience. A sign that people still can do good music.

Cool Passion Pit / Phoenix Vibes. Loved the polyrhythms and some of the writing reminded me of Elbow.

hey finds saaaaugeil. erste track chli extra weird aber etz ullswater slappt uuhuere. super geili drums.

microshit s albumcover isch reecht cool, erinneret mi h chli an tame impala EO of erwerbsersatzordnung fame??? und jz lauft mier das blöde lied na BUT IF YOU CLOSE YOUR EYYEEEYEEESSS anyway ja chli komplizierti gschicht wege abuse. nödso cool aber blick au nöd ganz durre zrugg zude musig: ähh finds easy? schono funny sini stimm erinneret mich ah suscht öpper und scho auchli radiohead-time zwüscheziitlich weiss iwie au nöd so recht. weiss glaub, was sie hend welle mache und schlecht findis nöd aber über wiiti streckene hani doch wenig chönne demit ahfange. glaub s hätt bi mier nachli meh pfupf brucht? zweiti rundi! MANNN ich chan mich nöd entscheideeeses jz bim 2. mal gfalltsmer schochli besser chum es knapps 4i gits

Really awesome and niche album. I'm glad I could listen to it.

Kind of sounds like MGMT, but also sounds unique enough to have a cool ring to it. Had never heard of these guys before. Kind of cool all around--I was expecting to be annoyed and was pleasantly surprised. 4/5

Better than expected

I was leary at first but it grew on me. Nothing amazing or life changing but it changed enough and was pleasant to listen to. I didn't feel like I was stuck in the same beat over and over, it grew and expanded bringing me into a pleasant spacey world.

I've never heard of this group. They remind me of a mix of Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, and maybe even a little Fun (the band). And then they turn into Underworld in Boxing Day! I was kind of sad that song ended so abruptly. So the sound isn't necessarily original, but who cares, I really liked it. It had reflective emotion that put me in my feels but was also catchy and made me feel dancy. And I like music that makes me feel these things!

Enjoyed it more than I expected.

Incredibly reminiscent of MGMT. But very good all the same

Really good music.

Yeah, this is the good stuff. Gonna be revisiting this one a lot. Awesome intro.

I expected to hate this, assuming it was just another average indie rock album from the 2010s… but surprisingly, it’s actually rather good. Everything revolves around ‘Opener’, the album’s centrepiece and beating heart, but the songs on either side of it are consistently engaging and surprisingly strong. The mix of pulsing electronics, expressive vocals, and solid songwriting gives the record a clear emotional core without ever feeling heavy-handed. It’s a confident album that rewards repeat listening.

enjoy

Really like this one. Was wondering why I've never heard of this album, and it's because the singer had abuse allegations against him shortly after this album came out, the allegations blew up on Twitter, and the band split. Plus they're British. Anyway, great album!

Not at all what I was expecting from a band named Hookworms. Very cool electronic effects throughout.

Really big fan of this album actually. Wasn't sure what to expect but the sound is incredible and really nice to listen to. Great vocals too. Pretty much every song on the album sounds great too, really good listen.

I liked this. Plus, I found a niche I didnt even know about. Better bands than this one.

Immediately thought of Kraftwerk. Album then shifted to an upbeat Death Cab For Cutie vibe. It's a good album. Never heard of the band previously. Does it deserve to be on the list? I'm unsure. There's some thrash on this is that this is miles better than. 3.5/4. Raising to 4.

Ooh a newer release for a change! How have I not heard this album?! You can really hear the lineage of greats like Pink Floyd and Kraftwerk while still managing to connect with the sound of 2000’s indie bands like LCD Soundsystem or Phoenix. This is really right up my alley! I love the lush synths and the dry high energy danceable drums, and the intelligent and melodic vocals that at times remind me a bit of Animal Collective or The Shins. The guitars and are so fun and innovative as they weave around the foundational and hypnotic bass work. All around great musicianship on full display. Once again thank you to the 1001 gods for giving me a new favorite album! 4.5

4,000 Monthly Listeners? Alright, we'll give 'em a shot. Honestly, this blew my expectations away. About halfway through the song, I found myself just tapping my foot to it, forgetting I was doing the project. This one's incredibly underrated. I don't know what genre it is but it bangs nonetheless.

Never heard of them but, I really liked them. 4 stars

Not bad! Really funky

The album sounds "cool" Great opener. Really great opener. Negative spaces is so in your face, doesn't let up, great tempo Ullswater is the next song of note. Really like the vocals on this one. Builds really well Everything links together well Must revisit

The first minute of this starts with a midi-sounding Pong noise. I thought "Yike! I am going to hate this!" And normally, I would have killed it right there. But that's not the game we're playing here, so I stuck it out. I am pretty happy that I did. Like 99% of everyone in the world, I never heard of this band before. While it starts sort of badly, the song picks up and is Ok. A little more rock than anything else they do on the album. The rest of it though sounds like Yo La Tengo and Spiritualized, which is a god thing. I will listen to this again, but probably skipping that first song. I don't have any favorites or hates on here. Sort of like the above mentioned bands, I probably couldn't tell you the name of three songs. But I like listening to an hour's worth for the vibes. With them going back and forth with the sounds of those bands, it makes it even easier to listen without getting bored of the same-y-ness. Actually going to give this a 4. Seems to get better with repeated listens.

I had never heard of Hookworms until this album suggestion. Whilst I like it, and have now listened to the rest of their catalogue, I’m not sure why they are on a 1001 best album list. It’s enjoyable certainly, but there are better examples of their genre out there. Still, guess I’m glad they were on the list otherwise I wouldn’t have heard of them. Better than some of the other albums that have been featured, and certainly a nice bit of fresh air after the recent 60’s/70’s offerings.

This was really neat, a bit of a Postal Service vibe in places and I've already listened to some other bits. Nice find.

Look all I'm saying is they literally have less monthly listeners than my high school music teacher BTW Gerald Bailey shall live forever 🙏

This was a pretty cool mix of neo psychedelia with synthpop and krautrock. The entire album is driven by motorik style beats and rhythm. The electronics are all modular synths that feel alive, and at times glitchy, while the overall soundscape is colorful and full of texture. It’s honestly nothing too mind blowing, but it’s good for what it is. If you like bands like Stereolab, then this will be right up your alley.

Really great. Some songs a little long

𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 was my first encounter with Hookworms, and it’s a surprisingly powerful mix of psych-rock, krautrock rhythms, and shimmering electronics. The record balances intensity with atmosphere, pulling you into long, hypnotic grooves without losing momentum. A hidden gem that makes me wonder why I hadn’t heard of this band before.

I really dig this.

Nice.

I had heard of hookworms before, but i definitely didn’t think i would see them on this list. That being said, this album is pretty awesome. It’s definitely something I’m going to listen to again.

Fyrstu tónarnir voru mjög skrítnir og ég hélt ég væri að fara að hlusta á einhverja öfgalist svo hægt og rólega byrjaði allt að smella og það kom skemmtilega á óvart hvernig þetta gekk upp. Þetta væri vanalega þristur en fær fjórar stjörnur af því að þetta var svo hressilegt og óvænt.

Aldrig hört talas om gruppen. Anade att jag skulle gilla skivan. Så blev det också. Men det tog lite längre tid än jag trodde. Kanske tre lyssningar. Första gången var jag dock inte så uppmärksam. Men nu efter några fler lyssningar är jag helt inne i skivan. Det är ett lattjo sound. Varierande och intressant.

Kul överraskning! Det här är ett sound som jag gillar och som påminner mycket om MGMT. Märkligt att de har så oerhört få lyssningar på Spotify.

Fun stuff. Liked it more than I would have expected. 3.5* rounding up.

This album game me strong Spiritualised vibes - and that cannot possibly be a bad thing. Catchy, melodic and multilayered.

Super cool, feels kinda like Bloc Party and Arcade Fire with more synth. Enjoyed this and would definitely listen again

This one was pretty fun. Was pretty obvious what it wanted to sound like with this one. It's a bit derivative and it kind of falls off by the second half, but I enjoyed this a lot more than other offerings from the 2010's that the list has given me so far. It's quirky yet weirdly dancable nerd music.

Surely, even Hookworms themselves must be wondering why they were included in the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. I like a good indie electronic drone album as much as the next guy, and I enjoyed listening to this one. But this feels like one of those albums that's only significant because it made this list. I'd happily listen to it again, but I really can't justify a very high score. I do quite like the mess of sounds featured in "Boxing Day" though and wish I could hear more of that... Oh what the hell, 4 stars.

If a 2010s indie artist was influenced by M83 and MGMT, while also having instrumentals that are inspired by the original Tron movie (or at least what I remember/think it was). Good stuff though, generally enjoying it.

I really enjoyed this record. Had some Kraftwerk vibes, but in a more modern pop setting.

Pleasantly surprised

Worm Hooks was actually a critically acclaimed solo project by Len Houmous to celebrate the British Anglers Association. ‘Noones ever captured the river banks as well as Len’ NME. 3.8 2/9 Static Resistance

Never heard of them before and wondered about how good the album would be but actually enjoyed it quite a lot

I’ve got no clue why this is on the list but all in all I enjoyed it

I was unfamiliar with this artist and this album. On the whole, I really enjoyed it. Will relisten.

Thought it was just synth until vocals kicked in. wolf parade. could be good Negative space Static resistance Ullswater

This was a great discovery. Microshiftbis a good album and I really liked how they blended the eletronic in a post punk scenario, the lyrics are also good and I felt energised after the album. . My only criticism is, again, why is this on the list? Hookworms have circa 6 thousand listeners on Spotify and around 2 thousand followers on Instagram. The only big sites covering it was Pitchfork (7.9) and Drowned in Sound (much better review than in Pitchfork, btw). I understand that the music is good but were they relevant enough to be in the list? The same year we had Mitsky- Be The Cowboy who did something similar with much bigger cultural impact. . I really love to discover new good music but if I had the curation of this list I would not put albums like School of Velocity (Miaoux Miaoux) or Ginger Root (SHINBANGUMI), albuns I love with passion but unfortunately didnt reach much people... Still I give them 4 stars, but wish to have discovered it on the list of best albuns of 2018.

This was good. Reminds me of The Big Roar by The Joy Formidable, even in the "the first song sounds like it sucks and then it gets good". Check that one out, Ben!

First minute or so of this album was a jumpscare that had me thinking we were due for another British bullshit electronic album. Luckily, I was wrong and it turned into a more conventional pop/rock/electronic track. That song took me through the whole range of stars, from 1 star all the way to 5, and I don’t think any other song on this list has run me through that series of emotions. Solid 4 of an album

Ok the first song got me. I thought this would be just a bleeps and bloops album but no- it actually went somewhere. I dug it. Kind of LCD Soundsystem-y. Except not as snide. Very positive. The rest of the album is in that same vein- reminds me of Death Cab and Grandaddy. Maybe some Flaming Lips as well? I keep trying to pin these guys down and I shouldn’t. They’re just a really good indie rock outfit with some excellent songs. Count me in. FOUR STARS

This was great, it's catchy and easy to listen too

Never heard of this album even though I was paying very close attention to the indie music scene in this era. Found this very enjoyable, especially the opening two tracks. Curious why this was included instead of some more impactful records of this style that came out in the same year. 3.5/5

This was awesome. Never heard of this band..will definitely listen again.

This was a pretty cool mix of neo psychedelia with synthpop and krautrock. The entire album is driven by motorik style beats and rhythm. The electronics are all modular synths that feel alive, and at times glitchy, while the overall soundscape is colorful and full of texture. It’s honestly nothing too mind blowing, but it’s good for what it is. If you like bands like Stereolab, then this will be right up your alley.

This album started off so strong, but then kinda came in and out of "eh" and "this is good". The "eh" parts of this album sounded like the bad parts of Passion Pit. This band feels like a mashup of Death Cab for Cutie, Muse, a touch of Bon Iver, and Passion Pit (mentioned above). There are also many other familiar sounds that I can't quite tie them to yet. Is this the newest album on this list? Maybe so. It am confused as to why this album was picked. Negative Space and The Soft Season were the two highlights for me, but most of the rest of the album was good. Decent 4 from me

I had zero expectations but I'm pleasantly surprised so far. Standout Songs: - Negative Space - Static Resistance - Shortcomings

Wasn't expecting this one to be as good as it was. I love the drone synthy sound and how they incoorporated it into a rock framework. 8/10

So I’ve never heard of this group even though the album is from 2018, and they’ve only got 6k monthly listeners on spotify. But several indieheads reddit threads about the band’s collapse due to SA allegations so clearly they had some following in the 10s. But now it’s like no one talks about them anymore, weird ghost town effect. Anyway cool songs, not like my favorite or anything though

thoughts: very fun and groovy start to the album with the first couple of songs. glitchy dance-y brit indie rock is a weakness for me and this is hitting that spot. i had no idea what to expect with this but man, this is gonna get some replay songs: “negative space”, “static resistance”, “opener” rating: 8.7/10

I feel like I've heard this before, but it's a lot of fun.

Microshift by Hookworms is a fairly recent album and I had never heard of it. Wasn’t sure what was coming but they hooked me with their ear worm… yea that was bad but this album wasn’t. They bring an interesting blend of pysch and synth rock. Found myself reminded of Death Cab For Cutie at times and I’ve always enjoyed them so I liked this. Good stuff. 4 stars

very psychedelic and cool!!

Would listen to again. Has vibes of MGMT and good mix of pop rock and electronic.

The first three songs are really really good but it goes downhill a bit from there. No idea why it's on this list but I can't say I'm too upset that it is.

I was pleasantly surprised by this.

You gotta do this one in one sitting.

Hadn’t heard of them. Good stuff. Mgmt-ish

gooooooood

I liked this. Had never heard of them and had no expectations going in, but was an enjoyable alt rock album. Surprisingly unbothered by the 7 min tracks

Dreamy and creamy synch indie. Pleasantly surprised to see a release from Hookworms on the list. Really enjoy this one (and the band in general). Love how to tracks all seamlessly phase into each other, and there's some really hypnotic loops in here. Good stuff!

Their Spotify description calls them "socially conscious noise rock" and I have a phobia of invertebrate parasites. I wasn't sure what to expect, to say the least of how I started out. Microshift opens with Negative Space, which builds from a highly programmatic intro (you can hear the krautrock influence immediately) to a clean, fairly soaring feel by the end of its near-seven-minute length. For the grittiness of the guitar tone, the vocal delivery, electronic accents and production all combine for a fairly clean, atmospheric number. In short, it builds. Mostly, reminds me of early (Suburbs) Arcade Fire, but with a little less catharsis. This music is very nice and if you like it, you should go back and work through the Canadian indie collectives of the Oughts (Broken Social Scene, Arcade Fire).

That rare burger gave me hookworms :(

I had this whole snarky review in my head where I was going to name British rock bands that I love from this era, but it turns out this album is pretty solid. It can't hold a candle to LCD soundsystem, but it is still good. Unlike numerous other UK indie rock albums from 2000 to present day on this list, this album actually has some character. I guess you guys will have to wait until tomorrow when I get some no name white bread British band for me to write my snarky review. Low 4.

Een behoorlijk recente toevoeging en het komt meer dan eens voor dat ik er dan nog nooit van heb gehoord. De wiki weet amper iets te melden, niet eens een stijl. Hookworms is een 'rock' band blijkbaar. Als het eerste nummer instart, krijg ik eerder Daft Punk-achtige vibes. Op het moment dat de zang erbij komt, wordt het wel meer festival rocky. Maar dan wel artsy-fartsy als Arcade Fire. Ik was in eerste instantie wat skeptisch, misschien ook omdat ik net de Beach Boys moest luisteren, maar ik kan dit soort muziek een stuk beter hebben dan dat gedateerde gewauwel van wijlen Brian Wilson. Er zit veel elektronica om de rockmuziek heen, maar het vult aan in plaats van dat het stoort. Het tempo is lekker hoog, de muziek sfeervol. Het gaat vaak genoeg even lekker los. Voordat je begint aan een lijst als de 1001 hoop je veel bekende klassiekers te horen en een aantal verborgen parels, waarvan je blij bent dat je ze hebt leren kennen. Inmiddels weten we iets beter, dat er dus ook heel veel meuk tussen staat. Daarom word ik altijd wat terughoudender als ik een moderne plaat als dit zie staan. En dan is het eigenlijk des te leuker als je positief verrast wordt. Want ik vind dit hele fijne muziek.

good!

I have never heard of them before, but this was great

I had never heard of this band. I enjoyed the album! Great length - I think any longer and it might have gotten boring. Solid album, I'd say 3.5 - rounding up.

First time hearing this. It’s good!

Modern synthpop? I like this

Nice!

This list has so much old music that it’s easy to forget the effect of modern music production technology on the landscape of music. This band (which I’d never heard of) is able to create an exceptionally produced blend of prog, krautrock, and more modern indie.

I didn't like Boxing Day very much, but I liked the rest of the album. I love the spacey feel.

This is just a fun album

This kinda stuck in my brain, it hooked me and wormed its way in. Loved this album although I did not expect to at all

"Microshift" is the third studio album, the fourth long play album and the final album by British rock band Hookworms. Neo-psychedelia, space rock, noise rock and drone rock had been their musical genres up to this album which saw them use more "electronic loops and glacial synths." The bandmembers included EO (guitars, backing vocals), JN (drums, percussion), JW (guitars), MB (bass, synthesizers) and MJ (vocals, keyboards, synths and producers). Commercially, the album reached #18 in the UK. Electronic beats, synth noises and robotic synth voices open "Negative Space." MJ enters with a tenor voice. An underlying synth melody and ringing guitars. Dance beats come in. This really reminds me of early 80's synth Ministry. A compelling song about the death of a close friend. The beat picks up in "Static Resistance." Muddled vocals and a similar guitar/synth melody. This song is much more driving and urgent rock. It would not be out of place on an LCD Soundsystem album. They go more with a bouncy beat in "Ullswater." A song that builds with a nice searing guitar solo. A song about a family illness. A synth drone from the previous song carries into "Opener." A beat changes that and into quite a nice pop song musically. The guitar cranks it up a bit. MJ going on about the inability of men to open up. The album closes with "Shortcomings." A heavy bass, normal drum and a post-punk sounding guitar. A vertical catchy chorus and overall song. Insecurity over one's onstage appearance. I had no idea what to expect going into this album so I was pleasantly surprised with a very good album. It's hard to pinpoint this band but they reminded me at times of LCD Soundsystem, early 80's Ministry, Postal Service, Stereolab and New Order...all good comps. Songs can be urgent and driving or more subdued. Mostly electronic beats and synth melodies but the guitars play an important part. Serious and adult lyrics discussing death, illness, ending of relationships and insecurities. It's too bad this was the last album for the band or maybe they never would have topped this. Regardless, it's an album worth a listen.

A good album, I liked Negative Space, Static Resistance and Shortcomings the most.

Another surprise for me, never heard of the band before, but loved it and will have this in my rotation for a while.

Okay, this is 100% my jam - I've never heard of this band before, and am extremely pleasantly surprised. Time to see if they have any other music and all about... oh. Maybe not. Album still bangs though.

Hadn’t heard them before. A new favorite!

3.75

Loved this. Will dig deeper.

True neo-psych here from a band that is consistent while evolving.

Never heard of Hookworms before so I didn't know what to expect I actually quite enjoyed this album! Sounded very similar to a lot of other indie/alt bands I listen to A good find! 4 ⭐️

Neo psychedelics rock that also has the right groove. Sometimes they step into rather dull catchy indie hooks territory, these worms. Without those I'd rate this great album even Higher.

This shouldn't be as interesting as it is

Really enjoyed the sound and was perfect background music but just didn't have any standout songs that I would say are classics.

Never heard of this band. I'd definitely listen to more as this was enjoyable.

Beautiful surprise.

Thought I would be skipping through this one but actually quite enjoyed it! It was catchy and despite there being several 5+ minute songs on it, it didn't drag at all. Weird choice for this list but a welcome one

I wasn't aware of the brief existence of this band, well apparently it wasn't very long. After hearing the first bleeps and bloops of the first song, I thought that we would have another incredibly dated record on our hands. However, I quickly realized that there was far more to this record and that it actually sounded modern. This is one of the newer additions to this list and I actually really like it. Microshift is a record to blends psychedelic shoegaze with a sort of hard old school synth vibe. It's an odd mix but works rather well and I quickly found myself boping along. I liked the drowned out vocals as well and I think it's definitely an album that I'll have to revisit to sniff out all the details. Ullswater was a particular highlight for me with it's hard synth drive. Overall, it may be a bit derivative as I was constantly reminded of other projects that had a similar vibe. Still a really decent addition on here.

I had never heard of this band, but I quite enjoyed the music. Yikes on the description on Wikipedia, but will SAFA.

Really interesting

Refreshing album that I know will grow on me with more listens

was scared at first but then i realized theyre gunnin for a neu!/stereab sorta vibe

Well I’m hooked

Rätt bra!

What a pleasant surprise! I wasn't aware that this band existed, wonderful mix of indie and electronic music without sounding like a 2010's cliché.

72/100. Microshift by Hookworms is a good record with a strong first half. The blend of krautrock, psychedelic, and pop elements is fantastically produced and works really well. However, the second half feels unfinished and somewhat messy in terms of mixing. A track like "Boxing Day" left me confused by the end, almost disrupting the flow of the album.

Frénétique, aérien, traitement des voix: distantes, presque noyées dans l’ensemble, présence de cuivres. L’écoute m’a stimulée et intéressée.

4/5

This album has an awful opening riff. I thought for sure it was going to be a struggle to get through the album. Happily, it switched up after about 90 seconds, and the rest of the album was enjoyable and interesting. The music is multi-layered, has energy. Unfortunately the band is no more, due to alleged abusive behavior by the lead singer. I had never heard of them before today and now there is no future for them. But I am happy to know this album.

Yooo this album is really good. Bit mad they’re from Leeds and I’ve never heard them. Looks like they didn’t blow up massive but still. Love the heavier indie rock sensibilities mixed with the electronica/computer esq beeps and boops. Very cool album. I enjoy 💻

Actually really enjoyed it. Might listen again. It's also not some landmark album you need to hear before you die, it feels too young for this list. It wouldn't surprise me if it is removed in new versions of the book.

Didn't know about Hookworms before this. A lot of synths used around. I liked it. If you don't consider the lyrics, the tracks seem to merge together.

Never heard of this one. Fun!

I wasn't sure what to expect here, never heard of this band and never even thought it would be something this book would have included, even more seeing that one of the members eventually went on to be on Yard Act, one of the more "okay" bands of the past few years. So, color me surprised when this album was instead a really cool psychedelic album that's clearly inspired by bands like Animal Collective and Stereolab but manages to give it its own twist. The synth work and instrumentals here are so lush and wonderfully arranged but still grounded with driving bass and drums which makes the music feel as energetic as it is nicely composed. It's always albums like this that reminds me the thrill of listening to new obscure music, you never know what you're gonna get or hear but if it's good it's always gratifying

Great.

Tentative 4 stars because i did enjoy some of the music but a lot of it was pretty generic especially for this time period when everything sounded similar to this.

Initially I was pretty meh on this one, but as it has played out it really has grown on me. The singer reminds me of Styx and the instrumentals at times recall of some brighter indie Lotus songs. I'd say this isn't something I loved, but I grew to enjoy and could see myself coming back to again for a summer drive. Solid 4 / 5

I really liked the background synthy jaunts that were going on in that whole. I am surprised that this band didn't catch on more with how groovy this whole album sounded...unless all of their other albums suck, then that would make sense.

This album is wild. So many sounds happening, in a good way. Really digging it. The Soft Season reminds me of Animal Collective. This was a weird but fun one. Pretty different than what I've heard which I appreciate. Will probably try to dig into these guys a bit more.