Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Interesting album. Never heard of that singer, I’m glad I listened
I don’t know how I feel about this one. It was interesting. I’ve never heard of this artist before. Quite a range of sounds across the album.
I liked where dreams go to die and outer space
Too many mediocre albums that are either good nor bad but just as equally forgetful
When this started, I was pretty annoyed by this dude doing a bad 60’s/70’s album but by the end, I was kinda liking it. I’m as shocked as anyone
Beatles vibes with bad lyrics. 'jesus hates faggots' is dumb. Broadly with exception of Outer Space (which I already knew) and TC & Honeybear the music is good and generally enjoyable but on the generic side - but the lyrics overall suck pretty bad and the music doesn't blow me away at any time.
Pretty good. Probably never coming back to any of these songs but the sound is interesting, and I had no clue who this guy was. So, still 600+ days into this finding newer people is nice
Je lui préféré le premier album mais il reste intéressant.
I like the arrangements and the production. I do not like when the man gets overly silly though. And it gets a bit sleepy at this length. The first song sounds kind of like it is channeling Sufjan and Van Morrison, who I both like! Mixed bag.
Overall Rating - 3.46/5 (6.92/10). Except for the one track that was so jarringly out of step with the rest, decent album. Marz was not easily describable.
No private session used for Spotify and I wasn't sure what I was getting in to. This was bad at all, slow ballads, probably worth a couple more listens to get more out of the lyrics. I had heard "Sigourney Weaver", before and found it clever.
No esta mal pero no es un disco que volvería a escuchar, no es un estilo musical que llame la atención.
Some catchy tunes
6/ 10 – Decent
Seemed fine, but couldn't give it a really good listen.
Glad to discover this modern folk album, as I'd never heard of John Grant. But it left me with an odd impression. The plainspoken songs are very personal and emotional, yet they didn't feel original.
I know people who love John Grant but I had never heard him before. Honestly all over the place with this one. First listen I disliked it, second listen I quite enjoyed it. Mojo’s record of the year though? Really?!
Musically this is right up my alley but for some reason I haven't heard this before. Glad I listened now!
Begint melancholisch maar aan het eind een paar nummers die er wat mij betreft totaal niet tussen passen. Wel een lekker album om te luisteren
"Queen of Denmark" is John Grant's debut album, dabbling in Folk Pop/Piano Rock with some mild Electronic influences. It mostly tells a story about a man who is suffering from drug abuse, struggling with his self-esteem and accepting his sexuality, and many failed relationships. The key thing you can take from this record is the over-exaggerated dark humor lyrics, most probably resembling a breakdown. Some note-worthy songs lyric-wise are "Jesus Hates Faggots" which is about his family feeding him religious propaganda and anti-homosexuality messages, and "Silver Platter Club" which is also about the lack of embracing "masculinity", or at least what the common media calls masculinity. Now when it comes to quality, the first 3 songs take the cake. After that there isn't as much quality apart from a few songs like Chicken Bones, JHF and the self-titled track. I also don't enjoy when he starts using autotune to determine his voice, I personally feel like the unedited voice is better. Overall, this is a good record which I recommend if you are the target audience, which is why i'm a feeling a decent 7 on this album. Rating (out of 10): 7.5/10
I didn't hate it
I don't understand why this is on the 1001 albums list. The album feels really dated, like from the 70's perhaps but I'm not sure what the intention is. Is it referential?
10’s Indie ⭐️Queen of Denmark
Blind album and artist. Im a little shocked I did not like any of these songs in the top 10 streamed for the artist. Guess I liked the more unusual less popular deeper cuts? They were more fun and upbeat and catchy. Especially Silver Platter and that piano rhythm, except the lyrics being upbeat.
i'm conflicted on this. feels pretentious and kinda irritating. liked a couple songs. hard n word isn't cool.
This was a very uneven album. Musically, at times it was incredibly lush and full of cool ideas and at times it was boring. Lyrically, there were some funny moments, and a LOT of moments that sounded like they came straight from the diary of a teenager. I read that his band consisted of members of Midlake, who a few years before this released The Trials of Van Occupanther, which as an album I love. There were definitely similar sounds on this album, and the best moments reminded me of that album.
I’m honestly not sure if this album is fantastic or terrible. There are elements of both here, I think 3/5 is a decent compromise.
Just looking at the cover and release year, I expected to hate this album. Colour me surprised! I didn't love it, but there were many songs with nice melodies. I liked the vocals, I liked the variety of sounds and genres he touched upon. A little too long (even without the bonus tracks), but an okay listen. Best songs: Where dreams go to die and JC hates faggots
Probably didn’t need to hear before I die
Well, see . . . now I had to go and change my Devendra Banhart rating. If that was a 4, then there was no honest way for me to rate this one. I was about to turn this off, then I noticed the next song was called Sigorney Weaver. It did not disappoint. The next one, Chicken Bones, was fun too. In general, I like this album. I could see how many would be turned off by it, but I'm a fan of weird lyrics. And the sing-along-ability seems like it might be pretty high. But all that said, I have returned to the world of rationality now, and I can't possibly go higher than a . . .
I'm reminded of Father John Misty if he were gay and lived in Iceland instead of LA. They both even use the term honeybear. I can't quibble with the lyrical content which was human, and sometimes pretty funny to boot. He writes pretty good songs. I don't like the production choices. As an example, in TC and Honeybear, the operatic backup singing kills it for me. I think that sort of kitchen sink maximalism is the part I react negatively to. The album art is kind of creepy, and I like it.
2.83
No me ha interesado mucho, pero alguna sonaba bien
Oh boy. This is an album that encourages you to listen and be introspective. I think there may be a message, but the similarity of each song made it hard for me to lock into what each message is.
6/10
Upon first listen I was kind of down on this but it grew on me after playing it a few more times. I think the fact that I was familiar with Sinéad O'Connor’s cover of the title track helped me get my head around what the guy is going for a bit. I’m unlikely to return to it, but I think it’s okay.
Queen of Denmark- pretty good early 2000’s singer. I am curious how influential relevant it is/ why it is on the list.
Lyrics were entertaining and pretty interesting musically. But never something id want to listen to again. Not sure why this is on the list
TC and Honeybear - 4/5 Marz - 3/5 Where Dreams Go to Die - 3/5 Sigourney Weaver - 4/5 Chicken Bones - 2.5/5 Silver Platter Club - 2.5/5 It's Easier - 3/5 Outer Space - 3.5/5 Jesus Hates F****** - 3.5/5 Caramel - 3/5 Leopard & Lamb - 3/5 Queen of Denmark - 3/5 It's a pretty good listen until you gaze into the lyrics and realize they're more shallow than a dried up pool. I'm not degrading what he's writing but I think he needs to go back to English class and learn what metaphors are. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: TC and Honeybear, Sigourney Weaver
His quirky and self-deprecating lyrics made me think of some scandinavian version of Father John Misty. Pretty good but W wouldn’t call it an essential
It's a good album, but at this point Midlake's Trials of Van Occupanther would have been way more relevant.
Nice indie/folk/pop album, great vibe and tones, but nothing really stayed with me after listening to it. A 3 stars!
Really don’t know what to make of this.
He has made better albums since this one. Some of the reviews for this on here are absolutely pathetic.
I mean it's fine but it really doesn't do anything new and the songwriting isn't anything special but I liked some of the synths here
If Bo Burnam wasn’t as funny…
This guy really had me thinking "this album journey has really showed me that all singer/songwriters are huge pompous assholes" in the beginning. There's definitely been a trend. And that still might be true. But somehow this album slowly grew on me. I do think "Marz" is just a horrible song. But sigourney weaver and chicken bones are somehow fun. I'm not sure. It's an interesting listen. I definitely hear a lot of Bowie, some Pink Floyd. Apple Music has them on a "inspired by the flaming lips" list and I could definitely hear some of that too
I must confess that John Grant was previously unknown to me. "Queen of Denmark" is a pleasant folk-rock and soft-rock affair, superbly produced with crystal-clear clarity. It feels like an album out of its time; it would sit quite comfortably within the 1970s Laurel Canyon aesthetic. Musically, it puts me in mind of Father John Misty, although Grant arrived first - albeit I find myself preferring Misty’s output. This is very much a 'listening album,' and it is clear that the lyrics are the focal point here. Generally, however, lyrics are not what grab my attention when exploring new music. With the additional tracks from the bonus disc (the last four tracks of sixteen) the "Queen of Denmark" is an overly long listen. Perhaps I simply wasn’t in the right frame of mind to fully absorb this album, but I found this to be a perfectly decent, 'okay' record. It is by no means a poor album, but nothing truly stood out frequently enough to push it beyond a three-star rating. Lastly, the artwork is dreadful - it looks like a still from a low-budget 1980s science fiction film. 1 "TC and Honeybear" (3/5) 2 "Marz" (3/5) 3 "Where Dreams Go to Die" (3/5) 4 "Sigourney Weaver" (3/5) 5 "Chicken Bones" (3/5) 6 "Silver Platter Club" (3/5) 7 "It's Easier" (3/5) 8 "Outer Space" (3/5) 9 "Jesus Hates Faggots" (4/5) 10 "Caramel" (3/5) 11 "Leopard & Lamb" (3/5) 12 "Queen of Denmark" (4/5) 13 "That’s the Good News" (4/5) 14 "Supernatural Defibrillator" (3/5) 15 "Fireflies" (3/5) 16 "What Time?" (3/5) Total - 51 Average - 3.19 232/1001 128/232 albums reviewed were new to me.
'Bittersweet, strawberry, marshmallow, butterscotch / Polar bear, cashew, dixieland, phosphate, chocolate.' Grant's voice is too flat and unenthused to be transcendent, tho the music clearly aims for that thing that's larger than life, that will catapult the drudger into a brighter world. At his best, he boasts a gift for theatrical melodies, not nearly on the level of a heroic kind of melody-maker like Stevie Wonder, but w/ a similar penchant for complex configurations. His glib lyricism can be tasteful, especially on tracks like 'Chicken Bones' or 'Silver Platter Club,' but it doesn't approach the quality of Stephin Merritt's casual angst. In other words, it's got that I-care-so-much-I-can't-keep-caring-so-much-affect, and he only seldom pulls it off.
Not a bad album.
Was enjoying then heard like 4 slurs in one song, was taken aback, then the next song was about being in love with a man, then realized he was gay all along and kept enjoying. Slightly offputting music very 2010s but I liked
I like John Grant in relatively small doses. The songs on Queen of Denmark are cathartic and I enjoyed listening
As if the Carpenters had a baritone singer. Pleasant enough but prefer his later stuff. 3*
Given the lyrical style and the Honeybear reference, I thought this might’ve been Father John Misty under a pseudonym but apparently it’s a totally different guy. Weird, but pretty entertaining album for the most part, would be interested in checking out his other stuff
3.3 I think you would have a deeper dive than just one listen, could go either way. Quite the wiki on this dude...
That's not my taste in music - But ok
Now that one was interesting Definitely the most lyrically focused out of all the albums we’ve listened to. There’s some fun wordplay in there, I liked the comedy for the most part. Pretty cool to see lyrics so closely intertwined with the singer’s real life experience growing up. Dude has a great voice too Gonna be honest the slurs song was a little much. I would never put this one on when there’s any chance someone would be within earshot
There were some neat songs on there but I wouldn't really want to listen to it again. I can appreciate a man singing about wanting to love other men though. it feels really refreshing to just hear that desire without any other narrative on top. kind of goes to show that straightforward can be more powerful than something complex. and then. he just started singing about how his dad called him slurs and i take back what i said
Better than I thought, I'll listen again.
I would have loved this back when I was on heroin.
I don't know how I feel about this. On one hand, I like the instrumental portions, which were quite fun and even surprising in some parts. On the other hand, I kinda just get annoyed by the lyrics. Like, they feel too simple, but also kinda comes off as pretentious, and I'm not completely sure why. Glad to hear he hates Westboro Baptist Church though, or other similar dipshit catholics.
There need to be a different list titled 1001 Albums That Are Good But It's Fine If You Never Hear Them. Queen Of Denmark by John Grant would be a charter member.
I liked this one! Not sure if I would reach for it again but it was an enjoyable listen.
not bad to listen in the background. but ot really my genre
Where dreams go to die and chicken bones are top
Decent, but towards the end it's a little played out, and the lyrics are very hackneyed. The inclusion of it on the list at all befuddles me.
this is a good album. some songs weren’t for me but most songs I did enjoy. it contains nice lyrics and pretty instrumentals. would play certain songs again, just not the album as a whole. -favourite tracks: LEOPARD AND LAMB and FIREFLIES and WHAT TIME?
Conflicting album. I like his voice and the songs are generally pleasing. But don't like the silly for silly sake.
I’m so surprised this was made in 2010. It’s good / weird/ bad all at the same time. I hope the artist is gay because man there are some 2025 inappropriate words. This was really hard to rate so I went down the middle
Man, i really hated this out of the gate. But it grew on me by mid-listen. He's got a good sense of humor and something to say.
very chill and emotional
Its ok, saw him in the summer and was largely unimpressed. I obviously love synthy stuff but the way he did it seemed really cheesy somehow. But there's some guitar based songs on here which are pretty good, just seems a bit out of date as he's singing about matcha or some shit on here, feels like something that could have been made in the early 80s. OK vocals but nothing too insane. Favourite songs: TC & honeybear, marz, where the dreams go to die, sigourney weaver, outer space, caramel, leopard and lamb. Overall around 6/10
Interesting voice and humor. Not sure how I feel about it after one listen.
Midlife crisis vibes aside, the german accent diss took me out
Decent singer-songwriter with clear vocals and some bizarre lyrics
I enjoyed this very much and a couple of songs are on playlists. Don't know if it's just the Spotify version but over an hour is a bit much though, so marked down to a 3.
Interesting. This is like a proto Father John Misty. Pretty good instrumentation (very harry nilson style songwriting) with funny/biting lyrics.
Quite mellow, maybe i’m just not particularly in the mood for slow sad songs at the minute. I can appreciate the production quality of this though, just not what I needed right now. A couple of songs i really enjoyed tho!
This album captures the vibe of an atomic bomb detonating over the horizon, while you stand about three metres away from the love of your life. The world is ending, and everything is hopeless. But the glow of the bomb lights up the sky, and reflects off your beloveds face. There is a split second where you admire the most beautiful view imaginable.
I tried to like this. But it just wasnt for me. Not bad, but nothing to write home about. Some good instrumentation amd original ideas, and i liked his no hold.bavk approach to social issues, so a bonus point there.
This is a perfect candidate for 3.5. It just felt generic low indie chill house music. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. I probably wouldn't listen to it again unfortunately. But it was nice easy listening. Somewhere between the eagles and Weezer put together. Signourey Weaver is my favourite song. And Don't get me wrong I enjoyed this album!
Should this be on the list? Absolutely not Is it delightful? Absolutely
3/5
17/1089 This isn't my kind of music but it is definitely music. Silver platter sounded mccartney-esque with catchy pianos and chorus. You could hear Tanner's (the 'bad news' bears, shortstop) influence throughout Jesus Hates Faggots and, as you might expect, it's a catchy little tune. I think a lot of people who are looking for some decent background music with a nice voice would appreciate this album. The lyrics aren't why you listen to this album. Hits ...silver platter.
Some decent songs, some amusing songs, some had truly awful lyrics. I guess it was OK overall.
Reminded me of Rufus Wainwright. A few decent songs. The lyrical style is very casual and almost conversational. A bit obvious at times, with the themes (religion = bad), although I understand that this is a topic he has a personal and negative association with. The album became more eclectic in its style towards the end, but I wasn't too keen on this. Finally, some of the songs came across like parodies.
Musically alright but I thought the lyrics really pulled it down
Orchestral rock sound; was pretty enjoyable to listen to as background music. Might need to re-listen for actual lyrics.
Had to look to see if this was the same guy as father John misty. Didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would based on the reviews I read. Lyrics were stupid but I liked the music.
I see merit here, it's just not quite my jam
It's almost like Eno but with a more biting, ironic humor and clinical depression. It's not my cup of tea but not bad.
Cozy start but got a bit poor lyrically and long
Influential? Maybe - I hear Father John Misty and that Swedish guy too. Where it gets pop traction I really like it.
Queen of Denmark” (2010) is lush, sad-humorous indie folk/soft rock with very strong lyrics and melodies, but it leans heavily on slow, confessional ballads—if you’re not in the mood for introspective, emotionally heavy songs, it might feel more admirable than replayable.
Album Nr. 87 Der Musikstil der Form Singer & Songwriter ist OK. Weniger schön sind die Stilbrüche vor allem der Titel 13 und 14 sowie die gefühlte Langeweile, zumindest bei mir, nach dem 3. Titel.
3.9 not bad but just worse gizzard
The first half of the album is beautiful, but I think it falls off at the end
Solides Songwriter Werk mit wenigen Schwächen aber auch kaum Highlights.
I kind of like the minor harmonies and broody thing going on here. Some Jethro Tull-esque Flute action as well.
Quirky, melancholic album. Has some interesting moments. Highlights: "Sigourney Weaver" and "Leopard and Lamb"
Late addition album and it looks all quirked up. They’ve got the BK crown and the double vision album cover? Give this artist the BAFTA. Listen I’m being careful with pronouns here because lord knows what’s goin’ on with this fella. I move to make “fella” gender neutral. It’s my favourite word. TC & Honeybear - Holy SHIT, they got Honeybear lore on here?? I’m not gleaning anything new. This is entry level Honeybear info. R/bigfatbearcreatures is well versed in all of this. I need new shit. Marz - Jason Mraz. Remember how bad that guy sucked? Kind of like this David Bowie track over the piano overture from an elementary school Christmas play. Turns into an ok track. Where The Dreams Go to Die - Man Adele. Male presenting at least. Gotta keep up my non gendered language. Fuck I’m dumb. Uhh anyway, this is kind of a nice song. Lilting slow dance melody. The vocals still hit me as pretty generic, but the songwriting is there. Sigourney Weaver - Hooo boy, I’m gettin’ a skosh snoozy. Chicken Bones - Mongoose mentioned. Swears mentioned. This is kind of a funny one. I’ll take that in lieu of great intrigue or uhh musical enjoyment. Silver Platter Club - I’m starting to get quirky millennial from this, and I’m not thrilled about that. On the other hand, it’s kind of endearing in its way. Ugh. Yeah this track is actually very good. Relatable feelings of dread surrounding your own mental and physical traits, with that same tone deaf superiority complex so many of us stampede through life with. The highs and lows of being self-aware, boiled into a weird polka adjacent song. It’s Easier - Yeah, when the songs are GOOD, it’s easier. I actually have no metric for what is good or bad anymore. Did I ever? Ken eyed observers will see that I never did. Outer Space - Nobody ever talks about Inner Space. Think about that. What is big solar system hiding? Maybe it’s these vocals actually getting good. Weird stuff, fun melody. JC Hates Faggots - Uhhhh can we say this? Are we on the air?? Yeah I like statements that make people uncomfortable like this. A gay man singing about himself ironically, the way that people speak about this group of people in REAL LIFE has more power if he doesn’t mince words. If anybody’s gender or sexual orientation bothers you, you have no brain and are the reason the world gets more easy to control by the day. Caramel - Powerful vocal performance. More space noises as well, which don’t go unenjoyed. I don’t care if that’s not a word. Fuck you, English. Leopard and Lamb - Leopards are fucking terrifying. Don’t they frequently eat people on places where they’re common? And they like break into houses. Why are we not sorting this out? Earth confuses me. Queen of Denmark - Pissing in coffee is a time honoured tradition, pioneered by Chris Jericho. Well, I guess that was tea, and probably not the first time it happened. Alright. Part 2010’s millennial parody album, part deeply emotional autobiographical with excellent songwriting. I suppose that leaves “Queen of Denmark” somewhere near the middle of my rating scale. I enjoyed its off the wall turns of phrase and diary-esque nature. There were even some points of relatability here!!! Wow. Thanks for this. A rare non-stinky 2010 album and a nice way to spend a shitty Tuesday in this interminable cycle of wake-work-dread work-sleep. Fanks Johnny. 3 HIGHLIGHTS: Where The Dreams Go to Die, Chicken Bones, Silver Platter Club, Outer Space
I'm not very much into the possibility of "soft rock," as you may recall. Grant invokes, sometimes regretfully, 70s singer-songwriter vibes. His voice and the lyrics are positives, though at times the schmaltz lurks, and the sound can lean that way too. Chicken Bones stays far away from that and it works great. I love the creative forcefulness of the anthemic Jesus Hates.
Chicken bones was fantastic. A lot of this reminded me of things like The Divine Comedy, quirky and weird - quite fun and interesting at times.
This was weird. Musically, it was pretty chill and often beautiful. But lyrically, it was ... i'm not even sure i know the word. distracting, I guess. I'm glad I heard it. Not sure it's a must-listen, but it wasn't the worst.
I loved his lists! Especially on Marz and Jesus Hates. I’m sorry for John that he’s still so mad but it’s better than being so sad he wanted to die like it sounds like he used to be so you know if making this music was good medicine, good for him! Early on, I thought I was going to get tired of this album but it ended up growing on me more the longer it went on. I’m not a newly minted huge John Grant fan now but I’m glad this was on the list.
Eh….not my favorite style or genre but a decent album nonetheless. Was good as background music
It just didn't grab me this time - I suspect it would only get better with further listen
Overall: 6/10 I would have liked this a lot more if it was shorter. Besides that, the tunes themselves are very catchy and lyrically interesting. There was a lot of variety in the instrumentations, going from folksy stuff to pop. I dig it for the most part. Fav Song: Caramel
Caught my ear- Where dreams go to die Anthemic choruses, rather pop-driven Instrumentation is decently interesting Sounds rather derivative
It was cool. Didn’t sound like something made in 2010.
nice voice heard a few of John's tracks ..... enjoyed this
I'm a sucker for folk.
I should love John Grant. His slower acoustic ballads land somewhere between Father John Misty and some of the more heartfelt Scissor Sisters songs, and are genuinely really good. But then he goes and injects a bunch of electronic production and produces some of the worst songs I’ve ever heard. And I like that kind of music usually, he’s just really bad at it. So yeah, much like every other John Grant album I’ve heard, I half loved and half hated this.
3 sterne
It's unique, but not unlistenable.
Interesting folk rock record. Kind of in it's own vibe but I dig it!
Hele rustige singer-songwritermuziek met wat theatrale trekken. Zijn stem doet me denken aan Rufus Wainwright. En wat ik van de teksten meekrijg, is het allemaal wel wat wazig. Zeker als ik dan de bonustracks nog even meekrijg. Komt er ineens een gek computerstemmetje met een Duits accent op een elektrobeat. Dit zijn allemaal elementen waar ik een hekel aan heb normaal gesproken en het zit uiteraard op het randje. Maar het gaat er gek genoeg vandaag net niet overheen. Ik vind het dromerig en best relaxed. Qua rating vind ik dit een lastige. Ik heb er vandaag met redelijk wat plezier naar kunnen luisteren. Ik weet niet of dit nu per se iets is dat ik had moeten horen, ik had het ook prima kunnen missen. Ik ga het ook nooit uit mezelf nog een keer opzetten. En op een andere dag zou ik me er wellicht gruwelijk aan kunnen ergeren. Dus dan ga ik dat een beetje uitmiddelen en kom ik op een doodgewone 3 uit.
Took me a while to get into it, but I enjoyed it near the end. It's all a little too long, though.
Soak in the delightful melancholy of this album. There's a feeling that no review of mine is going to capture because I want to comment on the fit between the contributions of Midlake and John Grant that feels natural and almost expected, but avoids cliché...maybe it's the honest lyrics delivered richly interlocking with relatively simple but well-crafted music or maybe it's something else. Either way, it's immediately compelling. And yet, perhaps overly long by a song or two. The Queen is just shy of 4 stars.
Some of this was really good, other bits really not
It's ight 6/10
I thought this was good but not for me? Kinda came and went, I recognised a lot of what it was doing but didn't feel strongly one way or the other. A bit derivative.
honestly really fascinating album, some sounds like it’s for gags and some sounds serious idk just interesting stuff
Interesting look into the life of a gay man in America. Very personal and funny ballads. Surprisingly emotional. Synth alongside piano
3-4
why dont you give this album to somebody else
Very interesting record. Reminiscent of Bowie in the somber and mellow quality, yet full of beautiful musicianship and experimental sounds. Very interesting concept for a sound, but I appreciate it.
Interessant 3/5
Shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Tai ehkä sittenkin pitäisi. Ehdin kuunnella 12 kappaletta ennen kuin sain mitä odotin. Yllätyin biisien rauhallisesta tunnelmasta, erikoisista sanoituksista en niinkään. Oudolla tavalla jopa pidin tästä ja pohdin kallistunko neljän tähden suuntaan. Ja sitten, kun sitä vähiten odotin, That's the Good News & Supernatural Defibrillator, juuri sitä mitä olin albumin kannen perusteella odottanut ja minkä vuoksi olin lykännyt tämän albumin kuuntelua kaksi kuukautta. Voisin jopa kutsua tätä hyväksi ilman näiden kahden sekä albumin päättävän What Time? -biisin ylitsepääsemätöntä korvia raastavaa epämusiikillista outoutta.
3.5
Experimental folk music, not bad at all
Very introspective with thoughtful lyrics
A very harmonically pleasing and interesting album overall with okay tier lyrics. Not my favourite music genre which I find kinda boring at times. "Where Dreams Go To Die" is my personal favourite.
Incredibly 2010 album. Reminded me of Father John Misty a lot of times, and not just because he says Honeybear in one of those tracks. I actually liked this a lot but don’t like the use of racial slurs at the end of JHF, a song I was enjoying up to that point
What I’ve realized on this 1001 journey is that music can’t be taken in passively. Some albums demand more than a background listen—they ask you to return, to sit a bit, and to absorb the subtleties that don’t land the first time around. That was the case with Queen of Denmark. On my initial listen, I didn’t get it. The pacing grated on me, and the lyrics felt distant. But giving it a second pass, I began to notice the unexpected pairings at play: a kind of melancholy wrapped in brightness, sorrow laced with wit. It’s not an album I’ll likely reach for again, but I’m glad I circled back—it revealed more than I expected once I gave it the space to.
So, I have never ever heard of this guy before, but he kinda sounds like Beck meets John Denver meets ELO for mid-2000s indie fans, only way darker, sadder, embittered, and sarcastic. There are a couple standout tracks on this, but nothing I would likely venture to listen to again. "Marz" is one of those highlights, and that is saying a lot since I simply do not fuck with flutes. Overall, I don't dig the 70s soft rock vibes of most of the music, but the lyrics seem to be what's really driving the bus here. "Where Dreams Go To Die" stands as an emblematic example here. Many of the tracks on this record remind me of the Tom Waits quote "I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things." Speaking of which, I was really not ready for "Jesus Hates Faggots". This one is my favorite track musically but even as a statement of protest, holy smokes the words and sentiment are hard to sit through. "Chicken Bones" is a fun and fucking weird funky jam. The eponymous track "Queen of Denmark" is well performed and dysfunctionally hilarious. Let's call it this generation's foul-mouthed and pissed-off version of "I Can't Live" by Harry Nilsson perhaps. I mean, after all, if Sinéad O'Connor records a cover of your shit, you must be doing something right. I think the juxtaposition of this kinda 70s album pop singer-songwriter delivery with words that rival Jacques Brel in their dismalness is compelling as an idea, but is likely not something I would crave hearing on the regular. I think the concept starts to veer into novelty record territory for me a bit with his particular mix of light and dark. It's hard to pull off. That said, John Grant could have just as easily written the same sounding songs with really banal lyrics about love and walking through the mountains next to a stream with birds in the sky and sunshine everywhere. But instead, he leans into the angrier, stranger side of things and I appreciate that kind of honesty, even if his overall aesthetic doesn't really land with me. As a piece of art amplifying a queer voice, I can see its value, even if it's not gonna be in my regular rotation down the road. The album cover art is mysterious and definitely piqued my interest going in blind. I didn't really know what to expect here given the creepy void of his eyes shrouded in closed-lid eyeshadow, and although the rewards were not superlative, they were not exactly lacking either.
Propper Pop Rock from Denver.
Meh. It wasn’t horrible
Never heard any of this before, enjoyed most of it, but some questionable lyrics and the odd awful song prevented me from giving it a higher score than 3 stars.
Part of me felt 'pick a lane!' but then the variety was quite cool too. The track about films and aliens made me laugh. Some of the lyrics were madness but also brilliant. Title track was probably my favourite, but it became more engaging in the last half generally.
Bitingly sarcastic and sometimes funny lyrics over soft rock and strings. What’s not to like?
I enjoyed this album and its quirky, charming lyrics until I arrived at the song "JC Hates F******." I genuinely believe John Grant has talent, but boy that song soured on me. The album's release in 2010 coincides with edgy dudebros saying garbage just to get a response. Grant has a great, clear voice for his folk music, which lets you enjoy the amusing lyrics in "Sigourney Weaver," the bizarre lyrics in "Chicken Bones." It's kind of mind-altering to hear such modern lyrics in folk music like in "Silver Platter Club." I just wish no slurs were used in this album!
Very folky, but finds ways to do it without being boring. For instance, there's a lot of synthy sounds across this album, not unlike what you'd expect from a 70s psychedelic space rock album. Some very tender, evocative vocals here, too. This guy has a knack for oddly poetic lyrics...tongue-in-cheek, surreal, and bold lyrics...it reminds me of artists like Jay Brannan, Tom Waits, Tori Amos, and so on. But come on, even though your point was valid, you didn't need to go for shock value and say a bunch of slurs just to prove that point.
Bold, but not my style and started to drag
Kinda grew on me the more I listened
a bit droning. not for me.
Emotional, folky. Nice album to relax. Reminds of something my homie Andrew would like. 3 of 5
3.5
interesting album, enough for me to atleast save it for another listen
Ok very strange. Not sure how to feel but, I kept listening
Didn't have time to finish the whole thing (up until Caramel). I enjoyed what I've heard so far, the melodies are pleasent and the production is done well. A lot of the lyrics have a kind of dry or cynical humor to then. Fax tracks: "Sigourny weaver", "Marz", "Where dreams go to die"
low key rythms and lyrics. usually thekind of thing i like but it just didnt click enough for me. 3.5/5
Big queer man has more or less coherent meltdowns over various topics. Reminiscent of other artist, but still strikingly distinctive. 3.5/5
ok
many great, timely lyrics.
This seems like a solid LP but its just not my thing, still whoever said it was "Bo Burnham meets Dark Side of the Moon" was spot on.
3.0 - Ok
3 - good
Lyrically it was a bit weird which I liked. Musically and vocally it seemed a bit bland
Meh. I don’t think I’m smart enough to get this one. When he started reading the Baskin Robbins menu, I was thoroughly confused. I’ve heard worse albums that made this list, so guess I’ll go down the middle.
There is a decent chunk of these that is very samey but towards the end it changes up a bit. But I don't think that part is remarkable enough to make this anything particularly great 2.5*
Interesting album. Strong Pink Floyd vibes, and I suspect a lot of depth to the lyrics with some reslistens.
Enjoyed the album. Provocative lyrics. Very listenable.
It was great listening till I hit the weird electronica. Brought it down for me. Still, some of the tracks are bangers. 3/5
Pretty good indie album that sounds very similar to Father John Misty. Will I listen to it again? Probably not. But good enough when it's on. 3/5
Never heard of this artist at all. Opening track sounds like something from the 60s. It’s the voice in the background. It’s making me think of Star Trek. This whole album feels like it came from the 60s. The harmonies, the arrangements. It was a slow start because it sounded like I should know it. Now that I am understanding why I felt like that, it’s making more sense and I’m enjoying it. And by the third track I think I’m hooked. I love the discovery of not knowing anything and the being blown away. So the album moved from classic to modern. Especially with lyrical content. This is a really good album.
Bittersweet, strawberry, marshmallow, butterscotch
The songs are alright, they could be great but the album is missing something
For some reason I went into this thinking I wouldn’t like it. Something about it screamed mid aughts music that’s shown up here before, stuff that was only okay even at the time. But this was both better than I expected and not as good as I hoped as it went along. A solid three, almost four.
Not my favorite album this project has brought me, but its comedic absurdity was pretty entertaining. Granted I listened while on a mind-numbing drive… maybe my brain was able to absorb just the right amount of this. 3.25/5
I wasn't impressed. Rather boring at the moment.
I had never heard of this artist before - nice voice, generally pleasing melodies, funny lyrics. I didn't like that the Sigourney Weaver song so obviously stole from Lynyrd Skynyrd. I also made the mistake of listening to this while driving around with the windows open and parked next to someone while JC Hates Faggots was playing - the part where he spews off every racial slur (oops).
Totally okay.
What exactly is the criteria for this list?
complexo. algumas eu gostei outras eu achei uma bela bosta
Really good, but it didn't make much of a dent.
6/10 At times I think it's great - I find his lyrics funny and interesting, and musically it can be melodic and solid indie folk. But this does not need to be 72 mins long. An album should be 42mins, 12 songs. It can be longer, but you need a good reason. Like books over 306 pages, or movies over 1hr 44mins. It's doable, gee, most of the top albums ARE. But this album does not make its case. Easy to find 4 songs to cut and 20mins. Now that would have been an excellent album...
I didn't realize we were still making music like this in the 21st century. I would've guessed 1975 or 76, if I didn't already know better. Anyway, it was alright.
Good sense of humor, good music, good voice. I liked it!
This was a strange one. Musically I thought there were moments where it was great. Layers of sound. The lyrics and vocals felt a bit unsettling but overall a pretty intriguing piece of art... That being said I probably won't be digging this one out again.
Pidin ainakin a-puolta varsin viihdyttävänä, olenhan tällaisen herkän mieslaulajan tarinankerronnan fani (siis suftjanstevensmäisen) (en tiedä miksi). Mutta toi b-puoli oli aika sekasotku, ja mikä ihme oli se feikki saksa-aksentti?!
A little maudlin but some interesting concepts and catchy lyrics
Interesting album, not really my favorite but it was interesting to hear where Father John Misty picked up his schtick.
Delicate and good blunt songwriting. Midlake as backing band might be the shining stars.
I liked that Sigourney Weaver song but no idea why this is on here. +3
1. TC and Honeybear - 8/10 2. Marz - 8/10 3. Where Dreams Go to Die - 8/10 4. Sigourney Weaver - 8/10 5. Chicken Bones - 7/10 6. Silver Platter Club - 7/10 7. It’s Easier - 8/10 8. Outer Space - 8/10 9. Jesus Hates Faggots - 4/10 10. Caramel - 7/10 11. Leopard & Lamb - 7.5/10 12. Queen of Denmark - 8/10 7.8/10
Bueno
I have mixed feelings about this album. On one hand, I quite liked the music. The arrangements were good (though not groundbreaking in anyway). The guys voice is good and nestles into the music quite nicely. On the other hand, wtf are these lyrics? I have seen a lot of comparisons from the other commenters here that I agree with: John Lennon-esque nonsense, Harry Nillson (tonally pleasant), bad middle school poetry. Another head scratcher as to why it's on the list. I can definitely see why I haven't ever heard of this guy or this album before
Never heard of this, quite enjoyed it. Well put together l, 3.5 stars
So, while this album is fairly cohesive stylistically, it’s a bit all over the place in quality. At its best it definitely sounds very much like a Tim Smith era Midlake album, but at other times it’s like Randy Newman meets Air Supply, which really is not great.
These songs are kind of silly, but I like his voice and the music.
Bien
Pretty weird album. Made me think of Sir Elton. I feel like the lyrics are important and I didn't pay close attention to them. As it is, I think this is 2.5/5
6.5/10 - It was pretty similar but pretty nice the whole time. It loses a couple points for him saying both the n and f words tho. Someone wrote that he kind of sounds like Bo Burnham and I can see that mixed with a more space-like atmosphere
Like a sillier Rufus Wainwright. Not too bad musically, but a little too goofy for me to really take seriously. -1 for dropping the n word, which I don't think this guy is allowed to do
Peculiar lyrics, space themes, etc. Reads kind of like Thom Yorke’s writing but less eloquent (or perhaps more?). Creative, pleasing to the ear. Worth future listens.
Quirky lyrics, initially enjoyable accompaniment that got old quickly
It's fine. There are some fun lyrics, some high-school emo poetry lyrics, and maybe someone's shopping list? The tunes themselves are quiet and start to sound a bit samey after awhile. I think this one would have benefitted from some additional editing and maybe tightening the whole thing up to a solid 40 minutes.
Definitely didn't 'need' to hear this. But it's ok.
19/03/25 I have no idea if I liked this album or not. It was weird.
Some explicit not censored - some kinda funny but stupid
I'll start off by saying; I'm not sure what was up with /THAT/ song (you know the one I'm talking about). I'm sure that's gonna get a couple of 1 star reviews from the crybabies on here. But I digress. I went into this expecting to be bored to death and having to slog through it. What a pleasant surprise that I was wrong. This thing gets off to a pretty slow and sombre start, but mid-way through things really pick up and we hear some treats like It's Easier, Outer Space, etc. The hype with this album keeps up until you get to the fucking awful part -That's The Good News. What the actual fuck was the point of putting this shit song on this record? Maybe I just don't get it, but what a great way to kill a great album theme. Going from singer-songwriter-esque pianos and guitar ballads, to just absolute dogshit pretend German techno. I get he was trying to be funny, but this shit had me stone faced. It only continues its downhill trot from there, with Supernatural Deliberator. From there, the vibe was just completely ruined and it made a generally good song like Fireflies just seem off-beat. This was going to get a 4, but That's The Good News & Supernatural Deliberator really fucked it. If you removed those two songs, and trimmed a bit of the fat from the start of the album with the more forgettable songs, you'd have a truly great album. And that's a shame.
The quirkier and often edgy lyrics really feel like they are gonna open this album up to a lot of hate and normally I would be inclined to feel the same. A few songs in however I began to really appreciate Grant's vocal style. The more eccentric style started to feel a lot more sincere than one might initially believe. I'm sure he is also going to lose some points from a lot of people for the amount of different vulgarities used across 'JC hates Faggots'. Surprisingly varied and enjoyable. Though you can tell this guy could probably spare to go to therapy a little more often
"Although he was pained for a long time by the fact that his mother called him a "disappointment" on her deathbed and then died soon after, he later came to terms with the experience", and she died BEFORE he started making music! Judging that this album came after a four-year hiatus from music, and after reading the rollercoaster of the personal life section of John Grant's Wikipedia, this is clearly a very personal and vulnerable album that the he used a vehicle for working some stuff out about himself. Now for my usual protest of albums added in revisions. Personally, I would not have included this album in a revision of the book. I can understand why it was added but picking it over other artists (Wavves, Ariel Pink, Tame Impala, Deerhunter) feels wrong. As for the actual album itself, it's about three songs too long and as a result some of the songs that might have left their mark on me blend together and make me think 'which mopey song was that, exactly?' when I try to remember them. The lyricism here is very 'back of your high school notebook' in a very straightforward way. I can see how this would rub a lot of people the wrong way. I think it's quite endearing, it has its own perverse charm and feels a bit like a proto-Bo Burnham in some ways. The most tracks on the album that stand out the most to me lend their memorability to the lyrics on here especially on songs like Sigourney Weaver and Where Dreams Go To Die Overall, I am glad I listened to this album. I had only heard Outer Space before and while I enjoyed it, it didn't drive me to explore the album it's from. There are a couple of skips on here but the highs (Outer Space, Title track) definitely outweigh them. Highlights: TC and Honeybear, Where Dreams Go To Die, Sigourney Weaver, Outer Space, Queen of Denmark
The Colbert Report in album form. Mildly entertaining. This is confusion and absurdity. Queen of Denmark makes me think of a serious Dagmar Krause. Tho some of this may be hyperbole and sarcasm leading me to believe this serious...? Is this just absurdity to be absurd or is he trying to make a statement? I dunno, but it was mildly entertaining, especially the Jesus Hates Faggots track.
Isn't it weird that I got two albums in a row from 2010 of all years? I think it is. Anyways, between this and Janelle Monáe's The ArchAndroid, I definitely prefer The ArchAndroid, but these two albums really aren't comparable at all other than sharing a release year, so I'll just talk about Queen of Denmark now. It's good. I am starting to feel that indie has a disproportionately high representation for the 2010s in comparison to how popular it actually was in the decade, but I like indie, so I can't complain too much. There's definitely some good things in John Grant's debut album here. The style is nice. It's generally softer, but it has some more energetic parts occasionally. John's singing does the job. I'm not huge on it, but it's not annoying or anything. The writing is mostly good. This might be one of the gayest album I've gotten so far, and that's saying something since I've already gotten Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Rufus Wainright. That's not an insult though. If anything, it's a compliment. There's songs about things like failed love and stuff that I'm sure resonates with a lot of people. There is one song on the album that is... questionable though. If you've heard the album (which I'm sure most people reading this have), you'd know which one it is. It concerned me at first, but then I found out that John Grant himself is gay, so it's like "oh he gets the pass" you know? Then he says some other slurs near the end that I'm not sure he has the pass for. Ultimately, JHF (as I'm calling it) is one of those songs that I understand the message of, even if the execution was a bit questionable. The song's clearly meant to be from the perspective of an overly-religious father figure, one that appears to be similar to John Grant's own parents. So you know what? I can accept this song. It's also just a good song, dare I say. The album's pretty good, but not my favorite indie album in any metric. High 3/5.
I did enjoy this album but that one song where he kept slurring caught me so off guard 😳
Sounds like a mix of Father John Misty and Rufus Wainwright…
Another never heard of this guy before album. Interesting sound. Didn’t really pay attention to the lyrics which may have helped.
ok
3/5
Good music
zat's ze good nooz
3 stars. Not a style I would usually listen to but I really enjoyed his voice and his lyrics s/o to gay men this album cover unsettles me
3.9
A little batty and I liked it
Like it. Very relaxing, easy listen 3/5
I don’t know what this is, and I don’t know who it’s for. Like, is there a person out there that is like, “hell yeah, this is my favorite album!” Stranger things have happened, I guess, but I don’t see it. This is one of those times when I just cannot see any reason for this album to be on the list of 1000 I need to listen to before I die. It’s a guy with a piano and/or guitar with silly lyrics. Aren’t there hundreds of these albums? What makes this one special, because I can’t see it. It’s ok? But weird. There are bits where I approach liking it, and times where I’m thinking wtf is this awful nonsense. Sometimes those things happen in the same song. I don't ofter look up the album before I give a rating, because I know I can be susceptible to reviews, but this one was so out there that I did - and apparently it is considered a masterpiece in the indie scene. I'll admit, it did get better on the second half of the album, and I connected a lot more with the lyrics and style, but it's still just OK to me.
A well-written indie album that doesn’t stick with me as much as I want it to.
This was fun. Biting and funny lyrics, cultural commentary, heartbreak, bitchiness and a some fun. Tunes were good but not sure about the german electonic vibe towards the end
I swear every time I see this cover I think it's Jerma. This album is fine, not much really stands out though. His voice kind of reminds me of Beck, but he lacks the lyrical chops and interesting compositions. I'm not really sure why this album was included either. It doesn't look like it was a huge success, had that much influence, or is historically significant. This just feels like they were grasping at straws to include an album for 2010 (and if that's the case I'm pissed that This Is Happening didn't make the cut). WOAH?!?!? can he say that word (I get what he was going for, but I just didn't expect that)???? I zoned out by that point and somehow caught that lyric and had to doubletake. Low 3.
Father John Misty but not a good i guess? I sort of really liked this, but i also sort of really hated it. Tough one for me.
Despite the album art, sonically its surprisingly upbeat Haven't heard of this singer or the czars before. Entertaining listen for sure, wasn't bad, nor exceptional 3.5 stars if I could rate in decimals on this site
not bad
I find this really hard to rate. I like the overall sound even though it often is not quite there. Good voice. Quirky lyrics (and sometimes, music) which is nice. A blend of folk/ singer-songwriter with some electronics etc. esp. towards the end. It's a 3 +/- 2.
Like some of the songs on this.
You see, that’s not what I call folk music. I’m a big fan of folk music, but my ratings for the genre on here are on the low side. This is why. This was all perfectly pleasant and a bit bland and washed over me for the most part. And, after I’d removed the 20 minutes of bonus material, was over quickly. But it’s not folk music. Soft rock is about right. Maybe even easy listening. But not folk. That requires an attitude. Rather bland. Lacks attitude. Unlikely to listen again.
Not bad but mostly unmemorable.
What a weird album. I like most of the music and the singing is generally fine. However a lot of the compositions borrow too much from late 60s and early 70s artists who already did it with much more success. The really weird parts are the lyrics. Some songs feel heartfelt and others are totally ridiculous. Sometimes witty and funny but often dumb or puerile. I am glad to have heard this but it doesn’t make me want to track down his music. However it does make me want to look up the backing band, Midlake.
A charming oddball folk pop adjacent album by an artist to this point unfamiliar to me. (Haven’t written out song by song completely, still in bullet point form, might come back at a later point and add it in on next listen.) Favourite tracks are: Where Dreams Go To Die, Sigourney Weaver, It’s Easier, Outer Space, Caramel, Fireflies. Least favourite tracks are: Queen of Denmark, That’s the Good News, Supernatural Defibrillator Starts a little slow with some lyrics that don’t quite work for me on the first couple of tracks but really picks up on Where Dreams Go To Die. The track has this eerie movie sound track x Radiohead instrumental sound which is really working wonders for the atmosphere. Lyrics are simple but effective and the vocal style and harmonies work very well. Endearing and pretty but bittersweet. The progression of this track is its main strength. Sigourney Weaver is very fun and sometimes funny with its pop culture pulls. Manages to pull off these pop culture references without feeling corny or dated. JC hates faggots is the lyrical and emotional stand out track of the album and feels incredibly personal. A scathing criticism of organised religion and the damage it can inflict on young people and its use of us vs them tactics. The lyrics and vocal performance are blunt and bleak and passionate, and you can tell how much JG means what he is saying. Instrumental feels a bit underwhelming to back up the lyrical and vocal performance. To me personally would have preferred a grander or a further stripped back and raw instrumental and production. So close to being a great track. Again the writing is the best on the album, and is extremely good. That being said That’s the good news feels like something that would come from a late 2000s/ early 2010s YouTube sketch or parody song. Instrumental isn’t good and the lyrics and vocal performance with the German accent is grating and funny, but not in a good way. Album ends on a mysterious and atmospheric note that leaves a bit to be desired. 3.5/5 - high highs and low lows. Will definitely be returning to this album with a handful of skips, some songs will definitely remain in my rotational, very excited to hear more of John Grant’s work.
This is a pretty chill and laid-back album, perfect if you’re in the mood for some singer-songwriter chamber pop. I like John Grant’s singing style. His distinct baritone voice is so clear and expressive. The synths and pianos are definitely my favorite part of the album, setting the mood and adding texture and color to the atmosphere.
This was an interesting album. I could not tell 100% how sarcastic he was being at times. "Sigourney Weaver" was probably the oddest of the ones in the album. The lyrics about "I feel like Winona Ryder in that movie about vampires." I mean, I get that he was going for rhyme and meter, but... it was DRACULA. How hard is that to now? "JC Hates F*****s"... I get the point, and his bitterness. But obviously not something I listened to over and over. I liked how he shifted moods about halfway through the album. Otherwise it would have been much more of a drudgery to listen to. It was definitely a different kind of album that I normally listen to. It was good, but I just don't know if it's something I would listen to on a regular basis. Top tracks: "TC & Honeybear," "Where Dreams Go To Die," title track
The album is a little overly heavy on the repetitive ballad side, but I enjoyed it. I'd probably call it a 3.5, but I'll round down because I don't know if I would seek it out again. Favorite tracks: Marz, Where Dreams Go to Die ("I regret the day your lovely carcass caught my eye"??), Sigourney Weaver (shades of Freebird), Chicken Bones, Jesus Hates F**** (tough lyrics, but clever).
U don't know what I expected, but it surely wasn't this.
Vocal style and lyrics remind me of Harry Nilsson. Liked this a little better than I thought I would.
Despite the stream of consciousness type lyrics, I enjoyed the music and quirkiness more than I expected to. I found there to be a Queen-esque melodrama to some of the sound. In the end, though, when the album was over I wasn't sure I cared to listen to it again.
Good singer, but MAN, some of the lyrics are just atrocious. Seems like stream of conscoiusness lyrics and sometimes they land and others just crash and explode. Some truly horrible songs and some decent ones, too, but nothing all that interesting. Music is likewise unremarkable.
I’m not sure if I’d ever heard of John Grant before. Apparently, this album was released in 2010. To my ears, it sounded very 80’s, and I really liked that about it. A highlight for me was Sigourney Weaver. My partner commented that the vocal harmonies reminded her of Ghost. I didn’t think that at first, but I can see what she means. Overall, this was a quite pleasant album. Maybe not good enough to make me stick around for more listens, but definitely good enough to make for a nice fun listen.
i hated how the synths sound on this but could see myself listening again; at the end of the day i love some witty self-deprecating tossed-off gay-guy snark
una lagna unica ma non terribilissimo, a tratti è anche piacevole, ma è un genere musicale che per definizione è inoffensivo
this was good, solid singer songwriter album
Music 4 Lyrics 2
Var lite ambivalent för denna, men landar i att de infantila texterna som helhet ligger honom i fatet (även om de här och där har sina behållningar). Musikaliskt i övrigt är det helt okej utan att på något sätt sticka ut, så för mig blir det en svag trea.
Hmm, not bad, not good, a bit in the middle. Nothing wrong with this album, nothing good that made me want to listen Im afraid
Know of John Grant just keeping up with the indie scene + he put out a new album this year. Didn't know any of his albums were on this list. I listened to it but will need to give more listens to this as I feel like this album is a grower.
Not familiar with him. I found some of his songs/lyrics offensive. Music should be entertaining, not anger inducing.
Not bad, not great.
Alternating wit and anger and heartbreak. I was sometimes interested, sometimes impatient, sometimes checked out.
So I had never heard of John Grant until last year. I listened to the album that came after this one, Pale Green Ghosts, which is much more electronic (and I love the title track, which has a super cool Rachmaninoff interpolation). I recently had a Rufus Wainwright album, and this reminded me of him a lot. I owe this album another listen; I think it has the potential to grow on me given I like his second album. But for now I'm feeling 3. My favorite track was Sigourney Weaver.
Interesting and nice enough to be a fun listen
I liked this album! I thought the songwriting was exciting and, in some songs, unusual/original. I went in with VERY low expectations, based on the album art, which looked like high school artwank and the fact that I used to work with someone called John Grant (that's not the artists fault). 4 star album, but it was reduced to 3 for the album cover. JC Hates Faggots = spicy number!
3.5
Average - ok.
Queen of Denmark is the debut solo album by John Grant, originally released in 2010. Never heard of this artist prior to listening. This album has some really nice folk rock vibes. Towards the end of the album he trades in his piano for some synths. A lot of the hooks were very Beatle-esque and remind me of their later career hits. The production is pretty solid on here. I'm not a huge fan of the lyrics. They're a bit immature. I guess he was kinda going for a slacker rock kinda thing but it doesn't really hit for me.
A friend turned me on to John Grant's song "GMF", which is not on this album. Unfortunately, nothing here measures up to that that track. I just didn't grab my attention at any point. I might come back to it one more time, just to be sure.
Don't think I've ever listened to anything by John Grant. He's obviously a very talented songwriter, but this isn't something I would routinely listen to.
This was fine. Liked a few songs, didn't love it. 3.0
Sounds like Father John Misty albeit with more major key usage. Not necessarily a bad thing, but folk rock is just so fucking bland sometimes
I’m not sure if it was supposed to be, but I found many of lyrics on here to be quite funny. I liked it, but I’m not sure if it’s something I would revisit much. Favorite songs were Marz, Chicken Bones, and Jc Hates Faggots.
This was odd, half of it was a sort of moody singer songwriter album, and the other half was a scissor sistersy disco fuelled romp. The faux German song was weird. So was the Jesus one. John wasn't afraid to use offensive language to get his point across. The swearing in this album in general was unexpected, you don't hear it in music like this very often. It mostly wasn't my sort of thing, though I think a lot of these songs held up to similar artists. Couldn't help but enjoy supernatural defibrillator.
Hmm. This was pretty interesting and think I enjoyed most of it. Quite interesting lyrically. Some I'm not too sure about. I listened to it twice though so there must be something to it. Quite liked JC hates faggots. Marz was pretty good too. Strange German song in there
Re_listen
Durschnitt. Die Stimmer beser, der Rest schlechter. 2.6
It was better than I expected, but it’s probably not anything I’ll seek out. I think it would have been a bigger hit in the 90’s
Decent songs but questionable titles
The kind of music your friend would show you in high school and you would obsess over and then you’d go to a concert and it’d be empty
J’aime le côté sans fard. Pour la musique, je suis entre deux: parfois, je trouve ça recherché et mélodieux; parfois, ça me semble inutilement ornementé et aller dans toutes les directions (cabaret, électronique, prog, orchestral…)
This was ok. Nothing special but it was listenable.
This gimmick of singing in a serious, earnest tone about wild, silly things has been done before. (Jonathan Coulton comes to mind.) It's good for a chuckle and a single listen. There's also some (I think) actual serious songs and social commentary here. Favorite track: Chicken Bones
All of these songs have provocative and deliberately weird lyrics over pre established popular songs. Like “chicken bones” is just sweet child of mine” right? And “Sigourney Weaver” has a teaspoon of “free bird”, no? But there is some brilliance in the raw honesty of the style. It’s Adam green meets Mika, meets the eagles somehow. Interesting stuff.
Not even sure where to start on this one. First why is it on this list, it cannot be top 1,001. It was not bad, but Grant is all over the place and I can’t tell if it is satire or serious. It is middle of road as there have certainly been worse on this list.
This ones interesting. Maybe what I thought fleet foxes should be with the orchestral pop. He does it better with clever, sometimes too clever, lyrics.
3.5/5
I was on the fence, until: I feel just like Winona Ryder In that movie about vampires And she couldn't get that accent right; Neither could that other guy
Would you call this "proto Father John Misty"? I haven't checked out the rest of his catalog yet, but FJM did debut 2 years later in 2012 and this album feels like it was the foundation before Tillman added all the strings and additional orchestration that usually fill all his albums. All in all, it's an ok album albeit not that exciting. None of the songs really popped out at me or excited me in any way. It's just solid mid.
++: TC and Honeybear, Chicken Bones, Leopard & Lamb +: Where Dreams Go to Die, Silver Platter Club, It's Easy, Outer Space, Queen of Denmark +-: Marz, Sigourney Weaver, Jesus Hates Faggots -: Caramel 7,2/10
No way! I was saying just two days ago that I need to become acquainted with John Grant’s music, after discovering Big Special are supporting him on tour. I can definitely hear some Rufus Wainwright in there, and Father John Misty probably owes him a debt too. The pretty, bittersweet ballads are the highlights for me, though I also appreciate his sardonic lyrics on other tracks. All in all, a positive introduction to John Grant. Looks like I’ll be diving deeper into to his back catalogue in due course.
Interesting concept, a bit Zappa-ish.
I was not familiar with John Grant before listening to this record. A Father John Misty-type who is a bit more worldly and literate. There is candour and sentimentality as well as a darkly humorous point of view that I appreciate. For Grant, the only way to get over the fact that your mother calls you a disappointment (on her deathbed as her FINAL WORDS, no less) is to laugh. Working with Midlake, John Grant produces a soft, tender album about growing up in the Midwest, confronting your sexuality, and witnessing the promise of liberal idealism curdle before your very eyes. The Elton John comparisons are apt, not just for the foregrounding of the piano and Taupin-like lyrics that feels more like prose, handwritten letters, and notes-to-self. There is a glammy, cosmic quality in the synth flourishes that run throughout the album and a self-deprecation that is wrapped up in some in-your-face behaviour. "Chicken Bones" has a bouncy, late 90s cabaret but is just so laugh out loud funny. If I go back to any song off this record, it will definitely be that one. Feels like an album he had to make. B+
Decent songs, but I felt the last songs of the album were quite unnecessary. Maybe there's a thematic element here that I missed. 6/10
A beautifully produced album of melancholic, almost depressing music, which ultimately, just doesn't do it for me.
Ég þekki auðvitað til Johns sem nýs Íslendings og mér finnst mörg lögin hans mjög áhlustunarvæn. Þægileg og róleg og stundum fínir textar. Mér finnst þau samt oft á tíðum vera mjög lík. Á þessari plötu er reyndar meiri fjölbreytni en ekkert sem mun fá mig til að hlusta á John nema bara í útvarpinu.
Some good tracks... could have been a 4 if some of the weird ones weren't included
I didn’t really get this. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it just seemed off. During Signourney Weaver I keep expecting him to start singing Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd, they’re so similar. I liked the song Queen of Denmark, but it’s a bit late at 50 minutes to start being good.
There were some interesting sounds that made me want to check out some other John Grant songs. Maybe it could grow on me. But otherwise, it's a solid 3 star album.
This album was experience! I enjoyed the vast majority of it. I really liked 'outer space'. But then some of it was a bit weird for me. There were some very interesting lyrics, which would probably get this a higher score if I had time for a relisten. Also I imagine it would be a good stoner album
Beautiful piano
Trippy stuff, would listen again. A melancholy filled album with some nice piano, songs go from quite dark to goofy with silly lyrics. 3.5
Pleasantly surprised by a lot of this but what was all that weird German stuff towards the end 😂
a bit pretentious but good musically i guess. 3.5.
I’m really torn on this—I like it and I don’t like it at the same time.
This was a pleasant new album. A bit over the top lyrically in a few spots, but that's hardly a complaint. 3
Solid but something about the lyricism bugged me. He’s trying to be cheeky, I guess, but it comes out very clunky to me (Sigourney Weaver probably the biggest example) (2.5/5)
Better than I expected from the reviews, but still not very entertaining as an album.
It was beautiful and haunting melodies. The lyrics were interesting and different but also strange. I have mixed feelings, I didn't not like it but also don't love it. I appreciate the talent behind it, but don't think I would listen again. I think I would need to listen a few times more to really appreciate it but I am not sure I want to...
Listenable, but nothing of note here.
I liked the sarcastic humour. Silver Platter Club was the standout for me. The JC song was quite controversial, my goodness. I wouldn’t listen to another John Grant album in a hurry but I also wouldn’t complain if I heard another track of his.
"Outer Space" is the standout track.
эклектично; местами Джон Мисти, местами евротреш, местами мы будем говорить плохие слова но это сатира; мама сказал что вот такую музыку она больше всего и любит; так и не поняла откуда мне так знакома аутер спейс…
Lovely piece of work whilst also being too long and drifting too much in parts.