Queen Of Denmark

"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.

This is a good album, and each individual song is fine. Possibly many are a four (Sigourney Weaver for example). But at over an hour it's much too long and suffers from the chocolate box effect: after twelve of such rich musical fare the delight has diminished somewhat through sheer repetition.

Went from "why is this on the list?" to "I dig this song" right around Chicken Bones. 3.5

Interesting. Never heard of him. Could probably like some of his music.

Enjoyed it. Listened to the whole thing twice.

Mixed bag really

enjoyed it, have never heard of artist or album previously. Felt like would hit better on certain days depending on mood etc.

Pretty good. Strange lyrics.

At first I found the album unspectacular. It didn't sound bad, didn't bother me, reminded me in some places of bigger hits by others. Otherwise it seemed boring. But then that changed. A couple of very funny things happened and the album became interesting. I will listen to the album again.

Started off well but descended into a poor Elton/Bowie derivative. I didn’t think the lyrics flowed well, he was just saying stuff.

Never heard of this before, it was interesting. Slow melodic songs, interspersed with electronic synths, it was a style I hadn't heard before. Lyrically, some of its depressing, some sarcastic and sparky, overall something you should listen to the lyrics rather than just the music. It was pretty good

Non-smug Father John Misty

I'm not familiar with John Grant, or this album, but I enjoyed its overall sound. The songs were varied in style, but they all had a softness to them that I liked. The vocals were really good, and the arrangements were unique and fun. The songs were a strange blend of pop and folk music, but it worked really well. The lyrics were strange at times, but really well written, and I especially liked “Sigourney Weaver.” I think my biggest gripe against this album is that it was a bit of drag at times, and there are other albums from this era of indie music that I’d rather listen to. This album is well made, and I can see how it got so much critical recognition, but I can also see how it may not land with everyone.

Du folk un peu cheesy mais parfois joliment fait, comme “Where dreams go to die”. Ça reste assez plat et sans éclat, voire pénible sur la fin avec deux titres différents mais pires (“That's the good news”, “Supernatural Defibrillator”), et un dernier morceau vaporeux chiant de presque 8 minutes (“What Time”) pour rester sur la certitude que non je pense plus réécouter cet album en entier, merci.

Ouain po pire po pire pour du rock indie

I liked the album well enough. Grant has a very good voice and the arrangements are well polished. Nothing stood out to me though. I would listen to this again but I probably wouldn’t seek it out.

Feels like I’m listening to the soundtrack to an animated web series from 2010 . 7

Starts off strong but then falls apart.

I’d give this a 3.5 if I could. I knew of the chicken bones song well before listening to this album. I like the quirkiness of the lyrics.

This was one oddball of the album. I was quick to pawn it off as an album filled with love songs or some pretentious songs. To be honest I wasn't that impressed in the beginning. Then "Silver Platter Club" came on and I figured it sounded more fun! The rest of the album was an eclectic mix of tracks. I honestly don't know what I feel, it balances on being super annoying and actually really good. Some of it feels like it hasn't aged too well and has that really 2010 edgy vibe to it ("JC hates Faggots"). It's like Bo burnham, Pink Floyd and Bright Eyes made a colab. I will give it a 3 because i honestly can't say what I think. It was definitely an experience.

3.2

Huh... lots of indie stuff that should my bread and butter but again just fine. A little long.

I’m very conflicted on this album as it boarder on brilliant and absurd. It’s like nothing I’ve ever heard before but at the same time seems so familiar - familiar enough that I sometimes think some artists might have a case for copyright infringement. Often the lyric writing is very creative and unique, but then there are songs that I thought were Weird Al parodies in their silliness. Definitely going to have to reflect and then come back to it.

Put lyrics aside, music is pretty ok considering it's a 2010 album, although nothing new either.

This is an example of one of those albums that lulls you into a sense of tranquility until you realize how dark the lyrics are. Pretty good all things considered.

Who is John Grant, and why is he the Queen of Denmark? Formerly of the Czars (a band I've never heard of before), Grant moved from Denver to New York City and decided to work on solo material. This album is his solo debut. It tackles personal issues of addiction and coming to terms with sexuality, which shows a lot of Grant's depth in this album. As for the music, it takes a little while to pick up. I wasn't quite hooked until Sigourney Weaver, and the quality was spotty after that. Some songs have a tendency to be hokey rather than good. Nothing against Grant's songwriting or performances, I just find he's at his best with a full band driving a lot of the emotion. Queen Of Denmark hits it's peak with the last few songs on the album, and makes me wish Leopard & Lamb was expanded on a bit more. An album that gets better as it goes on. Feels like a lot of feelings swimming around in the soup and trying to sort things out one way or another. Potent listen at times. That said, it's importance is perhaps overexaggerated.

Without knowing to much of Grant or The Czars I think it's a decent listen but more for the background.

Ok, echt goed gemaakt, maar niet mijn ding.

I definitely had very low expectations for this but it was better than I was expecting. Kind of odd and out there, not at all straight indie folk and soft rock as it's assigned genre's suggested. I dug it!

Difficult to understand why this album is on the list. Not innovative, not bad, not great. Just middle of the road.

Still don't like gay

an entire album in the spirit of the last song wouldve been amazing

Queen of Denmark is fairly middle of the road. Lyrically Grant can be pretty awful. Childish almost. Marz is especially bad. But overall there is a strong Beatles crossed with Father John Misty and I don’t hate it. KC Hates Faggots is shockingly vulgar but who doesn’t like an anti-Christianity song. 6.0/10

Decnet album

Notes of Elliott Smith, were my scornful tasting notes over the first couple of tracks, deciding early this was typical noughties beigewave. Beneath the aggressively soothing wrapping, the lyrics are sometimes pungent and imaginative; the songs swing along cheerfully, nothing revolutionary, nothing that my life calls out to, but I’ve let this play four times over the day.

John Grant is unusual.

Interesting dichotomy of beautiful melodies and lyrics from and angry 8th grader. I’m not sure what I think overall. I have to split the difference.

Weird??!

Couple of good songs, couple of bad songs.

Okay

Okay. This sounds like it wants to be dub step but doesn't have enough bass for it? I don't know probably not. It's ambient. And okay. A little long? I don't know

Never heard this before. Some songs reminded me of Beck’s Sea Change album.

Wasn't expecting to enjoy it based on the cover but starts out strong. Definite They Might be Giants vibes but prettier. Takes a turn after Queen of Denmark. Some high high points but also some songs I REALLY didn't like. On balance they balance. 2.5.

weird and quirky. often stream of consciousness type lyrics.

This is weird. I kinda like it. And dropped a few…..this was weird.

Found it interesting, with some peculiar association between the lyrics and the sound. Also, how the record evolves and still surprises you just when you think you figured it out. [0077/1001]

Some genius songwriting here, but undermined by the fact that each song seems to be working against each other and the record is pretty shoddily produced.

That chicken song was fun. Other than that it seems to be the type of album that requires a few listens to get into and I only listened once.

Spotify tells me that one of my top tracks this year will be “Boy from Michigan” by John Grant so I was interested in hearing this earlier album. He has a smooth easy-to-listen-to-voice and I think, with more eclectic arrangements (like Boy from Michigan) I would give this a higher mark.

Jolie voix, poétique, mélancolique.

felt like simon and garfunkel but without the greatest parts of simon and garfunkel. idk. i didn't dislike it though

J'ai adoré le début de l'album mais vers la fin ça devenait un peu moins intéressant. Les paroles aussi sont parfois un peu dur à prendre au sérieux. Il y a clairement un côté sarcastique aux paroles et ça se veut un peu absurde, mais je ne suis pas sûr que ça se mélange tout le temps bien au style de musique présenté. C'est quand même un album très intéressant et je le réécouterais bien. 7/10

Some lyrics are too *~quirky~* for me, but overall a pleasant album.

Nice. I might come back to this, solid 3.5 for now

weird. not bad though. ridiculous lyrics. closer to 3 than 2.

A strange album, felt a little disjointed as if it was by three separate bands.

It started incredibly sad and then picked up the pace in the middle. I enjoyed the lyrics and themes throughout the record.

I liked music, instrumentation, vocals and mostly the lyrics which are clever and witty. Not sure I’d listen again though.

Rufus Wainwright en dépression

Nice and "spacey" I like the unique lyrics. 3.7

Ok

I enjoyed “Baby you’re where dreams go to die”. Lovely ballady folk stuff and I like how he enunciates his lyrics.

Really liked the front side but not really the back half. Rating 3.2

An odd time capsule of a sound I completely forgot about.

I think this has really suffered for me because of the 1 album a day structure. I can see myself getting really into it but at first listen I only really really liked it in parts and couldn't quite make my mind up about the rest

Really really liked the first half of the album, sounds like some I would’ve listened to in 2019 or so. Second half went off the rails. Might’ve been a 4 if the songs were in a different order but the whiplash was way too much.

Never heard of album or artist. Found this interesting on first listen; one I’ll Need to come back to.

Loved the acerbic diary quality of the lyrics. Beautiful baritone voice. Felt like the compositions were somewhat unambitious at times.

Vaudeville folk? Not bad, not really my jam. 3 stars.

title track is extremely good, but the whole album is laced with john grant's beautiful voice. half of the album is a little samey due to pop sensibility, but the other half is able to stay extremely vibrant with the likes of "tc and honeybear", "it's easier", "jesus hates faggots", and again the very good title track. i personally think this is a 3.5/5 but i can't give half stars, and unfortunately don't think it quite manages a 4, so 3 it will have to get. but definitely worth your time if folk pop is your deal, or if you're a fan of lyrically focused stuff.

I agree with the other review that says this reminds them of Bo Burnum.

When this works it works quite well, it has gentle arrangements and his voice is soothing, it occasionally veers off into the weird but enough of it is centred around a simple but effective old-school pop sound. I'm staggered that this is from 2010, it sounds like 1977.

Got some funky shiz going on here, I like it at times

It was fine. Not my favorite. Weak 3.

So close to being so cool. Just a little too much in spots

Good sound, but silly.

One of the more unusual new finds for me. Very personal songs for him, real anger about his upbringing. His style is unique, random words at times making it feel like a novelty album.

Not terrible, not exciting either

For some reason the last 4 songs suddenly became fun

This absolutely did not need to be an hour long

I genuinely don't even know what the fuck to even say about this one. It felt like a weird dream, a combination of nonsense and the sensation of drifting upon the clouds. It was aight. Some worked. Some didn't.

I wasn’t sure about this album at first, but it grew on me as I listened to it. The lyrics are clever and often funny. Overall, this is a very interesting and honest album.

Decent work, but not exceptional. Title track has something though

I'm not ready to give this any more than a 3 after only a couple listens, but this is the type of stuff I love finding through this list.

Very similar to Father John Misty. Lush music and vocals, poignant but also funny lyrics.

Some good songs

It’s fitting the opening track off John Grant’s solo debut has the word “Honeybear” in the title. Because this is every bit a precursor to Father John Misty and the post-indie-folk revival of the 2010s. Never heard of John Grant or his band before this—The Czars—but this is a very fine album indeed. The lyrics are fun and impactful. The production is adventurous too. I like when it weaves in electronic accents on “Sigourney Weaver;” that melding of folk and science fiction reminds me of Grandaddy in a very nice way. Then “Chicken Bones” is a groovy, bouncy, bayou bumper complete with a very Jerry Garcia guitar solo. And other sounds are explored too—Beatles-esque horn arrangements on “Silver Platter Club,” proggy synth work on “Outer Space,” abrasive industrial synths on “Jesus Hates F****ts,” shoe-gazey acoustic guitar vibes on “Honeybear” (think Red House Painters) and singer-songwriter piano moments on the climactic closer. But wherever John Grant and Midlake—another band I’ve never heard of, which just speaks to the scope of the whole folk revival—go, Grant’s syrupy baritone and thoughtful, almost-casual lyrical insights buoy this record from top to bottom. It’s a fine record. A deep cut from a particular era. Maybe not essential. But a fun one to share with friends who like FJM, Fleet Foxes, Joanna Newsom, Woods, and all the rest. I quite like it.

It's easy listening, not bad

Didn’t finish but I enjoyed the production, the songwriting, and his voice

A highly personal, introspective album focused on a life filled with struggles like suicide, homosexuality, and religion, that ultimately falls a bit flat for me. There are some shining gems on here like Outer Space, and I think as a whole concept, there are redeeming qualities. I just wanted something a bit more hooky to catch my ear from the start.

Shimmering soliloquies featuring a striking dichotomy between sonic stylings and subject matter.

Was unfamiliar but I mostly enjoyed it.

Its a joke album? It would be better but for some reason I couldn't take it seriously

Kinda chill. Some of these lyrics seem like jokes, but it's uncertain if it is or isn't. It is easy to listen to, but I don't find myself wanting to listen to it more. It's not terrible. Another 3/5 I guess

Ambitious and inventive and weird at times. I liked it, and there’s no denying the dude’s got a great voice.

Best Song: Sigourney Weaver. Slightly rocking with quaintly specific lyrics. Feels real indie, in a good way. Worst Song: Silver Platter Club. The lyrics are overly simplistic and a bit too on-the-nose. Overall: Some pretty nice singer-songwriter material here, but it doesn't reach that same echelon as like Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits, or Leonard Cohen. Not to say its bad, but it's hard not to compare it against much stiffer competition. The lyrics here also often seem to default to snappier, "cleverer" sounding lines than something deeper or more profound.

Lots of angst in a weird rock/pop/synth/ska album. I hear Beatles/Reel Big Fish/Pink Floyd influences in this melancholic debut album about lost love and the masculine construct.

Eh.

so and so

Pretty good. New experience for me and i enjoyed it

Just not my style

First half was ok. Then it just took a very odd turn.

A little too fluffy for my taste, not enough substance.

Both the artist and his former band were unknown to me until this album came up today in the rotation. This is an excellent record. He manages as a composer and performer to balance sweetness and tension, and some of the string arrangements supporting the song are incredible (e.g., 'Where Dreams Go To Die'). I read the Wikipedia entries on this album and on John Grant. Helped put these songs into context, and made me feel even more deeply for him and his art. There is such rich and personal expression here. I'm glad this project introduced me to his work. I'll have to check out more of what he's done, and I want to hear what he and his band, The Czars, did when they were together.

I do not remember how this album went.

Hmmmmm, detta e i skjæringspunktet mellom jævlig og litt nice. Skjønne kje

Not something I would relisten to

Ik ben er niet echt achter gekomen waar John Grant me nou probeerde mee naartoe te nemen. Ik hoor mooie Rufus Wainwright achtige dingen, maar ook experimenteel gefröbel. Misschien nog maar eens een keer goed beluisteren.

Indie un tanto ñoño, salvo alguna canción. Ni fu ni fa.

Never heard of this guy before. But it is weirdly good stuff.

the more i listened the more i liked it! lion and leopard and queen of denmark were my favorites

This guy seems to like The Beatles. Makes for enjoyable music

Interesting stuff. Wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was.

eh

meh was okay some good bits kinda weird

Pretty good stuff! Sad but good

Interesting sound. He has a great voice and his songs all seem to have a serious underlying message. Way more explicit than I was expecting, very nonchalant swearing.

3.75

Pretty humorous material. Not my preference but not horrible.

best one so far! a few i actually liked and favorited. lyrics are weird as shit tho but i like the vibes

Kinda a weird one. A few of the songs are really interesting with unique instrumentals and topics. 6/10

Very cool!

Not bad,

Ništa, sasvim okej album. Nije mi se iskreno previše dao slušati, ali što sam čuo je dobro.

actually pretty slay my fave part is singing about a bad hairline

Enjoyed it again, like I did before, but still nothing really stands out

Eipä tämäkään oikein iske mulle. Keskivertoon pukkaa. 3/5

Raaka ja henkilökohtainen eikä vailla huumoria. En ihan vielä ehkä nelosta anna mutta pitää laittaa artistia enemmän kuunteluun. 3/5

Quirky lyrics given with a knowing wink to the audience aren't enough to cover up that really the tunes just aren't that strong. The fact that he was previously in indie darlings The Czars seems to be doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Best Tracks: Sigourney Weaver; Chicken Bones; Outer Space

And dats de gud nus

starts well with Marz, gets a bit boring thereafter

Indie rock is a good sign. It's starting well. It's still super slow. Starting to feel like Norah Jones. Chicken Bones feels good, but the lyrics are a bit weird. Overall, not that great.

Grandiose Melodien, teilweise aber etwas zu abgedreht. Hat mich manchmal an JBO erinnert. Artist will ich mir weiter anhören.

It has its moments, some decent singer songwriter stuff

Unremarkable singer-songwriter album. I'm sure if I was a bigger lyrics person I'd appreciate it more but I can't really tell why it would be on a list like this, Track 9 was a little to explicit and direct. Like we get it, conservative christians are full of shit but you don't need to actually say all of the slurs.

- Never heard of John Grant - Good album, consistently decent songs - Fav songs: Jesus Hates (redacted), Where Dreams Go to Die, Silver Platter Club

Is okay singersongmusic

I thought he made a very niche genre of music sound more accessible to a wider audience without straying too far from who he is. The album didn't excite more or anything, I just thought it was neat and respect it. 3/5

Decent from what I listened

Interesting, some really good. Bit up and down

En handfull fina låtar är det.

3.5

Well well well, the first half of this album I was like, what is this music, who is this amazing John Grant? My man has some serious branding issues! But then, I thought, you know, Tom Jones, he didn't have much issue, so what gives? Aha! It is the Second Half of the album. Yuck.

Alright

The sound was not what I expected, very unique sounding and sometimes funny

Moderne singer/songwriter, aktuelt, følsomt og rammende

Definitely interesting and different, some of the goofier songs and lyrics remind me of ween. The goofiness can take away from the song being good though which is unfortunate, like they can become too goofy to enjoy. There’s some really fun songs on this that I added to my playlist. I like the instrumentals a lot

Weird lyrics fo sho

The title track melody is very similar to Keane's 2004 release "Somewhere Only We Know." Numerous passages are lifted from Beatles songs throughout - it could be passed off as homage. It could also be that all notes and all combinations have already been recorded.

It wouldn't be bad background music. Just don't listen to closely and it's nice. 3/5

Today sure was Chicken Bones 4 Exciting special album Though the lyrics are outstanding and easy to follow, they get in the way of the music at times. 3 A newer Rufus Wainwright? The german-gay deaththreat song really caught me off-guard.

Just Ok, legalzinho.

Spacy futuristic mellow sound - a little melancholy but an easy listening sound. Outer space and Marz decent

Really enjoyed it. A proper mixed bag in terms of pace, but overall very well put together!

slayyyyyyyyyyyyy

Never heard this before, it was good, might very well turn out to be great after a few more listens.

I feel like this is the type of album I would have loved as an angsty teenager, Bread meets Gilbert O'Sullivan meets The Carpenters. This album is about Grant coming to terms with who he is and I'm glad he found it cathartic. I just kept repeating lines from the lyrics to myself and shaking my head in disbelief. He has a lovely voice, no doubt and the sound is rich and layered but ultimately I couldn't dig this album. Maybe it needs more listens and maybe I ain't got time for that.

A strange mix of styles, I found this hard to pin down stylistically. Couldn't tell if I was enjoying it or not either although it did have its moments.

I suppose you have to be in on the joke for this middle of the road baroque pop. It certainly stands out if nothing else

3.5/5. I mean, I was chillin with some singer-songwriter piano tunes, and dude drops the n-word hard-r. Sus

Mournful with FM vibes.

Intense longing

Goede zanger met rustgevende muziek. Het is echter geen artiest die ik meteen zal onthouden. ***

Very soft pop-rock. Dreamy and melancholy.

Really great sound. Never heard of this guy before. At times it sounds like pink Floyd…other times Alan Parson Project. Whatever it is I like it. Will definitely listen to This one again. 3/5

Pop fácil de escuchar. Bien elaborado y con una muy buena voz.

I liked the first song a lot, and a few others. I also disliked several songs and thought a bunch of the lyrics were dumb. But overall it was good enough for a 3 Gotta give props to a white dude who’s brave enough to say the n-word in this century lmfao

There's a retro '70s pop vibe to this that I'm really enjoying. It's also evocative of some of Beck's more contemplative work. The piano and string arrangements are really beautiful. Grant's vocals are a little lackluster in contrast to what's going on musically, but it's still quite good. Fave Songs: Where Dreams Go to Die, Silver Platter Club, Caramel, Outer Space, Queen of Denmark

Almost arresting to begin with but then falls into a slumber that is not released. Good to have in the background with occasional diversion when a quirky lyric pops out.

It was fine, could well be the kind of thing I get more into if I listened a few more times.

Very strong lyrically. Silver Platter Club and the title track were my two favorites.

Don’t get the hype. Self-serious and often silly, the lyrics are overcooked; he’s too clever by half and not as witty as he thinks he is (a dangerous mix). Musically, it’s undistinguished, with effects that mimic the overreaching jokes, if intermittently above average (“It’s Easier“). However you feel about Randy Newman, you’re likely to feel about this guy. I may explore another record or two, but this feels like a future unsubscribe. In the meantime, give me Craig Finn or Father John Misty over this snowflake any time. 3 (and only just)

Funny guy

Weird. Pretty cool. 6-7/10

Can't say I would have gravitated to this album on my own, but it's a solid addition to this 1001 list. My fave tracks, "Where Dreams Go to Die" and "Jesus Hates F****ts" were true standouts, with gorgeous melody lines and thoughtful songwriting. Can't say every single track on here is a must-listen, but the album deserves to be on this list, for the variety and compelling stories of each song if nothing else. Title track also deserves a shout-out for its gorgeous melody. Overall a solid listen.

Music 'quality' was very decent. While some of the tracks seemed disorganized, there were some that came across as heartfelt which made me appreciate the talent.

This motherfucker said the N word!

This one grew on me as it went on, but I still think I’m more interested about the album’s thematics and John Grant’s history than I am in the experience of actually listening to it.

Some really gorgeous stuff here, but quite patchy. He’s done better work since.

its like early father John misty

Campfire songs

This is such a bizarre album. The music video for Marz was hilarious. Drugs were definitely involved. There are a few kind of absurdist comedy songs that I enjoyed and thought that was what the album was going to be, as it was frontloaded with these. Sigourney Weaver, Chicken Bones, Marz, TC and the Honeybear. It does get a bit more melancholy and serious in the back half and that's where it fell off for me. It was ok, and the guy writes some compelling lyrics, but the initial interest I had waned over time. The lyrics about Winona Ryder and "that other guy" screwing up their accents in Dracula are comedy gold though.

Interesting, gay , very gay, more gay, excellent

Don't love a lot of the lyrics, not the lyrical themes, the actual words. Got a real Father John Misty vibe here which is not a positive as far as I'm concerned. I think musically though this was pretty great.

Rating: 6,2/10 Most of the songs up until Outer Space were pretty meh/weird. Some really cool synths and melodies on Outer Space, JC Hates Faggots, Caramel, Leopard and Lamb. Queen of Denmark and That's The Good News have serious Bo Burnham energy.

A lot of this was very pretty but overall I felt missing something... some incursions of a harder edge, for the tension in the music to break through more often? I liked it though.

This was a bit quirky but I liked some of it.

Had never heard of John Grant but glad to have discovered him. Didn't think it was groundbreaking but it was enjoyable.

Litt rart

Loving the lyrics on this. I'll probably give it another go sometime. Nothing game changing but lyrically interesting if nothing else.

not bad

This sounded very decent, but also absolutely unspectacular. 3.5 rounded down because I can't remember what the album sounds like a couple minutes after it's finished. The songs from the extended version really didn't fit with the rest of the album.

I can't tell if I enjoyed this or thought it was boring. Would give it one more listen.

Not a familiar name to me. The music is often good, on the vintage folksy end of pop rock. I read afterwards that Midlake were involved - a band I quite like. John Grant's lyrics and vocals are a bit hit and miss. "Sigourney Weaver" is a pretty great track, with classic Elton John pop vibes underneath jokey film references. But sometimes the songs are unremarkable and dreary. As the album goes on, it starts turning into pastiches of familiar styles. Overall, this has more substance than most pop and rock records, so I can admire that - but it doesn't have much repeat listening value for me. 3*

Never heard of John Grant before. lyrics more entertaining than expected, i.e. Sigourney weaver Spotify lyrics mode is making this album better b/c usually it's hard to hear lyrics. this is getting funny, JC Hates Faggots. Songs might wear out with novelty though. Not sure if it'll be in my permanent rotation. Getting better with each listen, growing on me.

Never heard of this before, so i didn't know what to expect. Enjoyed it!

Better than Beck tbf

Some very deep lyrics

This was a really interesting album, but one I feel like I need to listen to a few more times to really appreciate it. Much of the power seems to be in the lyrics.

Incredibilmente orecchiabile. Molto piacevole.

Reading the Wiki page it would seem we are facing the greatest record ever!. It is a good record tho, I don't know why I had never listen to it but it is good. it is a bit long and some tracks are weird but I liked how strong it starts and how it does not stays the same for its whole lenght

Not to my taste.

Its OK

All I can think is that these are songs that Ben Folds would do a cover of