Queen Of Denmark

Decnet album

For large parts it was just about bearable, a couple of tracks I could listen to again.

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.

This guy is hyped to shit on UK radio, and I've never figured out why. The Midlake connection also piqued my interest. Unfortunately... solid 2 until the 5th track which is godawful and it only gets worse from there; a real shitshow unfurls. Good voice, sure, but the whole "quirky tortured soul" shtick only works if you have a few songs to back it up, otherwise it's just boring and embarrassing; the sub-Eagles production values don't help either (I feel similarly about Rufus Wainwright). For a song that uses his vocal skills for good, check out "Kindling" with Elbow (believe it or not). Re: Midlake - proves once again that Tim Smith had all the talent. His new(er) band "Harp" continue his effective Fairport simulacrum, with my approval. John Grant is another example of "Fun Lovin' Criminals" syndrome: utter turds that can't get arrested in the US having to scrape a living in the UK assisted by inscrutably sycophantic local media As a wiser and wittier man than I said on this website: "This is the type of wank that Mark Chapman saved us from". Amen brother

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.

Nope.

The music on the album is really good if you don't try to understand the lyrics. Some of these are very direct.

Very interesting album from a guy I wasn't familiar with. It's taken a couple of listens to really land, but it really is worth a listen.

Weird??!

After discussing this artist with a friend that knows him better, I went back and re-listened to some of this. interesting and some noteworthy lyrics .. but still not my jam.

Very cool

Pretty average

Couple of good songs, couple of bad songs.

Anyone know that game "life is strange?" I love that game. Part of what makes that game so great is the outstanding soundtrack. Anyway, this sounds like it could have been in that game. The music is great, and the lyrics are outstanding. THIS is what I came to this list for. 5/5

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

Ok

One of those albums that effortlessly walks the line between beautiful and familiar, comical but heartfelt. Biased here as I already enjoyed Midlake's reserved but emotional jams from knowing them as a local band, but coupled with Grant's effortless storytelling and a symphonic punch, their songwriting takes on a new dimension and sounds larger than ever before. As for Grant, he's one of the rare songwriters who doesn't sound like he's fishing for snaps at the local poetry night. It's crystal clear what the lived experiences channeled here are, but never do they feel forced or insincere. Amazing how this man manages to plumb the depths of depravity and pure human kindness in the same verse, all with the cadence of your buddy you grab a beer with once a week at the local bar. Big props as well for giving this forever-topical treatise on the queer experience some needed outlets as well with the dryest humor known to man - 'Sigourney Weaver' had me dying, and I wish I could say more singer-songwriter albums from this project have elicited the same reaction.

John Grant is an excellent songwriter, creating heartfelt, engaging tunes like what you'll hear on this near-perfect album. Even when he's corny, like on "Sigourney Weaver", it's clear he's being so on purpose. It's charming! By the way, what is it with gay people and wanting to go to Mars?

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.

A third of my way though my journey I was like eh...its a 3. I'm not sure why, but it really started to grow on me and I'm still thinking about it now. So it's a 4 because I think it deserves another listen. Lyrically it's fucking weird, there's a song which I think is about ice cream favors, and a song about Jesus hating minorities...

really lovely - not what I expected at all...

Un album très mélodieux et satisfaisant dans l'ensemble, on regretta simplement que John se transforme en Helmut Fritz vers la fin et se mette à lister toutes les choses qui l'énervent. Incompréhensible.

Délicieux album de la part de notre desormais ami John Grant.

not my tempo

weird and quirky. often stream of consciousness type lyrics.

This is exactly the sort of thing I came here for. This was kind of amazing. Not quite five star musicianship but certainly a five-star experience.

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

Extremely clever. Nothing about the music wows me, but the lyrics are magnificent.

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.

I do like Midlake and I saw a lot of 5 star ratings so I was looking forward to listening this album. It starts out fine with TC & Honeybear but it rapidly goes downhill from there. If you don't like his singing style this album will grate on you because there's A LOT of his voice here and it sounds quite monotonous after awhile. I do like Indie songwriters but this album is a bit too commercial sounding and it does not resonate for me.

Just folk, didn’t sound very special to me

Man this guy was going through a breakup when he wrote this 4/5

not sure the genre but it reminded me of a mix of David Bowie and The Beatles at times. Really enjoyable

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

Pretty good. 3.5

I've never heard of this guy before and this album blew my mind. I feel like I'm gonna be listening to Mr. Grant for a while from now on. But I have to say that this album ends with 'Queen of Denmark'. The last four songs on the Spotify version are from a limited edition and they are actually good, but they ABSOLUTELY don't belong here, whereas the aforementioned 'Queen of Denmark' is the perfect ending for the record.

Definitely didn’t expect what I got from the album cover, but really enjoyed the down to earth similes and pop references alongside unmasked insecurity and vulnerability.

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

I was instantly enchanted by track 1's delicate guitar riffs and soprano vocalizations in the bridge. I love the instrumentation throughout the album: it's restrained and not overwhelming, delivering just what it needs. Tracks 5 and 6 provide a touch of levity, but where this album shines for me is in the ballads -- profound and vulnerable. Tracks that stood out to me upon 1st listen: 1 - TC and Honeybear; 3 - Where Dreams Go to Die (I cried); 7 - It's Easier; 10 - Caramel; 11 - Leopard and Lamb; 12 - Queen of Denmark Would I revisit this album? I want to say yes because it's genuinely beautiful but I don't think I can handle the second-hand heartbreak again anytime soon. It'll be in the back of my mind though.

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

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

This one is good! No song sounds like the other; the lyrics are oftentimes hilariously funny. This is a great find. 4/5

Based on Spotify stats, this is quite the hidden gem. It has the full feel of a singular artistic mind perfecting his craft. Witty, albeit sometimes non-sensical lyrics, a sometimes haunting sometimes upbeat fun music track come together to put in a nice package. I recommend reading up on John Grant's background to get a better understanding of the music he is going for. Not sure if I will ever come back to this, but it gets two thumbs up from me.

Great instrumental interplay in this album (see: acoustic guitar+piano+strings in Marz). The smooth, light harmonising in many of the choruses also makes for some great easy-listening. The harmonies and melodies are generally strong and enjoyable. That being said, nothing in this album blew me away or demonstrated some idea I'd never seen before (apart from possibly the quirky lyrics). The track "JC Hates Faggots" is pretty on-the-nose with its lyrics - just a fair warning. Sixteen incredibly solid tracks well worth a re-listen, but nothing outstanding. Key tracks: TC & Honeybear, Marz, It's Easier, Outer Space Huh tracks: That's The Good News, Supernatural Defibrillator, What Time?

Really good. Love me some John Grant. His lyrics are unique and his voice has a really rich quality to it.

Well crafted and unique, but not my vibe.

Quite similar to a couple of latest albums, in a sense that there is nothing innovative or particularly interesting going on. Its just an album of songs, which have something in common. In this case, it is awful lyricism and bad flow/pacing, like he needed to do 1-2 more revisions of the songs but decided to ship it like that. The song where John feels he is allowed to say various offensive slurs because as a gay man he has been wronged by religion and his upbringing is an interesting one. And not in a good way. This was recorded in a studio, with dozens of people participating in it, and not a single one said "hey John, maybe lets not do this one"? Instrumentals are decent enough and I didnt particularly dislike the album. Significant albums 13/34. Albums I liked 7/34. Albums I have added to my library 1/34. Not significant, didnt like, didnt add.

i liked this album! Like keane but in the 80s.

Wow. Never heard this artist. Fun, spooky, simple, nice

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

I was put off by the album art at first. That one review was right about this sounding like Bo Burnham, it’s like his style but way more serious. The songs here are great as well, the melodic piano bits are awesome. Love the sound here! Pretty good.

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

Man, I've got better ways to spend a Saturday than listening to this.

Did a child write these songs? Those were the stupidest lyrics I think Ive ever heard. This is bad music.

Sometimes I wonder how some of these albums make this list.

I quite like this album. Will probably give it another listen…

Pretty good. I was skeptical but I think it deserves another listen.

Pretty bland Gen X adult contemporary. Had it on as background music in the morning. Wasn’t good, wasn’t bad. Then “JC Hates Faggots” came on…

Very surprised by this album. Goes to show you can't judge an album by its cover. Very lou Reed meets David bowie.

Whoa, this was so good. Never heard of John Grant before, but I love his vocals and his honest writing. Going into the regular rotation.

Lyrics and delivery - 10/10! Chilled and ethereal - but with a sense of humour.

I found this quirky and fun, but my goodness his voice stole the show. What a voice. This was a great album.

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

yee. pretty funny too.

Blev golvad av det här. Otrolig röst ju. Titelspåret är nåt i hästväg

I'll admit, I was maybe too eager to judge a book by it's cover here. I didn't know what to expect at first glance, but what I got was an intimate, funny, lyrical, and somewhat theatrical album that has zero issues holding my attention. Some of the songs get a little goofier than I expected, but it would still quickly find it's way into my collection (if I had one). Highlight: Where Dreams Go To Die Lowlight: Marz Surprise Hit: Silver Platter Club

I was previously familiar with John Gran and a fan of Midlake, but I didn't realize they collaborated on. I still don't particularly care for the way Grant often layers his vocals, but these are strong songs with clever lyrics.

Can’t stand this or Father John Misty which a lot of commentators compares to. It’s like a terrible time capsule to the sloppiest of beatles/Nilsson/Billy Joel songs, with the added spice of more explicit lyrics. If you think the last 50 years of music was a mistake, and just want some sassyness added to your silly pop songs of 1973, this might be for you.

Hate

Was alright but lost interest in the second half Music for being bored

This was good. I knew I liked a few songs on it already, and everything else was solid. There's some cool themes present in the album that are interesting to see. I might look into some of his other stuff. My favourite songs were Jesus Hates Faggots and Caramel.

Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would and it ended up being a 4-star album for me. I have to say that, unlike other reviewers, I thought the last third was a dip in quality and became a bit more generic.

I thought it was boring at first, but then it grew on me as I went along. Particularly chicken bones and queen of Denmark.

great voice and subject matter took me by surprise and very funny. will need a few relistens

Sounds very derivative

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

Bit artsy and didn’t grab my attention at all

New record for me and this was really good. I love the music, the vocals and especially the lyrics. Great spectrum of emotions laid out in his music.

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

Took me a minute to click with this. Around "Sigourney Weaver", I got into it and started getting his humor. Really ended up enjoying it.

Surprising album. It’s very funny, not in a joke album way but I still laughed a few times. I also like his voice. A few of the songs in the middle got a little same-same but overall I really enjoyed it.

Rufus Wainwright en dépression

tout a été dit

Musically interesting, lyrics were just all over the place

Never heard of this guy before - or the Czars either. The Album cover doesn't do the album any good. The cover sucks, the music inside is amazing. Smart, thought provoking lyrics. Truly wonderful. Such a smooth voice, I can listen to him forever. His style gives me Alan Parson's Project vibes - and I love the APP. Standouts: Jesus Hates Faggots, Marz, It's Easier, Queen of Denmark Others: TC and the Honeybear, Where Dreams Go to Die, Sigourney Weaver, Chicken Bones, Silver Platter Club, Outer Space, Caramel, 4/5

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

I’ve never heard of him before. On the first listen-thru, I immediately liked 2/3 of the songs on the album. On the subsequent re-listen, I liked the other 1/3. Poignant, witty, subversive, catchy, wounded. I needed this album many times in my life. Funny to find that it was recorded the year in my life that I needed it the most, but now I’ve found it, 13yrs later.

Boooooring

Did people forget how to make albums in the 2010s? This starts well, very post-Scissor Sisters, but with a unique folkiness and sense of humour. But after 40 minutes it runs out of steam and becomes such a drag.

Heard before: some I'm so hesitant to give records I haven't heard before a "5". But this has been on my radar since I heard Sinead's fantastic cover of the title track. And these are some of the best songs I've heard in quite some time. He has such a specific and beautiful voice, both as a writer and a singer. At various times, he is direct, evasive, dismissive, warm, hilarious, hopeful, pissed - but it always feels lived and honest, with a healthy dose of fuck off and let me live me life. Even in a song called "Jc Hates Faggots", he's able to go deeper than just an obvious angry/hurt song about religion and bigotry; it explores why the two go hand in hand so well, the resulting pain but also the relief that it gives the bigot. And the lyrics also made me laugh out loud more than once. Remarkable, and not even one of my top three. Really excited to explore more by him. Top tracks: Queen of Denmark, Where Dreams Go To Die, Sigourney Weaver

The chorus in Where Dreams Go To Die gave me goosebumps. Ez 5 star song. First half is better but I’ll check this out again soon. Ez 4.5.

Good message in a few of the songs

Very solid, entertaining lyrics

Depressive breakup, everything sucks, no filter, fuck off vibe. "When you talk to me I vomit inside" ahahaahaha so petty... Some tunes I really enjoyed, "Chicken Bones", "Silver Platter Club", "Queen of Denmark". Liked the use of trumpets.

Ok

Ok

A bit too kitsch for me

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

Quite liked this and surprised it has passed me by in the early 2010s. Mixed pop, folk and Country sounds. Lyrics I thought were interesting and quite humorous at times. Will probably listen again

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

actually pretty good

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.

It was wonderful

TC & Honeybear // Marz // Where The Dreams Go To Die // Chicken Bones // Silver Platter Club // JCHF // Caramel // Queen of Denmark // 4-4.5/5

Very enjoyable listen, could imagine this reworked into a future pop musical

Very John Cale, but not as good

This is not my jam. I was mostly indifferent to this record.

OK. He has a definite inclination for 70s & 80s soft and synth pop.

No

The album was indie music. It was not particularly good and I do not find myself revisiting the album at all. Some of the lyrics were humorous but then there was a song that was just full of slurs which made no sense.

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.

It gets more out there as it goes on, and I like it more the further out there it gets. A very witty, well put together album with gorgeous layers and lots to find within it. I'd never bothered with John Grant before, but I'll definitely do more now I've heard this. Feels like a grower.

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.

Oh I liked this a lot. Great baroque pop music and arrangements. Excellent sometimes hilarious lyrics. Voice sounds similar to Josh Ritter. A very nice find 4 stars

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Not so much at the start but the end was quite weird & charming Favourite song: Track 10 - Jc hates *******

hell nah

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

That was fucking great.

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.

This is a bit odd. Cool in places, the title track in particular, but jarring in others (if you have a track titled JC Hates Faggots, you know you're not getting subtlety). That lack of subtlety takes something away from this - he's borrowing a lot from other artists and genres but not really doing anything other than making inferior versions of the music (the Kraftwerk pastiche in particular sounds like a lazy coverband). 2/5, has a lot of potential but doesn't live up to it.

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

Christ, I really hated this. Sounds like Billy Joel doing a Bowie impression. Derivative crap that was forgotten for a reason. “Marz” is one of the worst songs I’ve heard in a long time. Imagine being influenced by Savoy Truffle but ending up with a song that sounds like a slowed down Porcupine Pie… “Golden champagne, juicy grapefruit, lucky monday High school, football, hot fudge, buffalo, tulip Sunday” 🤮

This album runs on “guy who loves the Beatles” energy, which doesn’t really grab me at all. It’s not like it’s BAD, it’s just pretty well-treaded territory and not particularly interesting or engaging to me. Usually an album like this is very lyrics-first but those weren’t even super interesting (except releasing a flurry of slurs towards the end). Def in the 2 star range, which for me is “not going to ever seek it out but I’m not going out of my way to turn it off if it’s playing somewhere”

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.

What an incredibly unique album. Musically, I'm not even sure how to classify this. It is definitely in the indie vein, but has strong influences of synthpop, and college rock as well. Lyrically, John Grant is sardonic, occasionally earnest, and tackles difficult issues with humor and exasperation. This is one of those album that has really stuck with me. I've listened to it three times today already and I imagine it will be in heavy rotation in the future.

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.

Prefer to listen to the Czars - even thought they never fully delivered on their albums, they had some absolute stand-out songs and John Grant is probably the best singer of the 90s. Grant's solo albums sound different, and I liked his vocals more on the Czars records, but Queen of Denmark contains enough high-quality material for a 4-star rating.

Overall, I liked this album quite a bit. Grant has a very nice voice, combining well with the dreamy music and production. Most of the songs are strong and fit well together, but some of the later tracks change the overall tone of the album and perhaps could have been left out. Also, the lyrics feel rather clunky to me, though that might be a deliberate style of the artist.

Moving and very well delivered songs. Just not 5 stars because there are a couple of mishits.

This went from boring to weird to boring again.

Not terrible, not exciting either

For some reason the last 4 songs suddenly became fun

Has some good songs, reminds me of Rufus Wainwright at times. Becomes boring a bit too soon tough, the small fun interlude at the end is not enough counterweight.

I found this quite bland and monotonous. In the strict sense of the word: once you hear one Grant melody, I feel like I've heard them all. And the weird vocal treatments emphasise rather than distract from this. Chuck in that I don't generally like ballads, and there wasn't much here to pique my interest. MOR for millennials.

Christ, this was bloody awful. It meant absolutely nothing to me. I came close to bailing after the female warbling over the top of the first track. It's a whimsical album, bed wetting itself over 70's slush pop. Is this really one of the top 1,001 albums to listen to? I finally lost the will after the third track and departed. Bloody awful shit.

Not bad, not great. Incoherent. It wouldn't be on my version of the list. Favorite song: supernatural defibrillator.

Sounds all the same, not much difference between the songs on this album. Jc hates faggots was just an awful song, so unnecessary to use all those slurs.

it was meh

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.

Actually really interesting. John Grant's voice is all over the place on this record and it ends up sounding very different depending on the track, but all very honest in a way.

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.

Much better than I was expecting. I think I'd probably have to listen to it a couple more times if I wanted to make a proper judgement, but in the meantime 4.

Similar to Father John Misty and the like, but just not nearly as good.

Nice tracks,good voice would listen more sometime

finely produced, maybe a little airless, so so sad

Indie inofensivo. Próximo, por favor.

Kinda like he was just talking for large parts of the album? Generally a little odd but nothing really off-putting either. 2.5

Quite nice.

My friend Jim said he thought I’d love this so it gives me no pleasure at all to report that I thought it was absolutely fantastic

Very good

Weird

I didn’t like it.

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

Alternative music in this time period sure was moody and depressing. It's well put together, but not for me.

Wow, what a ride. Just gonna give it 4 Stars so i will listen to it again

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.

This album gave me a feeling that I was listening to less outwardly comedic versions of songs from Bo Burnham's "Inside", in a good way. A very interesting album. I expected just a standard folk/downtempo indie album, but I was pleasantly surprised with some less-common instruments than I expected (flute, thumb piano (?), synths, and more). Some very odd lyrics in some tracks that felt like it was trying a bit hard to be *too* abstract or verbose. But overall, a fine time and interesting listen. One or two standouts I'd listen to again.

I actually went into this not interested at all, had my folk-rock fill with the Travis album I got yesterday, but I actually really enjoyed this. The music is very pretty, and the lyrics are never too seriously. It actually reminds me of Ben Folds (which makes me wonder where he is on this list) but gay. Really good, goes on a bit long, but most of these songs are very nice and a good mix of earnest and silly. Those last four songs are spectacular.

Didnt listen to this tbh

Another interesting album I had never heard before. It is a great blend of folk and rock.

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

Me sonaba Marz. Me ha gustado mucho. Indie folksoft rock.

Pretty good, one of the most recent albums I've had. Like sufjan Stevens but slightly less depressed, but only slightly. Kind of like walking through a weird amusing tourist trap and I have no idea why 16/06/23

Some good songs

Beautifully written songs well sung.

Low 4

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.

I agree with Charlie completely on this— a surprise album that has lots of family resemblance to a writing style that quickly got canonized in Father John Misty, Jonathan Coulton, etc— and one which I still can see writers today using liberally— this deadpan, literal, referential style which never leaves character. Feels like it’s 50% of the way to being a Lonely Island song, but it stops short of cracking a smile. I’m lukewarm to that kind of thing generally, but this writing feels less abrasive and more truly depressed than those other examples. And it’s just pleasant to listen to. I’m happy I got introduced to this, absolutely. I remember Midlake! They did a serviceable job, nothing exceptional. I’m glad this exists, 3/5

Oh wat een ontdekking. Misschien wat te lang maar zeker wat nummers die ik nog ga luisteren.

Die titel pakt men aandacht direct. Heel mooi album. Beluister ik graag nog eens

Really enjoyable album. Like Mika wrote lyrics for Bowie

An unknown to me, but great

Yeah enjoyed, not as good as the one with owl eyes. His music sounds like a melancholic elton John

Great album, grew on me more and more

A phenomenal album. I just love this one because of its bitchy lyrics, its range of musical style, its electronic bits and its harmonic bits.

I hadn't listened to John Grant nor this album until a month or so ago. I've enjoyed listening a few times, it's good, but I don't seem to have the same affection that many of my friends have for it.

It's easy listening, not bad

pretty damn close to a 5 star album. didn’t love the second half as much as the first which is why it’s a 4. through this website and this guy and elliott smith i’ve learned to appreciate the slower, male solo work more

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - you can throw the world's worst indie album at me and I'd still probably give it at least a 3/5. I'm enamored by gay indie records and I don't know why. John Grant has put a spell on me with his fabulous gayness and now my hand is forced to give this a 4/5 else I suffer the horrible fate of being deported to Denmark in a steel box. My favorite song was the one I can't say the name of. Also the piano melody from "Marz" is very familiar. I thought it was "Bloody Tears" from Castlevania, but nah. I'm 99% sure I've heard something that's note-for-note identical.

That sucked

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

boff, c'est tellement weirdo, je suis vraiment dansune mauvaise passe d'album et on dirait que cela écope un peu à cause des autres. Il y de la bonne musicalité mais le paroles et les style de chansons... 2.90

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.

Too slow and uninteresting for my tastes.

I love John Grant. This has a few songs on that I first heard in the movie Weekend and was stunned when I did. His voice is so rich and sad. So many layers of feeling. Just glad to listen again.

An incredible mix of anger, humor, love, and rage. Not an every day listen for me, but great to hear.

Was unfamiliar but I mostly enjoyed it.

This is probably one of the most varied, strange and mysterious albums I've had on the list so far. I'd never heard of John Grant before this, and on the first few songs I wasn't sure if I was much going to like the album. However, as the album progressed, I started to listen more, pay more attention to the lyrics. Some of it was haunting, some of it was oddly humorous, some of it was just so painfully real, but the lyricism was undeniably amazing throughout. It goes from folk to rock to synth-pop to straight up bizarre and back again. Full of experimentation and expression while channelling artists like Bowie and Pink Floyd, this album really surprised me by the end of it. It went from something I initially expected to dislike, into something I found really beautiful. A great record. Favourite: Sigourney Weaver

a new fan - will definitely continue to listen.

I don't know, it's not bad but the first couple of songs all sound alike. Rest of the album did not get better so didn't really get into it. 2/5

This was such a beautiful and pleasant surprise and I couldn't have said it any better... some days just chicken bones. Ready to go down a John Grant rabbit hole after this!

I like this. It's an enjoyable album. But I'm not sure why it would be in the "1001 Albums" book. It's good, but not great. I like the sound., but it's fairly average really. I doubt that I will remember this artist.

Wonderful, quirky, and intelligent.

TC and Honeybear and Queen of Denmark both sounded great on listen #1 which is very rare

Derivative

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.

I found this simultaneously touching and weird a bunch of times. Chicken Bones, Silver Platter Club, God Hates Fs, really unique and keepers. Might need a real special mood for Carmel. Diverse moods, instruments, and topics. Really interesting throughout.

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.

I was so excited to see "soft rock" given as a genre of this album on Wikipedia, since I don't think I've seen it applied to anything after 1983. It certainly fits this in a 21st century way with its flutes and guitars and pianos and John Grant's smooth, lovely voice. Oh, and it's so much more! Such deep emotions mixed with the most delicious and humorous references. It's the most wonderful thing to laugh while a tear falls, 'cause you can relate, and that happened more than once listening to this one. "I wanted to change the world, but I could not even change my underwear," for example, is a line that is just too horribly and wonderfully relatable. I love this album so much.

This is a new one for me, and I liked it. There is a beauty and brightness to the melodies and harmonies that was very appealing to my ears. The lyrics were interesting and kind of quirky, which I also dug. I am pleased to have met John Grant today!

Goodness Gracious. I cried and laughed out loud. Outstanding. Truly outstanding.

I very much enjoyed Midlake’s “Trials of Van Occupanther” album when it was released in 2006, so I was interested when I read they were the band for this John Grant album. Hadn’t hear of The Czars or John Grant, but his story seems pretty interesting. This did not disappoint. They music is lovely. The songs hard-hitting. It’s quite a combination. I’m listening to a gorgeously arranged musical selection and realize the chorus is singing “Baby, you’re where dreams go to die. I regret the day your lovely carcass caught my eye.” This album is filled with incredible lyrics: “I need a mongoose baby and some Calgon to take me up outta here.” “I feel just like Winona Ryder in that movie about vampires and she couldn’t get the accent right; and neither could that other guy.” “I wish I had the brain of a tyrannosaurus rex so I wouldn’t have to deal with all this crap.” This is a unique and beautiful album that gave me laughs, jolts and tears and I’m here for it.

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.

Good listening. Almost folk-like and funny. Catchy without any one major standout. 4/5

Eh.

Grant's bracingly familiar, largely but not exclusively a Ziggy Stardust figure turned inside out. The musical tour is through plenty of available decades of recorded music, but the album's also unified and personal. Unified around the person, totally capturing, with strange references.

Love this

Very eclectic, took one or two songs to get into but as the album went on I enjoyed it more.

There were a few songs on this that I thought were great. Like really really great The rest was a steaming pile of horse don't-don't.

I'd never heard of this guy. The first 3/4 of this album I thought was quite amazing. Loved the drums and melodies. Last few songs were more, meh.

Tuesday 14th March. Bit cloudy in Florence today. I go to duomo today, climbing and gardens.

Seeing the album come up on my list, I was surprised to find an offering that I'd never heard of before. The first track was god musically, but I was surprised by the casual vocals and vague story. And that was about as good as the record got. Each track seemed like Grant roughed out his lyrics as he wrote, but never got any further. Like Ryan Adams' Gold the other day, I couldn't believe this made the list. Attempts at wit fell flat or were just puerile - not everyone can be Sparks. In the end I'm glad to have heard the album - often, we musicians overthink our writing and self-edit because it's not good enough. Apparently, some artists can just wing it and have their albums recommended as "must listen". I don't know anything about the rest of Grant's catalogue, but I'll pass.

so and so

I mean jesus christ. Why is this in the list. It sounds like someone took a 17 year oldest first attempt at poetry and set it to the most generic background music possible. One of the songs is just a white guy saying slurs but it's "ironic and about jesus" or whatever so its fine. If I could give this less than 1 star I would

Pretty good. New experience for me and i enjoyed it

Está bien, no lo escuché todo. Musica bien lograda y tranquila, pero las letras no me gustaron mucho.

Really good. I loved the instrumentals.

Just not my style

I've already listened 4 times 5/5

amazing, spectacular, beautiful. 5/5

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

Inventive, interesting. Disarmingly simple in execution. Novel without being overly quaint or precious. “Sogourney Weaver” is my new favorite song.

Great album that sounds like it was made in the 70s. Very nice songs.

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

beautiful, hilarious, heart wrenching, honest. the first i’ve heard of John Grant and this is now on my deserted island list. loved every second.

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

Er zijn maar weinig bands die vallen onder de noem 'folk' die mij kunnen bekoren en John Grant is er daar niet één van.

Heel divers. Soms erg goed, maar soms ook echt niet om aan te horen.

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.

Dit lijkt op van alles.

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

Me sonaba Marz. Me ha gustado mucho. Indie folksoft rock.

HL: "Marz", "Where Dreams Go To Die", "Silver Platter Club", "Sigourney Weaver", "Jesus Hates F******", & the title track Yeah some of the lyrics are distracting & a little corny, but when dressed in such stellar & intricate pop rock, I can overlook it. Because there are *many* 70's albums, and few albums from the 2010s in the book, having "Queen of Denmark" represent the later decade when it has so much more in common with the earlier one (shades of John Cale/Harry Nilsson/some "Wish You Were Here" synths) is a choice. But good luck finding an album from the 70s that deals with sexuality & anxiety so frankly. February 14, 2023

I went from thinking this was fine, to bad, to quite good. It grew on me once I settled into the vibe. Love the brutally honest lyrics and clean sound.

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

Nice musicality but not for me. Just kind of drags on and on and on and… On

LOVED it.

I've never listened to this one before. I remember the cover for Boy from Michigan being quite striking when it came out, but I don't recall whether I listened to it or only previewed a few tracks and decided not to. Either way, going into this fairly blind and unfamiliar other than that blip. The first half of the first song gives me big FJM vibes. Not just the Honeybear aspect. It felt almost like three songs by the end. The beginning of the second song is still giving me FJM vibes... "Chicken Bones" is awesome! Goddamn, "Jesus Hates Faggots" is a visceral tune. It's deeply evident that this is an album that will reward multiple listens. I'm quite taken with it and looking forward to going into those further listens to see where this shakes out in the long run. This one comes in for me at a very strong 4, likely to creep up to a 4.5 or higher with future listens.

Excellent mix of meaningful lyrics and irony. Great ballad like songs

Superb album. Full of singalongable tunes. I will probably put this into some kind of regular rotation

Wow! He just puts it out there. All this catharsis sung with a beautiful voice and great backing. JC Hates Faggots is the most unsubtle song I've ever heard. Then he follows it up with a straightforward love song which is then succeeded by a late night, whiskey-soaked break-up song.

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

Det här känns definitivt som ett 2010 album Millennial stund Några trevliga melodier dock mellan 1 och 2

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

Robert har så dålig smak dude... den hä killen verkar ha haft de rätt svårt o ja vill int dumpa på de men de hä va legit så mediokert... musiken va ofta kinda ointressant o lyricsen kändes som tonårsdikt. Helt för långt också. Ändå int så dåligt att det förtjänar en etta

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

eh

Wow! I had never even heard of this album until it popped up in the generator and I was blown away. John Grant is a man of enormous vocal talent and his voice carries this album through songs that are serious, silly, personal, and preposterous. I wish I had found this album sooner. It would have been on steady rotation for a decade.

Ended up listening through this twice. Felt pretty neutral at first but kept getting into it more and more. Great album. His sense of humor is dry and jives well with mine. The songwriting and the instrumentals reminded me of James Taylor, though not the lyrics, especially on It's Easier.

Jag har helt missat The Czars men anar att jag verkligen missat något. Mot alla odds känns det varken pretentiöst eller segdraget, utan ystert, naturligt och begåvat. Heja!

Njae.

meh was okay some good bits kinda weird

Great music, wistful songwriting. What a gem.

Ma cos'è? È ironico?

This album was so bland and empty. The music wasn’t terrible, but I couldn’t wait for last song to finish. It never evoked any emotion from me. Felt lifeless. 1.

Never heard of this artist or album, first song is epic! Has a Pink Floyd feel but with less of the experimentation, more of the straightforward parts of PF. Second track very Father John Misty type vibe, I like the ending. Song three, slow jam, I should listen to the lyrics more, I'm sure they're saying something. Song four, seriously this is Pink John Misty, with a touch of Lynard Skynyrd? Song five, back to FJM, boom cussing! Kind of reminds me of Gordon Lightfoot vocally a little. Song six, some swinging ragtime business! Song seven, the FJM stuff is distracting. Song eight, it's like a song Bowie would write and throw out, then hear the arrangement and be like, nope, still don't like it! Song nine, title is WILD, odd synth but I kind of like it, feels like a personal song, a bummer subject and yet it's really upbeat, man goes hard on this, unexpected n-word! Song ten, piano is back, FJM is back, maybe more Anthony and The Johnsons, getting into that range, this sounds both new and familiar! Song eleven, sparse piano jam into a nice build, cool little song. Song twelve, same as the others! Overall I can't get past all the things that it sounds like, too distracting, that being said, never heard this album or artist but feels like I have heard every song on this before, except track nine, that's a wild one!

i like the writing on this album a ton. the instrumentation does get boring at some points but it still is fresh enough to where it's interesting. i hope this website keeps giving me more albums from lgbtq+ singer-songwriters i haven't heard of before because man, they are interesting.

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.

Why have I not heard this album before? I thought it was going to be another bedwetter with an acoustic guitar and a piano, but boy, was I fucking wrong. An absolutely beautiful album. The lyrics are incredible.

Ancestral father John misty

Not great. Bordering on odd.

dont know what to make of this. nice dark melodies, but plays like a medieval larping soundtrack. did not like his singing.

What a great surprise at the end of the year... I really liked the songs! I didn't know the artist, and it stayed with me all weekend.

3.75

so this is the first album ive had to review that's been a complete new experience. hadn't heard of this guy, or this album, or any of these tracks. nothing, nowt. blank slate. was quite exciting! my immediate observation? WOW this dude has an absolutely beautiful voice. i really love this kind of music. really instrumental and emotive music. so evocative. this is exactly my vibe. i've listened to it once so far but i know for a fact i will be returning to this album, and also checking out this dude's other shit too. both his solo and also the czars. my holiday plans got half ruined this year. we were supposed to visit my parents for the second half of the holiday. but they got covid - pretty badly too - and we had to bin that off. so that was the backdrop for this listen - sitting on a train that should have been taking me to my family but instead was taking me home. looking out the window and seeing shit fly by. ngl it was cathartic to listen to something so melancholy. made me feel a bit better. 4/5, would absolutely come back to listen again fave track: marz. already gone back and listened to it a bunch of times by itself. favourite lyrics: "i feel just like winona ryder in that movie about vampires. she just couldn't get that accent right and neither could the other guy" lmao, rip keanu reeves

Kind of interesting but absolutely no need for it to be on this list. Father John Misty vibe to it.

When I saw the cover of this album I thought it’d be fucking terrible. In reality, this is the kind of white boi meta soul Father John Misty thinks he’s making: genuinely vulnerable, self-aware and funny.

Love the piano. Really dynamic and a lot of interesting bits

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

Awful album. An occasionally interesting hook, but didn't enjoy the vast majority of this album.

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

Big John Grant fan Like the sharper edges of Pale Green Ghosts … but great tunes on this You’ll be singing chicken bones out loud in the supermarket …

Very cool!

14th December 2022 Listened throughout the day on a busy work day. Haircut and baking in the evening. Loved this. Raw emotion, personal, Bowie-esque at times. Beautiful album.

Brilliant. Great lyrics, funny, wry.

Very melancholic

Not bad,

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