Psychocandy

One of the few bands to keep me interested into the second half of the eighties. This is uncompromising and best listened to LOUD.

I get what they were doing and its more accessible than it was when it 1st came out, but its fatiguing

My ears! They bleed! Seriously, what is with the super harsh noise on every song?? It's obnoxious.

This was great, a sort of timeless, but of it's time sound

3 Solid goth pop. Vibey, atmospheric, a hint of shoegaze to come. Very listenable.

Pretty, sexy distortion. Yet so cool that it keeps a distance.

52/100. While I found it good in parts, this record was just a bit too noisy for my personal taste. The screeching and walls of white noise were overwhelming at times.

I respect the sound, but for me the songs blended together too much. The intense distortion and monotone vocals got old for me after awhile.

The Reed Brothers' debut is often considered their best to this day. They channeled influences from industrial and noise bands like Einsturzende Neubauten and The Velvet Underground into a shoegazy tribute to the 60s. In doing so, they carried the torch from New York band Suicide but made it a lot more accessible. Having had decades of cult status, the Jesus and Mary Chain got a revived shot of popularity when the stand out track "Just Like Honey" was featured on the soundtrack to Lost in Translation. It did for me anyway as it was the point when I realized I'd been sleeping on this great album.

mmmm this is some pretty well done noise, first time knowingly hearing this band but I’ve definitely heard that first song before. Definitely see this as an inspiration for all sorts of shoegaze

Better than expected

Good for a debut album but ultimately I enjoy how their sound evolves in the future.

Not my fav so far by these guys but I love the vibes here and I can see how many of my favorite bands are influenced by them

I yearn for an album that’s shorter than an hour and actually tries to be music

it's nice. i'm sure if I paid more attention to it, I'd pick out the subtleties. but as I'm working its kind of a wash of sound. I think i owuld probably like it if I mellowed out and paid attention to it. on a road trip i think i'd fall asleep. after I finished psycho candy, a track from JAMC from Automatic came on and it was night and day. vocals more up front in the mix, faster tempo, more prominant beat and guitar.

Sometimes debut albums are the best thing a group's ever done, and sometimes they're foundations for what follows. To me, Psycho Candy is the latter. The JAMC sound is here, but I think they found themselves later. I enjoyed this and particularly liked "The Hardest Walk," though it sounds same-y after a while.

Solid enough but a bit one dimensional and dreary in places

A huge influence on both noise pop and shoegaze, and still better than most albums in those genres. The most immediately striking thing about the album is the noise slathered across its tracks, which can both give the songs an edge and wrap the listener in a fuzzy blanket on tracks like the standout "Just Like Honey." But what really makes this work is its pop sensibility. Without the noise these songs could almost be pop songs from the 60s - "Never Understand" sounds almost like early Beach Boys! And "Cut Dead" shows the melodies are lovely and work even without the noise. There's not a lot of variety in sound or songwriting here, but I think it works to the album's benefit. I'm not a big fan of less structured shoegaze, and the short rhythmic songs keep this from meandering. And it's short enough that it's over before the formula wears thin.

Enjoyed.

I like it. Not as much as other JAMC albums but I get this was their debut and everyone says the first album is the best. I like the noise, I like the raw emotion in the music, too bad the singing is monotone and occasionally changes pitch. Ground-breaking? No. Essential to hear before I die? Sure 3.25 / 5 stars

the first track obviously stands above, but was surprised at the release date being 1985, wasn't a bad listen at all.

9/10 The combo of great tunes with noise is almost always great and rarely grates. Bonus star for being one of the 5 semibal albums of my uni years.

gillar, väldigt mycket känsla. de lutar sig in i det fula och kaotiska och ber inte om ursäkt. jag gillar verkligen soundet. saknar lite tydlighet i vision så velar mellan 3 o 4

Jag förstår att det är inflytande, men varken genren den skapade eller influerade tycker jag om. Vill typ aldrig lyssna på igen, finns de hookar så är de begravda under ljud och sångaren håller på att somna

7/10 Favourite: Just Like Honey Least Favourite: Cut Dead

Pretty fuzzy for 1985. I liked the rest of the album better than the big hit, which I always found to be a snooze, but it still gets pretty tedious.

Id like this more if the tunes were less repetitive.

I've never been a big fan of The Jesus and Mary Chain. This starts very well but then loses it somewhere.

Ok

I was only half listening to this, and glad it was over speakers and not headphones. I didn’t mind some the songs, minus all the distortion, but even then it was just ok. I can think of several people in high school who would have dug this, but I wasn’t even in the same realm of music as this in 1985.

A very unique sound that I wasn’t expecting. Several of the tracks seemed to purposefully distort the instruments while the vocals were deliberately tuned to sound as if they were singing into a tin can. This edgy style carried throughout the album. It wasn’t a bad effect, but I wasn’t really into it. Middle of the road for me; I could take it or leave it just the same.

This is the soundtrack to the perfect unreleased 1980s movie. It has both kinds of 80s movie songs: 1) the kind that plays in the background while the girl, a social misfit who would be cute if she styled her hair differently, who had her heart broken cries alone in her room and 2) the kind that plays in the background while the bad boy drives around in his car after breaking something, like a window or a guy’s arm or that misfit girl’s heart. There’s also some bonus tracks for when the bad boy drops into a bar to drink his troubles away and a shitty band is playing some indecipherable song in the background included at the end of the album. God, this would be a great 80s movie. Too bad it’s just a terrible album.

All the gripes about two banging Elvis Costelo albums has brought the wrath of the 1001 album gods upon us. I feel like the one guy in Sodom that was reading a book in the corner when the fire and brimstone started raining down. Not a fan of depressing, err I mean introspective, goth. Some of the more palatable songs sounded like the Romones on Prozac with guitar feedback, which I think they added just to jar people awake. Don't like the album, but respect the impact they had on the genre.

cool rock pendant ma balade dans paris

Rock music deconstructed to its most basic elements and drenched in fuzz is very much a good thing in my book. I had never listened to them before but will definitely investigate further and can clearly see where later bands like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club took their cue.

A welcome inclusion on the list and a nice one to revisit after a while. There are good melodies, it is well structured, with its standout tracks well spaced out, and its run time is about right given that it doesn’t have a huge amount of variation. I have always enjoyed how the guitar sound is both dirty and clear at the same time.

As a complete aside, I went down a rabbit hole about ‘be my baby’ by the ronettes and how Brian Wilson tried for years to replicate that sound after listening to the first few drum beats of ‘just like honey’ because they are uncannily similar. Psychocandy is a brilliant wash of sound but I felt like the rest of the album just never hit the height of that first track. Huge influences on shoegaze and post punk to follow I’m sure though.

Quite grunge, it's not bad but I think I got a little bored through this.

Going into Psychocandy, I hadn’t listened to much of The Jesus and Mary Chain before, so their debut album felt like the perfect place to start. I was expecting a much heavier, harder sound than what I actually got. The album is drenched in feedback and distortion—sometimes to the point where it becomes overwhelming and difficult to get through. You often find yourself turning it down just to give your ears a break. But underneath all that noise, there’s the foundation of early indie rock, and on certain tracks you can hear genuinely good songwriting trying to break through. I went on a bit of a journey with this album. The opening few tracks are full of promise, and I really enjoyed them. But around the midpoint, the distortion starts to dominate, and by the end I just wanted it to be over. That said, you can clearly hear how Psychocandy influenced bands like Primal Scream and The Charlatans—the DNA of that sound is right here. Favourite track: Just Like Honey and The Living End – both great songs and a strong start to the album. Least favourite track: Later songs like My Little Underground and You Trip Me Up are swamped by distortion and feedback, which really take away from the music. Album artwork: A cool and iconic cover.

Kind of trash

This was a really rough listen. I'm trying to see some of the good here, because there are good songs here, but they're buried under a wall of noise comprised of half distortion/fuzz tones that are cranked way too high, and half feedback.

You can see where the Stone Roses got inspired and overall it's good but I wouldn't choose to put this on regularly.

A little over-the-top with distortion, but some good melodies, so three stars.

Pre: heard a few songs on radio bit that's it Post: liked it at times but was too much for the work shift I was having, over all to chaotic and noisey industrial rock with echo and the bunny man flavour

These guys should’ve gotten paid overtime for working so hard to keep punk alive this far into the 80s. They could’ve used the extra cash to buy new speakers to replace all those they ruined with the over-the-top reverb and distortion that makes so many of these otherwise cool songs unlistenable.

this was awful, it sounded like it had been recorded in a tool shop. Pity because at times through the pain I thought I heard pretty decent guitar. Im not buying that people actually like it.

I used to frequent a rock club which only had regulars, and a few of them loved The Jesus and Mary Chain, so I was excited to hear this. That sharply changed. So much reverb noise, it sounded like the shower was running and I was in the next room trying to listen to a song, only to hear the chhhhhhhhh of running water. In a Hole reminded me of trying to tune into Channel 5 on the kitchen telly in the late 90s. Ahead of its time, maybe? More songs in, it feels like I've put in a full shift on a construction site. I can't believe this album is only 40 minutes long. I felt like it would be okay if it wasn't so intense. There's nothing wrong with the tunes themselves. But Jesus Christ, I've now got tinnitus. Might be worth keeping in mind in case I get yet another neighbour who blasts Adele on repeat.

Way too much distortion on nearly every track. It's like when I got my first Boss DS1, cranked the distortion knob wayyyy too far over, and had no idea how horrible it sounded.

80s showgaze is close to peak, great stuff

British punk

Alt rock. Good album

Fond memories. Saw them live in Liverpool '87. On for 15mins, smashed equipment and then on their way.

Som totalmente comprimido, sem nenhuma dinâmica, vocal “enterrado”, bateria sem profundidade… é uma descarga de guitarras zumbindo o tempo inteiro. Muito mal gravado/ mixado. Horrível! A estética deste tipo de som não me agrada.

Saai... krap drie kwartier lang gitaargekras met hetzelfde slappe tempo en dezelfde vlakke zeikstem. Gezien de nagels-over-een-schoolbord-achtige irritatiefactor van de gitaren, een hele dikke vette 1. Ga je moeder pesten.

Shoegaze met een hoop distortion. Het is weer eens wat anders... Het klinkt vaak of het in een schuur is opgenomen en de zang is weggedrukt. Als je meerdere keren checkt of je je geluid wel goed hebt ingesteld, is er toch iets mis met het album. Maar waarom checkte ik dat eigenlijk? De continue feedback-piep liet mij toch eigenlijk al weten dat het probleem niet bij mij lag.

We zijn halverwege de jaren '80, dus dan weet je wel ongeveer in welk hoekje(s) we dit moeten zoeken. De new wave is niet ver weg, maar ook de postpunk niet. Ze staan weer in een veel te grote fabriekshal of in een te kleine badkamer, waardoor het allemaal dof klinkt en met teveel galm. Ik snap niet zo goed waarom dit de trend was in die tijd. Dit was een van de grondleggers van de schoenenstaarmuziek en zoals zo vaak moet er aan die grondleggers nog tyfusveel gepolijst worden, voordat er wat moois uitkomt. Ik hoor onder die laag galm dat er best mooie liedjes in zouden kunnen zitten, maar de productie staat me simpelweg tegen. Doe me hier een moderne interpretatie van en ik zou het heel gaaf kunnen vinden denk ik. Voor nu vind ik het eigenlijk vrij kut.

🗯 Immersive, captivating, noisy, glorious, and influential as hell — like The Beach Boys shoved sideways through a jet engine. Psychocandy did more than bend the rules; it sandblasted them. The Reid brothers took ’60s pop melodies and rinsed them in distortion to the point of drowning, creating a sound both hostile and hypnotic. It’s feedback as philosophy — sweet harmonies hiding beneath pure chaos. It opens with Just Like Honey, one of the greatest album openers ever, and from there it’s a wall of fuzzed-out euphoria. The noise and melody fight for dominance, and somehow both win. This was punk growing up, shoegaze being born, and pop learning to get weird. Messy, romantic, and completely alive — the kind of record that sounds like it might fall apart any second, but never does. Verdict: Essential (feedback and feeling in perfect collision) For fans of: My Bloody Valentine, The Velvet Underground, Ride, dirty pop wrapped in reverb

Love the first song. The dissonance is a little much but glad I listened.

Fav album growing up

OK, now here's something very interesting. I only found out about this band quite recently, last year. Big influence on indie and shoegaze and funnily enough this album to me sounds almost like a mix between The Pixies and MBV. Had a listen on my way to work and enjoyed it. At least 3.5/5.0 after first listen, just like a honey, an album opener, instantly stood out. On a few more listens, "Never Understand" also stood out. I get how some people might see it as noise but after listening deeply you really get immersed into this experience, and it feels very special like some 60s pop rock band completely engulfed by this sea of well controlled and arranged noise - basically Velvet Underground/Sonic Youth + Beach Boys.

You have to listen to this at the correct volume - too low and the vocals are muddied and too loud the guitars overwhelm everything.

6/10…shoegaze / post punk

This album is so fucking good oh my god! It turns out all you need to make the dime a dozen melancholy rock of the 80s sound unbelievable is to add ungodly amounts of distortion. Some real genuinely beautiful music on here. Really looking forward to their other album on this list.

This is dope. Never knew of this group before. Grimy, noisy, grungy. The music is heavy and deep, bringing harmony to the vocals and completing the sound. It sounds like chaos, but organized chaos.

Moody, broody.

So forgettable 2/5

Era como entre The Smiths, y por ahi algo de The Cure. Hubieron como dos temas que me sonaban a melodias previamente conocidas

Too much noise for my liking. It had its moments though, and I liked “Sowing Seeds” and one or two other songs. Overall, not for me.

beautifully ugly very aesthetic it‘s not just music it‘s art

Noise pop som lagde grundlag for noise rock bølgen også - altså f.eks. sonic youth. Ydermere var det også første gang man hørte noget a la en iteration af shoegaze hvor de lægger lag på lag af guitar. handler klassisk om kærlighed, død, ungdom osv. Det har jo en meget mørk lyd, forestiller mig sådan en efterfest sent om natten som varer indtil morgenen, hvor folk tager hårde stoffer og hygger. sådan lidt ubehageligt men også spændende. støj feedback og distortion er det som karakteriserer noise poppen. shoegaze delen er som sagt det drømmende atmosfære. sådan lidt hazy også. JEg kan egentlig meget godt lide det, men det er også meget specielt og egner sig vel til noget specielle anledninger.

Feels dated, feels like honey is a classic though

Eh

Very solid stuff.

Probably was wild in '85

3.5 stars Surely the first noise pop album? The Reid brothers ran 60s girl group melodies through layers of reverb and screeching feedback, put it in a blender with Velvet Underground and Joy Division - and invented a new subgenre in the process. But more importantly (to me), they laid the groundwork for shoegaze, which would emerge in the coming years. I’ve been waiting for MBV’s Loveless to show up on this challenge, but Mary Chain is a welcome appetizer. I’ve never fully embraced this album (other than all-time classic Just Like Honey), and I think it’s because I can’t un-hear what came after it. I don’t like it as much as the bands they’ve influenced, some of which are my very favourites - MBV, Ride, Yo La Tengo, etc. This time I really tried to listen to it on its own merit and I have to say this album rules. I like this better than another highly influential band that was doing a similar thing around the same time - Sonic Youth. This album is noisy but it’s way more melodic. The formula of sweet pop song + waves of fuzzy noise is intoxicating. I do think the ratio of noise to pop is off on this album, and it’s why I like their successors much more. Other bands refined this sound in a way that I enjoy more, but I’m glad this album finally hit for me.

I think this album should be disqualified from this list, at least in it's current form. Maybe it's a me problem, but too many songs on this album had guitar distortion that was so high pitched and ear-piercing that I felt almost noxious while listening. I listened through once in headphones while in transit and the general noise around me softened the high pitch frequencies ... some tracks were still physically painful to listen to but it wasn't as bad as my second listen. During my second headphones listen alone in my silent apartment, it was unbearable at times. Without the street noise to soften it, I was in pain during several tracks. I felt sick. I had to switch to playing it out of a speaker to finish the album and even then there were tracks that bothered my ears. If I had a dog, it would have attacked my laptop and begged for the noise to stop. Do I have good hearing? Can i hear high end frequencies most people can't? I dunno. Or maybe it's an issue of modern playback being too good. Maybe in the 80s there wasn't as much high end in the playback so those ear piercing frequencies weren't there or were much softer. Maybe to their ears through the speakers at the time it was abrasive, but not painful. I gather the goal was to have very abrasive distortion and create this contrast between the slow soft pop songs and the hideous and abrasive guitar distortion. And in concept, that's a really cool idea. I love songs that do that normally. But in practice, at least in the version on spotify, it is borderline unlistenable for me. I'd be curious to hear it on vinyl though, i know there's a different vinyl mix for most albums (especially older ones like this one). The sad thing is, on the songs where there isn't this awful distortion, I really liked it. If there was an album of just those tracks, i'd probably give it a 3 or a 3.5. But the other half of the album gets a 1 from me because it's awful to listen to. I'd love to hear an acoustic version of this album or one that's been put through an EQ to remove those high pitched sounds. Hell, I could probably EQ the album myself in logic. Get some mp3s, run it through an EQ, cut those frequencies and export a better version... but right now I can't be bothered. So i walk away from this album conflicted, either it's an issue with the modern mixes of the album which would be disappointing but not the band's fault. Orrr this is exactly how it was intended to sound which pisses me off. If the second scenario is true, then this band can fuck right off. In the great words of Jeff Goldblum: “The Jesus and Mary Chain were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.” - 1 star (disqualified)

Super cool and like proto shoegaze in a way. I love the guy’s voice it sounds kinda like Westerberg tbh. Did not love the sound of the snare lol

It’s like listening to cool 90s alt rock but through the shittiest speakers ever. I don’t understand this level of distortion on melodic music. Rly don’t get it at all.

I’ve heard of The Jesus and Mary Chain but never gave them a deep listen. This was a welcome listen. I look forward to revisiting this album a little more and diving deeper into their catalog.

Groundbreaking album and so influential for so many bands to come!

4.29

lots of lovely and not lovely, but contexually lovely, noises

Wanted to enjoy this more as they are really good live, but the album just didn't really do anything for me

This isn’t for me, was bored throughout

Bland. Nothing memorable. Id throw it into stoner noise as a category.

Ik was prettig verrast toen ik het aanzette. Het is soms herrie, maar wel goede herrie.

I liked their other album on here more, maybe a little too much fuzz

Две звезди давам само заради първата песен

76% Best: Taste The Floor; The Hardest Walk; Sowing Seeds Must-Hear? The songs are good. It's just the noise makes some tracks unlistenable. It's a nah for me

Super great album but the guitar feedback/distortion was a bit much for me at some point

This is one of my favourite albums of all time. And that’s saying a lot. I absolutely adore it. I LOOOOOOOOVE the sound, I just can't get enough. The feedback on the guitars really sounds soooo good to me I also really like the lyrics

Not bad. Obviously very 80s sounding and I’d say the songs were good for the most part. But, a lot of them had a static-y sound or there was some screeching that made certain songs harder to enjoy.

If you said there was an album of a man mumbling over a wall of distorted guitars and feedback, I would say, “Sounds great! I’m up for that!” And yet, after the first song, which gave very eighties teen movie vibes, I found it a bit boring. I might come back to it again or try their second album later though. I started listening to it and it seemed to have more tunes!

Knew this already partially but great to give it more focus. Great album.

Very cool sound. I think sometimes I would be more into it than I felt today. I was kind of waiting for the underlying songwriting to grab me and feel impressive to match with that production, but I didn't fall in love with anything here really. It's interesting and I'd like to listen more, but it's not top of my list to listen more to from this project.

I get the importance of this album. It forms the sonic bridge between 70s Velvet Underground and 90s grunge. But as a listening experience, it wasn't my favorite.

There's a lot of noise, but it was good noise. It actually felt surprisingly modern.

I was intrigued with this. Heard the name previously but never really listened to their music. Quite dark and noisy in places which surprised me (god knows why it did!) and definitely territory that I wouldn’t have ventured into had it not been for this list. It didn’t sound of its time either, and could have been released today. Interesting, and with depth.

Groupe inconnu. Cet album combine des morceaux terriblement mous avec un son très violent. Le résultat est ... mou et terriblement inintéressant et ennuyeux, avec un son qui ne donne pas du tout envie d'y retourner. =>1/5

Interesting listen, I can definitely hear the elements of what would become shoegaze.

va bananas

Ho sentito solo metà album e non è per niente il mio genere. Non l’ho finito neanche ciao

Gasa assai, tra l’altro just like honey sta pure in lost in translation (filmone), sempre togo la new wave

Si, ma con parsimonia

mood ok, sonorità anche interessanti in alcuni casi, ma non mi convince la costante presenza di rumore di sottofondo da azienda siderurgica metalmeccanica. Canzoni interessanti Some Candy Talking(ca nn se capit se sta nell'album o meno) e Sowing Seeds.

Pretty average shoegaze album did not enjoy the more noisy parts. Favourite Just Like Honey

#687. I dig it. It's a bit pretentious, and a bit too noisy for It's own good in some spots, but I do like it though. 3/5: fine

Noisy

I prefer Darklands, but man, Jesus and Mary Chain can do no wrong in my book. That reverb-soaked wall-of-sound...it would have been cool if they recorded with Ronnie Spector.

Not music

Onder alle ladingen jaren 80-reverb zitten best wat aardige nummers. "Cut Dead" klinkt bijvoorbeeld als een goede Velvet Underground-ballad, in potentie. "Inside Me" en "Sowing Seeds" hebben wat Joy Division-achtigs. Drie sterren, neigend naar vier, maar tegen het eind zakt het wel echt in.

I try to listen like it's my first time listening to it in the year it debuted. This one must have been a trip. NOW though... it's a tough listen. Lots of noise and static. Like listening to a dentist drill. This wasn't an enjoyable listen for me. 1.5/5.

Mjög næs plet!

Frábær hljómsveit sem hafði mikil áhrif. Póstpönkið varð að shoegaze.

I wasn’t a big fan of the 80’s

Boring post-punk with a few good moments, but really not much to see here. 2.0/5.0: Disappointing

its like listening to a decent album on broken speakers. it would actually be pretty good if they just had the static on a few songs but doing it on everyone song makes it borderline un-listenable.

No Standouts

Great listen, lots of distortion and real throwback to 80s Britain

Could be called early grunge, but the didn't hit with the others for some reason. Having heard Nevermind so recently, my theory is that The J&MC is too monolithic and distorted. All these songs sound similar and ...thin.

A joyous combination of miserable love, fuzzy feedback, power pop melody, punk rock energy and lush noise.

54/1001 :: The Jesus And Mary Chain - Psychocandy Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ➖ Rating: 6 Fav Tracks: The Hardest Walk, Just Like Honey Listen before you die: Yes Talk about Fuzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzed Out. Sometimes I think the 80s sucked and then I find shit like this. This album is really cool. New wave vocals meets a whole lotta reverb. It’s worth a listen for sure and there are catchy hooks here. While I was listening to it I couldn’t help but think “I bet this would be amazing live”. Just a complete wall of sound with interesting elements dancing in and out. But what makes it cool also makes it a bit challenging of a listen for me personally. I generally like my recordings pretty punchy and this recording (while intentional I’m sure) is very muddy. I don’t know maybe I will listen again. Maybe I can get past that but I’m not sure...

This is a band that was always on the periphery for me. I've been familiar with them for years, especially the song Head On (which is not on this album). I think this is the first time I have ever listened to an album by them all the way through. Interestingly serene and unsettling at the same time. It's probably listen again or check more of their work. I like noisy shit. 3.5/5 #162

Ok so F my ears i guess why don’t you.

I really don't like this album. Like at all. It's wingey and grungy and just annoying.

I did not enjoy this. It sounded like sitting beside a polluted canal watching it go by. There is probably something beautiful in there, but it was swamped with scuzz and i listened twice through and couldnt tell you a single thing about this

An interesting mix of punk, rock, and pop. The wall of distortion trumps every sound in this album, for good or ill. You can definitely see some influences towards later bands in this album. Surprisingly easy to listen to for the most part.

it feels a bit modern, the rest is just meh

I had a friend in high school who loved this album. I like it but it always reminds me of him. He called it a coke mix. Something about the high pitch guitar noise. Just Like Honey, Sowing Seeds and Inside Me were some of my favorites.

Love this album

Maybe I'm missing something with this album. It's just really bleh to me. It didn't sound great like they tried being too cute and instead of awesome it came out more, why. I've heard other stuff by them and enjoyed it. So it's a bummer this one fell so flat for me.

White noise: the album!

Besides having the strange ability to flick the switch between slow lulling ballads and borderline tinnitus-inducing noise numbers, Psychocandy can be appreciated today, but only as a product of its time. It’s too new-sounding for 1980, and too old-sounding for 1990. It’s nineteen eighty-bloody-five. I can’t decide if I like the flip-flopping between atmospheric 80s songs that fit well into BBC coming-of-age dramas and what are essentially gentrified industrial tracks. What I can say about it is that it’s interesting enough to comment on, anyway. Some tracks blend the two, and these are undoubtedly the best - particularly My Little Underground, where you can have an overbearing force of noise whilst still having the atmospheric drums and uninterested-sounding vocals. When the noise kicks in, it’s brilliant and unique. For the remainder, you’re just waiting for the noise to come back.

This album isn’t bad, but someone in the band decided to periodically put a belt sander to some sheet metal in the middle of every song. I don’t get turned off by noise rock often, but I found myself needing to turn this down to avoid literally hurting my ears. The Velvet Underground-esque grooves are enough to save it from the dust bin.

Banger after banger

There are a few times where I feel like I wanna give it a 4, but overall it just feels kinda muddled! I like noisy stuff, but this all blends together without any element really standing out against each other. Not bad at all though.

I don't get it!!!!!

One of the first albums in the noise pop genre, fusing catchy guitar pop gems with layers of feedback and noise. Personally, as a lover of noisy bullshit and also a lover of catchy bullshit, this worked wonders for me.

I wanted to like this, cuz I was actually getting into a lot of these songs and then for some of them, a massive noise wall would destroy my poor earbuds and my ears along with them. It was only a few songs like that, but yikes DO NOT listen to this album with earbuds.

I'm not a fan of shoegaze or its adjacent genres, but the production on Psychocandy feels particularly harsh and sloppy. For most of the album I was willing to set that aside and give it a 2 for innovation and creative merit, but it truly managed break me in its final minutes with 'It's So Hard', with distortion clipping into oblivion and incoherent rambling vocals that would make Mark E. Smith proud. It's as if The Fall discovered reverb and feedback noise, and I mean that in the most insulting way possible. To its credit, this band did make me see My Bloody Valentine's Loveless in a new light -- I still don’t “get” it, but it sounds like heaven compared to this bullshit.

Tremendously enjoyed this on the first listen, but on the second listen it wore out its welcome and got a little stale. I would absolutely not consider this a shoegaze album by any means. I think it could benefit from a little more variety, but I enjoyed the contrast of the more melodic vocals with the grinding wall of sound effect.

Far romantic than anyone would admit at the time, this is also a great, cool, noisy album and it contains Taste The Floor, one of the truly great tracks, like, ever.

Kinda noisy and not my thing i could see others liking it though

It's fine, but hard to parse sometimes I liked some of it but some of it was just noise

Despite being an opening album track, my introduction to the first song on this album was when it was used to close out a movie. A film that, despite its international acclaim and awesome director, left me perturbed and uncomfortable. If I wanted to watch an old white man be racist and attracted to a woman way younger than him for 1h 41minutes, I might as well just go to Japan. Virgin Suicides is way more up my alley, don't read into that. BUT ANYWAY. This is not a film review. This is an album review. As a lover of shoe gaze since I was a pretentious 16-year-old, hearing this album for the first time all the way through, I can definitely see why people say they were pioneers. Especially because this album was released in 1985 and they were friends with the likes of Cocteau Twins and Slowdive. The guitar effects are awesome. Sweet melodies and distorted noises. I can now see why Sofia used them in her movie :) Seriously awesome that these Scottish brothers figured out how to make feedback, gave their drummer only two drums-- a floor tom and a snare, sang lyrics drenched in the selfish, mostly monosyllabic vocabulary of rock’n’roll, and somehow didn't sound like dickheads? Like the music is all so pretty and vulnerable. So yeah, 5/5. This shit rocks. JMAC supremacy.

shoe gaze if you want to but its really dull

I hate bands that pass off albums like this and they call it music. I don't know how people could listen to this. It is just so distorted and reverb-ed that you can't even understand or interpret what the singer is singing. The guitar on this album is akin to nails on a chalkboard, like literally, go listen to it for yourself and you'll know what I'm talking about. Favorite Tracks: Just Like Honey Rating: 1/5

Not my cup of tea at all. Just seemed like noise.

Overall: 6/10 I really wanted to love this one, and I definitely enjoyed it for the most part, but it kind of droned on for me a little too much. I'm usually a fan of overly distorted guitar (bands like Dinosaur Jr. and My Bloody Valentine do it great) but I feel like with these guys it doesn't immediately wow me. The songwriting itself is actually pretty strong, with some of them being more melodic than I had expected. If someone told me this was their favourite album of all time, I'd tell them it was a great choice even if it's not for me. Fav Song: Inside Me Least Fav Song: In a Hole

The Jesus and Mary Chain surfen durch die Gruft. Eine der Bands mit unverwechselbar eigenem Sound. Klasse Bandname auch.

You can probably trace genres like Britpop and Shoegaze to this album which is quite a mix of sounds. Just Like Honey works for me and Never Understand would be good if the tinnitus guitars were removed so a mixed bag really. Wanted to like more but got a bit fed up with it.

Indi musik wie ich es nicht mag. Zu viel Hall sehr verzerrt

Fifa-rock. Mye distortion, hele tida. 2,5/5

Great Lo-Fi comes from bands who want to capture their spirit and believe that studio gimmickry interferes. This is more Anti-Fi; the use of studio gimmickry to create a conscientiously shitty sound. And Dear God the early 80s solid state effects produced such shitty sounds - the aluminum taste of the overdrives and the mud of those reverbs is just horrible. The pretentiousness of the Anti-Fi could be forgiven if the songs were worth listening to. There are some interesting melodic ideas here. But nothing approaching a great song.

not bad! kinda stone roses vibes throughout but with a grunge or even morphine filter underneath

Just like honey is a classic, but all the rest sounds too fuzzie for me. 2 stars

Couple bangers Badly needs a remaster alot of peaking and distortion

The lofi vibes of this album ranged from being really appealing to painful. But landed more on the latter.

Mama Mia do they have their sound figured out! Only issue with this album is that the best song is the first one and a lot of the other songs sound the same, and despite me liking that same sounding song, it gets kind of monotonous 3 quarters in.

What if The Beach Boys grew up inside an industrial clothes dryer?

Perhaps slightly better than Darklands but still more of the same. I like the drone and noise aspect but the vocals and lyrical content are just annoying.

I’m sure it’s for someone, but it wasn’t for me.

Just boring to me had me yearning to listen to other artists. 2.5

I thought my AirPods were messed up because of the sound quality. Did not enjoy this other than “Just like honey”.

I liked this but when Spotify played the next song on a newer album it was really good. I’m going to check out what else they have

I feel like someone took a fucking grater and slid it across the microphone. Shoegaze fucking sucks.

Tons of distortion, metal, and noise. Not my cup of tea, but I see why it may be a big deal.

borderline unlistenable

Þetta var alls ekki skemmtilegt stöff. Mjög hrátt og meira eins og bílskúrsband að semja sín fyrstu lög. Ég var ekki hrifinn og vildi helst bara klára þessa plötu, sem öll hljómar eins, sem fyrst.

This album starts really strong - Just Like Honey is superb and a top 100 all-time song for me. (A match made in heaven at the end of Lost in Translation). The next few songs are interesting and remind of Love and Rockets (Living End = Khandalini Express) and Bauhaus (Taste of Cindy) and Joy Division (Inside Me). At this point, I'm happy and thinking 4/5. Then the second half kicks in and the over-use of reverb and crunchy guitars starts to wear thin. By the end, this album has just 3 songs: Just Like Honey and its copies (Cut Dead, Sowing Seeds, Something Wrong), a few goodies reflective of other artists from the era (Living End, Hardest Walk, Inside Me, Little Underground) a LOT of noisy mess (Taste the Floor, In a Hole, Never Understand). I'm left with mixed feelings and it’s a bit disappointing actually. The album opens so hopeful only to leave you skipping tracks near the back. Perhaps a relisten down the road may prove more kind. 3/5

Great call...loved that!

Meh. Not for me

Pre-listen: never heard of this group, but intrigued by the album cover. Listening: an early gateway to 90s era hard rock and grunge scenes maybe? This feels like a garage band jamming out with maybe a little more discipline? So far I'm not too into the mix. Maybe it's budget, or maybe it's how they intended or maybe it was just limitations of the time. The vibe is really cool so far, no stand out songs yet.. I really like that sowing seeds song.

Loved this one. I can see how this informed a lot of the music I like. The contrast of simple almost bubblegum pop buried in really abrasive noise and texture really catches me. Already listened a few times. Favorite song: In a Hole

I love this album

The Jesus and Mary Chain Is one of those bands I've heard talked about throughout my life, but never took the time to listen to. It was immediately apparent as soon as Just Like Honey starts how influential this album was on the music I listen to. I'll be sure to check out the rest of their catalog.

Sonically opressive, melodically sugary

I really enjoyed this one for the most part but not enough to give it all 5 stars. I only got one listen in so maybe with a couple more it will go up. Top Track - Never Understand

First Listen: Apr 05 2025 listened to this right after i got darklands a couple months ago and was blown away by it. this is an incredible noise rock album much far better than darklands.

It's growing on me, but I cannot yet get over the distortion noise. Just too much.

Mid new wave

Ok

meh. not the biggest fan and it's the kind of band that the emo kids from South Park would listen to.

Interesting enough

A lot of the songs sound the same

Someone fix the radio tuning. There's too much static

3 Stars for being so cute and fuzzy.

This noise rock isn’t for me. Tries to emulate the 60s distortion revolution but instead comes across as too punky to mix well. Much prefer the shoegaze of the 90s to this, a genre which was evidently still in its gestation period with this one.

It dug a hole in my ears, i'd do it again

Some good songs, too many screeching beeps and too repetitive. It makes three stars because of lost in translation

Now this is an interesting little album. I did not expect it to sound like this. I had heard that The Jesus and Mary Chain were a nineties band, but this album came out in 85. The songs are drenched in feedback, and feel like they were a precursor to what music would become in the 90s. Jim Reid’s vocals are reminiscent of New Wave Acts like Joy Division and The Cure, which he definitely succeeds in emulating their style. William Reid’s guitar is a staple on songs like Never Understand and Something’s Wrong. Douglas Hart and Bobby Gillespie make up a solid rhythm section, too. A lot of the songs are pretty short, so the one’s I don’t like as much I probably won’t be coming back to. I tossed around giving this album a 3 or a 4, and I ended up going with a three, but I like it more than the albums I’ve already given 3s, so let it be known that this album seems more like a 3.5/3.8. Still a pretty solid album.

some of it is relaxing but there's other parts that are just kind of... noise. it's clearly trying to sound faraway and mysterious but that doesn't always work the best when combined with walls of guitars. some of this is really good and then other parts are kinda meh. favorite song: "cut dead" overall: 7/10

some songs are downright painful to listen to and i’m not even on headphones. these high pitch screeches are killing my ears!

This band had potential. I wish the distortion was less, and that the reverb didn’t sound like one was in the bathroom. I think it’s a 3.

There is some really good songs on here, if only they didn’t persist with the distortion on some songs…

Ugh

2 stars from me, I love the type of rock that albums like this surely inspired. This was ahead of it's time for 1980s definitely. But I do find it even a bit rough for this noisier type of early hardcore. A bit too raw for my taste.

I remember vividly the day I bought this on cassette, got it home to listen to it and thought "what the fuck is this". The poppy distortion singles were only dipping their toe in the distortion. In those days, when an album was a month's pocket money, I had to give them a bit of a go. So I kind of forced my way into it. This, in retrospect, is a great album. A complete oral barrage overlaying a host of melodic songs. I know it won't be for all tastes but place it against a lot of the stuff in this project and it stands out. For all the reasons that people also hate it, I understand that.

2.2 1x

An angle-grinder shaping a surfboard

This is probably a better album than I’m giving it credit for but the production made it hard to listen to. Probably needs repeated listening but there’s always the next album.

I hate you sjoegaze 1 star

I like the fuzz. I don't like the feedback.

Interesting album

Nice and decent. Easy background listening 6/10

Sounds almost identical to the stone roses. It's ok but I'm not going to go out of my way to listen to them again.

Whingey

Good

While it’s not something I’ll go back to, I feel accomplished in having understood this albums appeal on first listen. Industrial and noisy but still melodic and meaningful. I can see how this could’ve captivated some subset of young people with its relatively new sound and aesthetics. “Cut Dead” was my obvious favorite, it seems like when they want to tone things down they go back to the same tried-and-true songs structure and performance style of this song specifically. I can see how this album filled a niche and blazed the trail for shoegaze to come. I also hear a strange amount of yung lean’s side project, Jonatan Leandoer96, in this group. 3/5

..

The blueprint for just about every indie band from the 2000s.

The return of fuzz guitar and the three minute single that needs maximum volume to appreciate. Rock on!

I feel like I’ve heard all these songs at a bar after midnight 4.5

personally not wild about the screeching sfx and fuzz guitar to the max on some of the tracks. Its a vibe for someone, just not me. It was better over an external speaker vs phone speaker or headphones

Feels like I've just nipped out of the student union for a cigarette

Das esch jetzt ned so miis. Wahrschiindlech liids eifach dra dasi ned so gärn agschroue werd. Eitentlech wärs ned so schlächt, zwar au ned guet sondern eifach mettelmässig, aber es esch eifach alles so hert. Ond us ergendemne grond esch emmer no so es ruusche oder was au emmer debi woni zerscht för e Fähler ghalte ha bis es genau met em Song weder ufghört hed. Esch e chli schad wel t riffs send eigentlech ned so schlächt aber met allem rondome för mech ned wörk gniessbar.

This had so much potential- some of the songs are so lovely. But the insane amounts of reverb/distortion makes some of the songs basically unlistenable, and gives the whole album a same-y quality.

está bien. no es de mi estilo pero me gustaron algunas canciones

This is rough to listen to, and I would have to be in a very special mood or at a party to listen to this. The guitar is way too screamy for my taste.

Hadn't listened to this band before and was pleasantly surprised! I'll be listening to this more and likely exploring more of their discography.

we've got some more sludgy and crunchy noise rock here. it's a certain vibe for sure, cloudy punk rock music that sounds like it was recorded and performed in a bathroom. take the likes of the beach boys, and imagine if they took meth. or acid. or both. this whole record almost sounds like if tv static tried to write a few songs. it's definitely got a solid foundation, and i wouldn't be inspired if it took the notice of bands like sonic youth, my bloody valentine or nirvana. some of the screeching noise sounds like nails on a chalkboard and gives me a migraine.

I hated this.

This album is fast, fuzzy and really cool

The opener is timeless classic. The other songs are also fine. My issue lies with their similar sound, not helped by a very similar arrangement and mixing. This band did better on other albums.

Mesmerising!

I struggled to pay attention to be honest - but the few moments I did I found it very irritating.

Precursor to alternative rock? Yeah, that check out

Crisse, c'était l'idée à qui d'enregistrer dans une caverne? Pour ma part, je préférais être dans la caverne (possiblement une autre), très très creux sous terre, en fait le plus loin possible de ces énergumènes, pour enfin avoir la paix.

I would like to preface: I am an absolute noise fiend. I love thoughtful lyrics and beautiful arrangements and potent songwriting as much as anyone in kinder society. However, among the quickest ways to my heart of hearts is total sonic obliteration, and given this album's reputation I was ready to dish out the cut and dry 5: but does it truly earn it? We shall see. While artists had been experimenting with noise elements and pop songwriting prior to this, Psychocandy is, in the eyes of many, the archetypal noise pop album. The Jesus And Mary Chain push a vaguely goth-y vibe and simple, theoretically sugary post punk songs into uncharted territory by really overdriving the aesthetic here. This album has, more or less, two types of songs: firstly, songs like the standout opener Just Like Honey which harness unprecedented, "recorded in a cave" reverb into a dark and super dreamlike atmosphere. This content on the album was a large influence on the development of later genres like shoegaze. The other type of song here is where the album earns the "noise" descriptor. These moments, like The Living End and In A Hole get a little punkier, and drive the aesthetic much further. Here, the guitars sound like an explosion in a sheet metal factory as the band attempts to wrangle the searing feedback into the approximate shape of catchy riffs. Overall, these two facets of the album's sound work in a very complementary way, and I love the result. Everything just sounds huge and powerful and a little bit dangerous, like I can't emphasize enough just how much I like the sound of this thing. Unfortunately, there are some things going on here that didn't quite click with me. Firstly, the vocals on here are *extremely* deadpan, and its kind of hit or miss for me, there are songs where it works and songs where it doesn't. I will also say that the songwriting on here isn't spectacular. Without the album's aesthetic, I don't think these compositions could keep this from running out of steam. That being said, the aesthetic *is* here, and besides, these songs very rarely run longer than 3 minutes, so it isn't like you have a ton of time to get bored. Overall, I don't think this is the 5 that I was ready to hand out, but it is *really* good. The sound of this is still distinct and super cool, and the songs are a great vessel for delivering the experience of this album's sound to you. I like this a lot!

Not for me

Incredible debut with fuzzy and shoegazy sounds all throughout. The precursors of the shoegaze genre compile a set of songs thar makes the experience, something you've never felt before. Absolutely recommended.

Good 80's sound

Before there were mumble rappers, there were mumble rockers I guess. Bold choices like TV static, whispers over feedback, and a few actually nice ambient-esque tracks.

I can appreciate how new this sound was but there seemed like no variation besides a few songs, just couldn’t get going with it

Good beats, but the guitar was ass and hurt my ears, couldn’t even finish it.

Cool to hear the origin of shoegaze. Something’s Wrong is peak Edited to a 5 I’ve come back to the album multiple times already

I mean it's quite noisy and messy, but Just Like Honey is one of the best songs I've ever heard so I can forgive it.

Yeah this one wasn’t for me.

Gefällt mir. Aber nur als Hintergrund Musik. bis auf den ersten Tracl, der ist Hammer

Apparently these guys were the genesis for shoegaze. They sound like if Lou Reed sang for the Clash. Like a lot of shoegaze bands, though, they have trouble distinguishing their sound from one song to the next and the entire album sounds like one continuous tone and beat and rhythm. Decent lyrics.

That was awful. Way too much reverberation so, I could not hear and understand the lyrics.

This one will always divide opinion, the great feedback debate! I'm on the fence, I would like this album much more if it didn't dominate so much. One of my favourite tracks is 'Some Candy Talking' and that has none, just a cool guitar sound. But I bought that as a single released after the album, so it shouldn't really be included. So I really got into them after this album when the feedback was dropped, but I understand its influence and there's something cool about a beautiful pop melody through a haze of white noise. Where it works best is, of course, 'Just Like Honey' which gets a star all of its own, beautiful and cool. If you haven't seen 'Lost in Translation' then watch it! One of my favourite films, and favourite closing sequence, where JLH plays a huge part. p.s. I loved their look and copied it for a few years in the late 80s! p.p.s I walked past Jim Reid in Wardour Street around 1990. Cool, moody bugger, as you'd expect :)

I’m convinced that somewhere here is a really great album.. Just Like Honey and Sowing Seeds especially are really awesome tracks… However. moments like In A Hole, with its ear piercing fuzz that covers literally everything, brings this experience right back down to earth, and completely limits the potential of the record. I see this album probably went for a similar feel as my bloody valentine, or Slowdive, but the execution was poor and the stylistic choices ended up backfiring and being to the detriment of the album.

This sounds somewhere between Joy Division and The Stone Roses, without the good bits of either. Not a fan of the screechy fuzzy static noise present on most tracks either. The songs would be a lot better without it.

Awful

Well dang. I thought this was going to be one I'd really enjoy. I did not. There was way too much fuzzy, distorted guitar feedback. A couple of songs were great, but way too many were overwhelmed by the noise to really enjoy the album.

I love the feedback laden into the pop songs, but the drums are so low in the mix that it sounds like they were recorded from another room, and the vocals take near the same approach in every song. The pace never seems to change- even faster songs sound like they’re stuck in more. I scanned a couple of their later albums- they get better. There’s something here, but I’d never want to listen to this album again.

Not enough distortion on the guitars. 3 Stars.

This will always be a classic album. The best way to describe it is noisy psychedelic rock with a post-punk and goth undertone. If you’re into noise rock with abrasive distortion and feedback, this album will definitely hit the spot. Another great element is the 60’s-style psychedelic, ethereal vocals buried under all the chaos and noise. Even though the album leans into noise, it sticks to traditional song structures, making it listenable and easy to latch on to.

Groundbreaking

After reading some reviews of this album, I was expecting to experience a hideous noisefest, the end of which couldn't come soon enough. The actual experience then, was quite a surprise, because I enjoyed it quite a lot. I'm not a fan of the kind of flat, emotionless vocalisation, so it was that which bothered me more than the reverb and feedback, and which keeps me from ever wanting the album in my collection. But would I listen to it again? Willingly, yes!

4.5/10

I like J&MC. I remember the cancelled gigs and rock and roll lifestyle. I like Darklands and particularly Honey's Dead. They themselves would probably agree though that they are fairly limited musicians with a particular blueprint for a song, which is usually quite sweet and tender lyrically (even if it is about drugs), so when that particular song is played alongside a buzzsaw for the entire album it loses something for me.

Incredible album. Old influences - rockabilly, Velvets, Spector girl pop but given such a new treatment that it was hugely influential. Shoegaze (particularly Loveless) but also stuff like Spacemen 3. With it's mid decade release could make an argument this was the pivotal release of the decade. Had a frustrating day yesterday, this was perfect antidote - lie down, headphones on and let the noise wash over you - there is definitely a nihilistic quality to some of these songs.

Fantastic to see this included on the list. Undoubtedly influential in laying the path for a zillion Indy shoe-gazing bands with its soporific, leaden sound and use of feedback. It’s just not my thing and I find it pretty dull, the classic opening track aside. I could listen to that on repeat for an hour, which is around 40 minutes more than I’d care to listen to the remainder of the album for.

I’m rounding up. The first couple songs had so much fuzz I felt like I was walking into a Halloween exhibit that had too much fog machine and the music was coming out of a washing machine. Like the dryer. As in the dryer is running and a speaker playing music is on full blast. The sounds are seeping through cracks in the doors but you still can’t really tell what’s coming through. The fog cleared as the album progressed and some of the songs were enjoyable.

That first track! Liked this album much more than I thought I would.

ah yes, music for clearing out a bar at 2am i skipped most of this, not really for me but the ones i could stomach i half liked. im sure some of you like it and that's okay

They sound really “cool”

Liked this. Not something I'll return to, but a pleasant album to listen to during a unseasonably cold May midweek day.

Doom, doom doom chick

a perfect opening track - anthemic drums, incredible riff, transcendent first verse lyrics - hits me in a way that’s impossible to describe. the rest of the album basically repeats itself (like, literally in “sowing seeds”), but tjamc could’ve just recorded fart sounds after “just like honey” and I’d still like this record.

I'm sure this was an intentional "artistic choice"...but fuck this particular noise rock. Just because squealing guitar feedback is something you can do doesn't mean it's something you should do, and just because it's different doesn't mean it's good. 1.3

Magnificent

beter alleszins dan vorige worp die ik van hen beluisterde... maar toch net iets te poppy

Singular album, this one. The Beach Boys-esque melodies paired with noisy guitars and feedback is something I don't think was ever done before (or even after). These guys just exude cool, maybe a bit too much even. The song, however, are bit too similar sounding and lack a bit of substance, but they do sound cool. Key tracks: Just Like Honey Cut Dead Some Candy Talking (this one wasn't on the original album but it kinda counts too)

This album is like listening to alternative rock on the radio but also being just out of range of the station so you hear only snippets of the album but mostly static.

Well now, I have been completely mistook for 40 years. I always thought this lot were one of the Goth bands, because of there name. And now I have found out I was totally wrong. Shame really, if they had have been a goth band there was a chance (slim I know), but still a chance I would have liked it. Instead I got this boring load of twaddle. Half tempted to give it a 2 because it wasn't objectionable, but if I did i feel it would devalue the other 2s I have given. 1 it is then.

It turns out that there is a limit to how much distortion, reverb & feedback I can handle. This album pushes it too far over the limit for me. Some tracks are completely unlistenable because it just drowns out whatever else is happening. It’s a shame as there are some beautiful melodies when they choose to let them out. Later albums get the balance right, but this? Nope.

This beastie in in my top 20 albums of all time. Psychocandy on its release is one of those albums that reset the musical landscape. There was nothing like it beforehand, they had the idea of mixing a strange take of US surfer rock with the sound of Hell seemed like a good plan at the time. Think about what was coming out of Scotland prior to this, and you'll be thinking of the Jangly twee guitars of Orange Juice and Aztec Camera, or the stadium rock of Simple Minds. This band with their cool image, backstory of friction between them, and a broken fuzz pedal should have taken over the world with this and their later releases. [A Manchester band tried the same tactic about 9 years later, but with a working fuzz pedal, yawn] Thee isn't a band track on this, my personal favourites are 'You Trip Me Up' and 'The Hardest Walk'. 100% perfect begining of a legendary band.

2,25

Enjoyed a couple of the songs. Good enough for a 3.

there are songs i could listen to, but not the whole thing. When it's Noise Pop, it's clearly not for me... I just hear the 'noise' part and not the pop part unfortunately.

Alternates from attempts at more hardcore music to sleepy attempts at being Joy Division. 2/5

An old fave. I like Just Like Honey enough that when they reprise it, I get excited, even though I *know* it's not the same song again.

idk why the drums were recorded in a cave underground but i liked it

Oldie but pretty goodie

Just Like Heaven is really great obvs and I think the rest of it is fun too but less memorable (love the drums it reminds me of Be My Baby)

Psychocandy is pure noisy magic. When it dropped in 1985, it felt like something totally new—like punk met pop in a dark alley and fell in love. The fuzzy guitar wall hits you right away, but underneath all the distortion are sweet, catchy melodies that stick with you. It was a perfect soundtrack for the ‘80s outsider: moody, rebellious, but still tuneful. Songs like “Just Like Honey” still hold up today—cool, dreamy, and raw in all the right ways. If you grew up with The Cure or Sonic Youth, this album fits right in. It's gritty, loud, and emotional without trying too hard. A Gen X classic that won't disappoint.

Tracks seems so similar and boring. The reverb is to much and I can't say I'm intrigued to listen to more of this band. 1/5

A true classic of proto-shoegaze. A shimmering dream of an album. 10/10

This was an enjoyable listen. Nothing really stood out above the mix and nothing felt particularly memorable, but I liked the ambiance. 3.5/5

Can i please have some distortion in my distortion?? Certainly not to listen to on your way to work

Good

Awful

Rating: 3.5/5 | Favorite Track: Just Like Honey --- There were a few tracks from this that o really enjoyed and I honestly thought I would like this album a lot more considering my love for the post-punk of this era. But this was a little too noisy for my liking -- maybe upon revisiting this album later might I rate this higher.

Psychocandy is often praised for its influence and boldness, but as a listening experience, it’s a tough sell. The album buries its pop sensibilities under a relentless wall of distortion, feedback, and static — what the band likely saw as avant-garde now feels more like self-sabotage. Songs are drenched in noise to the point where melodies struggle to breathe. It’s like trying to enjoy a great song through an AM radio station that’s just out of range — you think there’s something good underneath, but the interference wears you down. The combination of sweet vocal lines with ear-piercing feedback is jarring, and not always in an interesting way. Credit where it’s due: they were doing something different. But different doesn’t always mean enjoyable. This might be a landmark in noise-pop, but that doesn’t make it easy — or pleasant — to sit through.

3.5/5

The sweet sound of distortion and tinnitus

Their distinct sound sounds awful.

A favorite album by a favorite band. Take

Grunge before it was grunge.

There is some good on here but the abrasive production just ruins it. You'll get some nice, chill, and almost ethereal song then you get hit with some songs that sound like nails against the chalkboard. Them going in-between nice and soft music to the abrasive almost rage inducing makes me want to vomit, it's sickening. Top 2: Just Like Honey and Cut Dead(Best) Worst: Taste The Floor, In A Hole (fuck this song), and Never Understand 2.00-2.25/5

This feels squarely in the “influential at the time but hasn’t aged well” category. Feels like the Stone Roses buried under a wall of noise. I dunno, it’s not horrible it just doesn’t feel like something I’ll ever go back to.

I like noise music and things like Suicide but the application of feedback to these songs, other than maybe Just Like Honey where it felt more restrained, really doesn't feel like it accomplishes anything but novelty. I get how influential this album is but it really was a slog to listen to and I feel like for noise to be interesting/successful it has to also be provocative and this was not. Just hard for me to get on board.

Horrible vocals layered in front of mediocre instrumentals

shoegaze has the opportunity to be extremely expressive, but this album comes from a time before people knew how. i love the influence of this album, however the album itself varies between somewhat interesting and actually painful. low three

Bit too much electric guitar wailing for my taste. But some good lyrics and jams for sure.

This album makes me want to give all my other one star albums an extra star just so I can make sure this is the lowest ranking album

This is awful and I like this band in general. The distortion ruins it. What is the point of having the other instruments. Some songs don't have it too loud so that's why it gets to a 2