Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Listening to this and The Blue Nile in the same week was a real treat.
Won me over! I tend to go "ugh, another nothing british group" but... that's what this website is. a database of british groups that were important to the author in gradeschool. I like the twang in this album.
Byrjar finnst mér ansi vel, en varð svo minna spennandi eftir því sem á leið. En svo fannst mér þurfa hlusta aftur. Og nú er ég á held ég sjöttu hlustun. Ef það er ekki fjarki þá veit ég ekki hvað.
Timeless jangle pop/college rock. Whimsical tunes about love. Love the production style - 80s in the best way Riff on "Charlotte Street" is simple but hits just right.
I found myself enjoying this a bit more than most of the UK pop I've heard. Its got that distinct 80's sound, kinda like Duran Duran. nothing really stood out, but it wasnt bad by any means. The lead singer needs a bit more edge on his voice but thats a personal preference.
Totally fine! I’m not huge into this kind of music but I get how it’s appealing to some people. I’m just not depressed or English enough to connect
There's so many albums out there that sound exactly like this that I'm not sure why this would be considered required listening. It's an generally fine record but nothing that really seems to set it apart from others. Just check out the "Fans also like" section on Lloyd and co.'s Spotify page and it's just more copy pasta of the same sort of act. If the list that has this album listed is really limited to a finite 1000 total records, then get this one off here to make room for something better.
This album sounded just like every other British pop album from the 80s. It was ok. Some of the songs were a bit catchy, but I didn’t think it was too special.
More bland British pop.
3.5
norman mailer tailor
внимательно два дня слушала чтобы в понедельник быть чистым листом) нормальные такие, сингер-сонграйтер вайбз (это наверно тонкий наезд когда мимо нот поют)
Yeah if this was popular it hasn’t stood the test of… 39 years. It’s very dated.
Every one of their albums is a winner!! They are still touring, great band!
I wouldn't say this is a bad album necessarily, but it's nothing special, not entirely sure why it's on this list.
Ambivalence coils While pleasantly melodic Yet cool adjacent
Nice clean pop rock album
Life’s too short to bother with music like this. I gave it 3 tracks, no thanks!
Surprised to find this one grow on me with an additional listen! Cole is a clever songwriter and solid vocalist, not falling into some of the typical traps that a lot of 80's singers in this genre tend to. Great band arrangements; mostly rooted in dependable jangle pop, shades of sophisti-pop without overdoing it. I have to imagine this would easily make my top 25 of 1984. 4/5
Didn't like it at first, then kind of warmed up to it, but more like didn't find it bad enough to hate. Was okay
I enjoyed my time listening to this
Much more background music than the other album I just listened to. Perfectly ok
A little gross and 80s. 2 or 3.
So boring and almost bad, at least there were one or two good songs near the end
Thoughts before listening: I have no idea. Never heard of these guys which means they're probably British underground alt rock from the 80s. Review: Allmusic calls this UK indie jangle music, so I guess I was pretty close. This is okay. Reminds me a bit of REM which is certainly a sound I enjoy, even if LC&tC doesn't have any songs that rise to the level of early REM. Overall this wouldn't make my own personal 1,001 best albums of all time list, but its not bad. Probably deserves more than 2-stars, but in the context of this list its definitely a 2-star album.
Perfect Skin 3 Speedboat 3.6 Rattlesnakes 3.5 Down on Mission Street 3.4 Forest Fire 3.4 Charlotte Street 3.5 2cv 3.2 Four Flights Up 3 Patience 3.1 Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken? 3 Score: 3.27
Sure!
Rattlesnakes I think I got Lloyd Cole wrong, I’d assumed he was kind of safely bluesy middle of the road bland, a right on the nose Jools Holland act. But, on this at least, he is more of jangly, folky, country-ish pop artist, adjacent to some the postcard records stuff. There may not be a great deal of edge to it, but it has a very tasteful sensibility overall, and a winning earnest naivety and sweetness. Lots of literary, cultural and musical references that don’t always land, but they don’t feel affected, the sentiments seem genuine and heartfelt. He doesn’t always have the strongest voice, although I quite like his occasional falsetto, but he does do slightly different voices on some of the song, sounding a bit like Morrissey in a few. I really enjoyed this, it’s a very pleasant listen, maybe it doesn’t scale any crazy heights, but it’s never boring, the songs are all good and I like the sound, that early 80s big but intimate production. It’s probably on the cusp of 3 and 4, but I’ll go 4 as I’ll definitely listen again. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
perfect skin forest fire patience
This left almost no impression on me
This album might be the most solid mid table 3 stars I've heard so far.
This wasn't bad, but it just had no impact on me. I was expecting a little more bite from an album called rattlesnakes.
It did nothing for me but I didn’t hate it. I’ll never actively listen to it again but if a song came on I’d listen to it just fine.
2 stars. Very samey sounds for each song.
Never heard of these guys before, but I really enjoyed it.
Cute album, I would listen to it on a beach day while eating grapes or with my feet buried
Good jangly pop songs. Bonus points for inspiring this song: https://youtu.be/vlryei9U3sg?si=GwlFz9Dg-j6EX1se
Prima album, beetje rockig, paar leuke singletjes er op maar niet wereldschokkend en stiekem vraag ik me toch ontzettend af waarom dit album op de lijst staat. FAVO: Perfect Skin, Rattlesnakes, Forrest fire
Sounds like stuff straight out of a John Hughes movie. It could be good set to teenagers enjoying their youth. Listening to it as a boring human being trying to enjoy music, it sounds like typical cheesy 80s alternative. I guess it could be someone's thing because it's not horrible, but it's not my type.
This is a weird one because I like some of the music. But I find the vocals to be so dreadfully boring that the back half of this album was a chore to get through. 2.5/5
Ok but quite samey after a while.
Neat find
Cuando se separaron The Smiths alguien me intentó vender a Lloyd Cole, pero sin nadie que me prestara discos fue tarea imposible. Luego tampoco brillaron así que nunca llegué a escucharlos demasiado, aparte de alguna canción suelta en Radio3. Es su primer álbum y por las escuchas de Spotify el más conocido. Me ha gustado bastante, una sorpresa, qué pena no haberlo oído en su momento! Me guardo Rattlesnake, Charlotte Street, Patience y Are you ready to be heartbroken?
I ended up listening to this five times while I cleaned my turtle tank yesterday. Going to add to the permanent collection I really enjoyed it
inoffensive derivative generic
Own this, seen these live, Brixton Academy, so long ago it's unbelievable. Great album.
Not my jam. 2
2.5
No reason to be on this list at all
1st song was serial killer vibes. Average 80s album, probably shouldn’t be on this list
Boring L British album. Saved rattlesnakes. Rest was meh
New romantic sound that slipped by me in the 80s. I like it.
New to me band. Liked quite a lot. High 3+.
Never heard this before but it immediately registers as the absolute epitome of what we in the 1980s US knew as College Rock, which later came to be known as Alternative Rock, subsequently shortened to Alt-Rock and then abandoned for Indie Rock after the rise of the Alt-Right fascist political movement. Anyway, I enjoyed this very much, like laying the final piece of a jigsaw puzzle. I had ALL of the surrounding pieces: Robyn Hitchcock, REM, Talk Talk, The Smiths, XTC, Graham Parker And The Rumour...Very satisfying in that respect.
There's a strange affinity in this collection to presumably underrated (or at least little known) Scottish bands, and this seems like a pretty good example of that. Enjoyable, but not particularly memorable. I know Lloyd Cole apparently cited Bob Dylan as a major influence on the album (at least in the Wikipedia article for the album), but many of the songs, and "Perfect Skin" in particular, reminded me much more like a more pop-oriented version of Lou Reed somehow mashed up with a little Cure and REM. It's kind of endearing, too, to read that "Charlotte Street" was meant to be a boy-meets-girl song set in a library, but Lloyd Cole didn't even realize until a year later (or more) that he'd never mentioned in the song that it all took place in a library. And kudos to them for the Citroën reference in "2cv". And I like the (Wikipedia) description of this album's style as "jangle pop"--a good description, and an apt way to characterize this album.
I'm sure they have many fans because they seem to write and perform perfectly fine tunes which just don't capture my interest.
This was a fine record, but the problem with this list being so focused on British music is that there are records that get ignored, which I think might capture a similar type of music a little more interestingly, enjoyably and with a more palpable sense of of urgency to the music. Namely, “The Good Earth” by The Feelies or “The Days of Wine and Roses” by The Dream Syndicate. You’re welcome. Seriously, The Feelies are so good.
That was a nice discovery - I really enjoyed that. It sounds to me like Indie should sound like.
Hidden gem! This is an unexpected surprise! I like it quite a lot, going to give it a few revolutions so it can really seep into my soul. This is the kind of listless yet brooding indie stuff that rocks my world. I love it. The more I listen, the more I love it. This is an excellent new discovery for me.
What a mystically pleasant jangle-pop record, fully served with all its quirks and 80s cheese. The music feels exaggerated, allowing for the painting of these sonically descriptive images of the songs' settings and general aesthetics. The sonic palette here is impossibly diverse and strikingly sharp and hooky (just listen to the guitar melody on 'Charlotte Street'). I can't express just how colorful and bright, yet nocturnal, melancholic, and longing it all sounds, especially the closer 'Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?'. I love the very diverse groove on the song 'Speedboat' that continues to surprise and build throughout its 4-and-a-half-minute runtime. Lyrically and vocally, it's as charming as it needs to be to fully capitalize on the bewildering nature of the music here. There's something so present about the way Lloyd Cole depicts love, but also it seems the person he talks about is distant and long gone. This subtle contradiction of emotions plays a big part in reinforcing this album's bizarre thematic approach to intimacy. Cole's also consistently witty and unique in his lyricism. This is just perfect pop music, everything sounds so "maximum" - as it should be. That's all that needs to be said, i really loved this one.
Not unpleasant to listen to - some sort of vibes between Tom Petty and The Cars - but just okay
wanted to give this a 1 just to send a message. Duran Duran had already showed the world how to go big with this stuff, so no excuse for these guys just piddling around being cowards
Loved it the sound was interesting and some songs on there I really like
So forgettable, I can’t even remember if I listened to it.
5.5/10
Blind album and artist. Kind of uneventful and not very noteworthy in my opinion. I don't think I enjoyed this very much due to that but it wasn't unbearable. Glad I tried something new.
An easy listening album
Well, I might have liked them when I was a teen. Lyrics in this era were so horrendous. But the band itself is okay.
This was a pretty average album overall. 80s pop style that stays upbeat for the most part and has decent lyrics and instrumentals. None of the tracks really stood out as great or awful. They were all just ok. And that’s alright I suppose but an ok rating will have to do. 5.0/10
Jangle pop gem with storyteller lyricism. The stories are so vivid every track plays like a short story. Really solid musicianship as well, everything fits together so nicely. I especially liked the mix here, space for each instrument but never taking away from the vocals. I usually despise 80s production qualities but I really think there is great balance here. Overall i truly enjoyed this album and see myself revisiting!
Why have I not heard this one before?!
Forest Fire is excellent. Some nice catchy tunes on this. Good songwriting. Not great, but very nice. 3/5
Somewhat of an interesting new listen. Nothing groundbreaking but enjoyable. 3.5/5
Decent pock rock stuff
This is replacement-level New Wave. Serviceable, gets the job done, I’m sure if you had a gig in the 80s and your opener dropped you’d keep your audience content by having these folks step in, but evaluating it 40 years later this is nothing that hasn’t been done better by better groups.
I love this shit and this album was too much. Not bad but nothing great. Probably a 3 but dropping it to a 2 because it really does add nothing
Enjoyed the album. Need to revisit it.
2024-04-27...
This was ok. It had pretty clever lyrics, although they really kind of seemed like they were written by someone in college who is flexing with his liberal arts knowledge. Don’t know if that’s the case. If I want this kind of 80s jangly pop, though, I’d rather listen to REM.
The album was very average. Not bad, not good. Sort of standard slow ballad rock, which is hard for me to appreciate. 2/5.
2.5
3.5 solely for the title track being such a banger.
Ugh! So boring! Popular in the UK, but US had other (better) sounds on their plate. Now this Brit lives in the US? Dude, the Queen has passed, the King wants you back. Go. Home.
Average album Standout songs: Speedboat Are you ready to be heartbroken?
M'a semblé un peu sans relief, mais sympathique. Bel effort
At first I was laughing. It was funny! Like Pop Goes my Heart from Music and Lyrics! But… I think somewhere around “Forest Fire” … it wasn’t funny anymore. It was so bad, so stupid, I stopped laughing! Oh, well.
This book might've better been titled "1001 Albums That Influenced Great Britain." Here's yet another string of vanilla jangle pop songs that are wholly unremarkable. Didn't hate it, but *must* I hear it before I die?
I actually quite like the instrumentation, especially when the strings kick in, but the vocals and lyrics didn't do much for me.
You know what, I enjoyed this. There were some obvious 80s-isms, and I don’t know that any one song jumped out and grabbed me. But it was pleasant the whole way through and I would put it on again
Day108 - i’m a big fan of first wave on xm radio and i’ve never heard of this group and im a little disappointed.
I like this. They're like, we're gonna go express ourselves in the corner over here. You're welcome to listen if you want to but you don't have to.
Absolutely brilliant
I’m of an age yo have listened to them, in fact I believe I had one of their albums back in the day, and I have no idea why they are on here. If we are talking sophistipop then no one comes near The Blue Nile
It wasn't horrible, but they're no Old 97's
Interesting use of strings. 3.5/5.0: Very Good
meh
Uk 80’er rock, lidt poppet, ok, lidt kedeligt
Meh. Don't really like it--kinda teetering on 1 star. Would give 1.5 if I could.
It's renewed cultural impact is a mystery
Lloyd Cole and The Commotions’ Rattlesnakes is a rock album full of vibes. On Speedboat, the instrumentals and vocals are both a tad brash but also comfortable, similar to Patience on the later end of the album. More in general, the songs tend to suffer from weird background sounds. All in all, Rattlesnakes is an alright album. Best Song: Speedboat Worst Song: 2CV
I've bought 3 Lloyd Cole albums over the years, hoping to find a song near as perfect as "Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?" -- haven't found one yet. In fact the results have been a little, well... Anyway, after revisiting it seriously for the first time in a long, long while, there's more here than I've given it credit for over the years. The title track has a great chorus, and there were a few other moments. But the closing track still takes the cake. Let's give it a full star extra just for that.
I thought this was great. The name of the album is a winner to start. I thought there were a lot of good songs, some great hooks, lots of likes on this one.
i mean this is ...fine. generic late 80s-early 90s brit rock.
Jeez so much British 80s bullshit on this list. This was pretentious and boring. A chore to get through.
not bad, not my jam tho
Nice
Another head scratcher. A decent album but I failed to hear why it's included on this list.
first listen pretty underwhelming
Typical 80s, not interested.
There’s a couple good songs, but most of it doesn’t stand out to me.
- Never heard of this group; they have the smallest Spotify presence of any group on this list I have seen so far. - Very generic new wave pop-rock. Most of the songs sound extremely similar. - In general I find Lloyd Cole's vocals (a bizarre mix of Bob Dylan and flashes of Linda Perry from 4 Non Blondes) to be hard to tolerate. - Super interesting backing on "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?" If everything was this caliber, it might merit a 3 or higher. - Not offended...but why is this album included?
This is some boring conservative white people music. Holy crap. These guys made a song about sex less entertaining than algebra.
I knew nothing about this band, but they sound like a Smiths knock off. I guess they come up at the same time in Brittain. This wasn't nearly as good.
Forgettable
tried to listen to this like 4 times and got bored every time NNN
This has been a very pleasant unexpected surprise. Great voice and the music is almost symphonic. Very clean sound. Love it!
Nice rhythms, reminiscent of The Cars.
I don't care about this album at all. Why should I? It has little to no cultural impact and should not have been included on this list over more impactful albums. How do these guys get on the list but artists like Louis Armstrong, MF DOOM, and Weezer get absolutely nothing? This whole album just feels derivative. I've heard people compare this album to Bob Dylan, with it said that he inspired this album. Well, and I'm saying this as someone whose last album they listened to before this was a Bob Dylan album, I don't see it. If anything, the singing in this reminds me more of Lou Reed than anyone. Even then, this guy's worse. The sound is fine, I guess. It's just that the jangle-pop sound can be heard through infinitely better and more significant bands of the time like The Smiths and R.E.M. The writing is nothing to write home about. The messaging is basic. I just don't care about this album. It means nothing to me. 2/5.
Love the album cover and that’s about it
It has some DNA of the big jangle in the eighties, but the mixing of the cure-esque vocals leave something to be desired.
This was pretty boring and the singers voice does nothing to bring the music alive.
I enjoyed this one. Listened on a Sunday morning while doing odd jobs around the house and the vibe was perfect. I do love easy listening Scottish rock. I'd probably listen to this again so 4 stars for me.
What is this? Upbeat folk rock? I liked it. Pretty different from other stuff I've usually heard from the 80s.
Trash
T'was alright, slightly bland, doubt I'd return at any stage Andy's babies was a great track mind you 2.5 / 5
Not terrible but not my thing. Can imagine some great albums have missed out for ones like this - shocking. 2/5
Pretty dull. Not quite sure how this made it on the list
7.5/10 - 3/5 Mellow acoustic indie new wave. Not great, not horrible. I did like the sound, but so many similar bands did it so much better.
Pleasantly jangly, but really not something I will remember or listen to again.
If all guitars were as jangly as this, the world would be a better place. This was a very pleasant surprise - and one I will revisit rather soon.
Unfortunately boring and passionless. Some songs had a couple ok melodies, but the album just didn't do it for me.
Great album that ends super strongly. I know nothing about these guys, but they sound like a dusty version of Prefab Sprout, I kept thinking of Steve McQueen when listening to this
I didn’t know Lloyd before I listened to the album, but an album should be able to stand on its own legs. I didn’t find the album interesting. Lloyd has a ‘brightness’, an intelligence of a certain kind but there is a linearity about the album that is just tedious.
Creepy album cover, would have expected trip hip but it's not. Their name is quite weird and don't know what it means, might check it later. I am a fan of rock and new wave as long as it's unique and special in its own way, which is hard to find tbh. Basically I'm not seeing this as something I'll like, all this is said from judging a cover so opinions will chance, hopefully. First song, it's quite normal, his voice isn't spectacular or addictive, but not annoying. The instruments are basic to me, I mean it isn't anything new. No chorus I see. Guitar solo is not bad, just short. It's permanent wave, which I usually like, but this has something missing in it. There is a guy who said the same thing, and I agree with the first song for now. Second song, different and better start. whispery voice now. I like the lyrical delivery. The best change was perfect, but again short. LEONARD COHEN MENTIONED, INSTANT LIKE, don't know what the context is tho. Long ass pauses, but it's worth it because when the beat comes in it's more satisfying. Not amusing in other ways. Third song, new wave vibes instantly. Song is named after the album. The violin is the best part, such a help to not so good lyrical delivery. Another reference to Eva Marie Saint now. It's not catchy to be honest, the new wave I listen to is usually hooky at the first one, this one does have nostalgic vibes and probably is one of the best songs here, but it's missing something. Fourth song, start wasn't as good but as soon as the beat came in it became a little better, they can do that well, though it's not fulfilling. Violin is not good here, it fits but not as good as in the last song. Chorus becomes catchier each time I listen to it. Fifth song, much better start. ooh it's progressing well too. Idk what or how to feel, like it's not necessarily sad, just slow. The beat has changed three times already, love that. Dunno why there is only an extended version of this. The gibberish dururu is fun to listen to. This is one of the songs that I wish were shorter. The end is extended, quite badly, it was the worst part of the song, but the song was quite nice. Thought a-ha did a cover of this, but apparently it's just a song with the same name(a better one now that I've listened to it) Sixth song, upbeat start, more like new wave I guess. The chorus is not what I want rn. The instruments are really good I must say, their delivery is top class sometimes, just all and all not as amusing. Long ass outro and not a good one sadly. Chorus was repeated once but it's still an outro to me. Seventh song, weird song name. Oh fuck it's a car type, not good with those, plus it must be an old one. Not a good delivery, it's too slow even though I like the guitar and I think this one travels between ears. 8th song, fast paced country song already, love that. A veeery different vibe this has brought, but it's still not full, I feel like the way he sings doesn't match the vibe in this song, lyrically it might be sad, but still. Grace Kelly mentionedd. Thought Truman was Jim Carrey's one of the best roles for a second when he said that name. The production is the problem with it I think. 9th song, woman voice at the start, different but not unique. I like this one more than I expected. The bridge is the best part here. The chorus is only good because of the instruments otherwise it's very forgettable and uninteresting. 10th song, never thought I'd listen to dull new wave music. I like the constant beat on the right side, as everything else is too overused in the other songs. Apparently many people share my ideas about this, because of the genre it's listenable and not a full waste of time, just not something I'd listen to again. 11th song, originally album ended and this is just 4 additional songs and I'll listen to them. Finally this feels full, his voice fits the vibe but I think the instruments are not giving here. A darker voice he has, but the overall vibe is no better. 12th song, not a good start not continuation. What a bad production, feel like I'm listening to another artist, what I listened before was better than these two songs honestly. Whistling at the end made it a liiitle different. 13th song, I am veeery disappointed, I think I'm not gonna include these 4 songs when I rate the album, because it'll get one less star, and the songs above don't deserve it, because the new waveness was good in its fashion. But this.. this ain't what I would expect from them. 14th song, beeeetter vibes already. Guitar is well played here. Lyrically it's meh, I mean the way he says them. It does not make it up for the three songs I've wasted my time on just now. The end was a little experimental, but nothing drastic. As I've said I won't include last four songs, because that would make me rate the album 2 stars and I don't want to do that. 3 stars are too much for this album, but I suppose it's the best choice for me right now. I like the genre in general and that makes me rate this a little higher than it deserves, I think they could have done much more.
This really really dragged. There were a few highs but WAY too many lows.
Indie pop de los 80. Me ha sorprendido para bien.
The lead singer's voice reminded me of the guy from OMD. I enjoyed it!
80's indie pop/rock of the highest calibre. It's made by a smartass (and doesn't he know it) what with all the literary references dotted throughout the album. However, when you sound this good, it doesn't matter if you're a smartass - in fact it probably helps. Best Tracks: Perfect Skin; Rattlesnakes; Are You ready To Be Heartbroken?
This was a very average album in my opinion. Not high highs but not low lows. I think better than I expected after looking at the album cover but not surprised by how it turned out.
Feels weird that I wouldn't recognize or remember this - weird only in that initially it fits so comfortably and unspectacularly in with a basket of similarly-sounding mid-80s melodic pop-rock bands that I'm surprised at least one of these tracks wasn't a summer '85 memory. Maybe radio figured that Lloyd Cole and Crowded House would have been too similar for North American tastes, and Crowded House had far-better singles. eh, I don't mind it - that clean/processed guitar sound where you can hear every note - it's both dated (very 1984/5) but appealing. The breathy vocals can border on "that's enough already" - there's enough melody to keep the album on but rarely-if-ever anything to make you really notice what you're listening to. And actually that last song "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken" is just terrible - throwing way way too many cringey lyrics into each stanza over a lush/laconic/banal melodic progression... it's hard to even listen to. Sum: it's a safe album that I could put on the turntable for any crowd and would never be out of place yet nobody would ever remember it. 5/10 3 stars
Its got all the 80s vibes for sure. Pleasant enough although even when I tried to pay attention it quickly became background music. At times there were definite Talking Heads moments, which earns this an extra half star. 3.5, but I'm rounding down to 3 because it too easily became generic background stuff halfway through the record.
Reminds me of The Smiths, but less grating.
His voice makes me want to punch kittens.
Not much of anything really, just a bland album.
Just generic 80s pop. Didnt do anything new or exciting that warranted to be on this list.
Good but not a must listen
What this is doing on here, I have no idea
Meh.
Indie pop de los 80. Me ha sorprendido para bien.
A bit folksy. Upbeat. Never heard of group or album. Felt a bit monochromatic overall.
That album stinks. Boring. How dare you. Next album better rip, bc this shit is like 2/3 a drag..
perfectly fine, extremely forgettable. mediocre and inoffensive to the point of being completely unremarkable
Boring
Not horrible to listen to, but not that interesting.
Kind of a quirky album. I hear some Duran Duran and Cars mixed into some of the songs. I can hear the Dylan influence lyrically in spots. It feels like they don’t quite put it all together.
Another random 80's band I never heard of. Not bad.
It's OK. It all started to sound the same for me. Very few dynamics in the vocals.
This is okay. Its not hitting though.
This album is quintessential 80s which is not too bad. However, I could not stand his voice. The background instruments were OK. Overall would not seek out again. 2/5
Eh... not my thing. Repetitive and boring. Certainly nothing groundbreaking or notable about this album.
This sounds a bit like The Smiths but less melancholic and more upbeat. Great album that could've stood out more on some of the tracks
Kinda liked it. Will probably revisit later
Pretty good 4/5
It was mostly okay - very 80s indie rock. Flavors of REM - I didn't hate it but I can't see myself listening to it again. Fine in the background but nothing stood out to me.
Nothing I needed to hear. Awful voice.
I had to listen to this about three times and started to like it more and more as I did. Hard to believe this pretty terrific album was written more or less alone in the basement of a Scottish country club, but here we are. Fabulous lyrics throughout and even with a low budget vibe (drum machine), I found myself loving it.
Lloyd didn't want to sell anything, buy anything or process anything. He didn't want to sell anything bought or processed or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought or processed. Lloyd had big plans of being a kickboxer but instead somehow fell into making a synth-y Brit-pop band from the 80's more mediocre than it would've been on its own. You can blame Ione Skye, but synth-y Brit-pop from the 80s, was always destined to be wretched. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuc_BqAPxRo ...hold on to your dreams, folks.
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions’ “Rattlesnake” is a British jangle pop album from the 1980s by a band I’d never heard of. But in a shocker, I didn’t hate it. Didn’t really like it either. The vocals were just this side of the turn-off range. But some of the jangly pop was pleasant (and some was too cheesy). But before even listening, as soon as I saw the name of the album’s hit single, “Are You Ready to be Heartbroken,” something clicked. That sounds familiar? By a guy named Lloyd? I immediately remembered Camera Obscura’s “Lloyd, I’m Ready to be Heartbroken,” and spent most of “Rattlesnake” wishing for Camera Obscura instead. That song, from their 2006 album “Let’s Get Out of This Country,” was written in response to the Lloyd Cole track. But in response Camera Obscura exceeds The Commotions in every way. It’s a fun and lovely album. British jangle pop from the 00s > British jangle pop from the 80s Lloyd Cole & The Commotions are really only worthy of a ⭐️⭐️, but Camera Obscura earns a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, so we’ll throw Lloyd and additional ⭐️ for the reminder of a great song.
At least the lack luster music isn’t of the cheesy 80s style. It did capture my enjoyment briefly from time to time. The vocals are subpar throughout.
naja 2-3
Not worth the commotion.
"I might come to a conclusion other than that which is absolutely necessary" and yet it's one that I want to utter in the same annoying, hackneyed and ultimately boring 'conversational' tone as the one Lloyd Cole uses in the opener of this record, and this conclusion is that blabbering each and every thought that pops out of your mind in an overaffected and histrionic drawl just because you are aroused by some girl who is herself "sexually enlightened by Cosmopolitan" doesn't automatically make said thoughts interesting or revelatory for most listeners--especially when the music over which you sing those banal thoughts is so bland, predictable and "middle-of-the-road" itself, not to mention produced with a blatant disregard for dynamics that could at least make up for how unoriginal the same music is, i.e. never as interesting as the one Johnny Marr wrote for the Smiths for instance, a good reference point to state how Lloyd Cole himself piles up misfires after misfires as a frontman, vocalist and lyricist compared to, say, Morrissey, another "histrionic" singer for sure, yet one whose eighties recordings can still mesmerize listeners today--contrary to Lloyd Cole, whose own "overkill" mode sounds like a total act and not something that comes out of his heart--and that's not even taking into account the frequent odd meters in his lyrics, as established earlier, suggesting that the man was so pretentious and full of himself that he thought each and every word he wrote should be uttered on a bar not fit to receive all of them, whereas just changing the phrasing or the choice of words could have been a more elegant solution, especially when said words often don't express anything precise or cohesive anyway, and when the way they are sung doesn't save them either--when the mannerisms and the pretense just ruin the few things that could have been salvaged on a musical standpoint--and if you feel like it's exhausting to read this long-ass paragraph complaining about *Rattlesnakes*, just imagine how utterly exhausting it was for me to listen to this dated and flat music for 50 minutes straight, which felt like two hours, honestly: all of this explains why Lloyd Cole doesn't "need my sympathy", and why "I wont read [his] poetry", to use the man's own words in "Charlotte Street", one of the rare cuts in this record that's *slightly* memorable, but which, very ironically, might just betray the fact that Lloyd Cole And The Commotions were themselves aware they could easily pass off as total bores for a lot of listeners not necessarily inclined to put up with the self-indulgence of their "sophistipop", an overall style from the dreadful eighties that was so awkward AND pretentious that it should probably be left in the dustbins of music history today, a few decades later, as competent and even "skilled" as the players are on this record (like that string section in the title-track, or in "Down On Mission Street", for instance--songs that are still listenable I guess, but more for their lush arrangements but for the compositions per se), because--let's face it--at the end of the day, bad taste is bad taste, no matter how good you are as a musician and a composer ; and sophistipop, often favoring style over substance, often made things worse in that regard, and if you add those odd meters and cruelly self-conscious lyrics, the whole thing becomes unbearable, once again, which is why with their jangle-pop energy played in the same early years of the eighties, the Smiths or REM could still improve such an initial "histrionic" formula at least, and this in ways Lloyd Cole And The Commotions never even seemed to consider for one second (except from that frankly awesome amplified guitar solo at the end of *Forest Fire*, admittedly, but once again it's another case of a great last-minute flourish in a song that doesn't show much in terms of hrilling elements elsewhere), and so all those missed occasions to write and perform something genuinely *good* probably explains why the record drags on and on with no precise destination in mind, just like this review, but also like a lot of the individual songs in the album, which often end on an unresolved note, especially on its second side--unresolved notes not even giving a somewhat mysterious undertone to the proceeding, only an "indifferent" one, just like a dead-eyed stare worthy of the one a dead-brained zombie could send you back right before you shoot its face off just to come out of this unfortunate encounter alive, and then forget about the whole thing just for the sake of mental self-preservation. Blah. Hated this record. Hope you can picture the reasons why I did by now. But if not, it's not even an issue for me, very honestly. And I rarely say that. So, next, please. 1/5 for the goals of this list, i.e. listing 1001 "essential albums" for me. Which translates to a 6/10 grade for more general (and maybe more "objective") reasons. (5 for competent playing + 1 for a couple of memorable moments pestered by an utter lack of taste and/or compelling dynamics). Number of albums left to review: 293 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 311 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 169 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other records are more important to me): 230 (including this one)
"Down On Mission Street" was a damn good song. Everything else was very boring. Were these guys even aware of what was going on with music in 1984? Michael Jackson, Depeche Mode, Def Leppard, REM, Van Halen, X.... Maybe these guys thought that compared to everything else at the time, that their sound was really fresh and innovative. Good Lord was this album boring as hell.
Итс окэй. Хотя альбом вышел 40 лет назад, звучит, на самом деле, как современные американские инди сингер сонграйтер альбомы. Не знаю, о чем это говорит: о том, что этот альбом опередил свое время лет на 30, или о том, что Курт Вайл и проч не очень стараются. Лучшая песня - Down On Mission Street
Another album/artist I've never heard of. I don't even think I've heard any of these songs before. It's an enjoyable listen but I don't think there's anything that would make me want to revisit it. The songs run together a bit and it's just the definition of bang average. 6/10 (3/5)
had never heard of this album or group before. guess there's a reason for that.
Where has this band been until now? By listening to this album, I think Lloyd Cole is one of the coolest British guys from the 80s. It's like an ego-less version of Morrisey. The album is a lovely collection of charismatic songs with infectious jangly guitars and intriguing lyrics. This goes definitely to my REM, Matthew Sweet, Big Star playlist. Long live to jangly power pop.
Indie pop de los 80. Me ha sorprendido para bien.
Seichter Jungle Rock
Genre: Jangle pop, college rock, folk rock 1984 Singles: Perfect Skin (#26 UK), Forest Fire (#41 UK), Rattlesnakes (#65 UK), Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken (#68 UK) 5/5: Perfect Skin 4/5: Speedboat, Rattlesnakes, Charlotte Street, 2cv, Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken Rating: 4
Some weird older pop band that reminds me of the proclaimers for some reason
I’ve never heard of Lloyd Cole & The Commotions before. I’ve always thought that band names that are Someone & The Somethings are a bit amusing. The Somethings are always a bit of an afterthought, aren’t they? Songs I already knew: all of them Favourites: Perfect Skin, 2CV This was a really pleasant album. It’s straight up 80’s pop rock - very similar sounding to people like Rick Springfield which is certainly no bad thing. The singing is nice, the music is decent without being overly complex, it’s pretty much everything expected of a pop record, but with some audible guitars thrown in too. Overall, it’s not exactly a masterpiece, but I enjoyed this.
it was alright! Nothing much really stood out for me here.
British pop; sounds like Morrissey/The Smiths. Not horrible, not particularly memorable either.
I thought they were like Commodores, my mistake, they're good!
It was like 30 something minutes of the same thing over and over again. Hard to enjoy it.
Good maybe
I hadn't heard of this band prior to this generator, so good on the app for introducing me to something new. That said, this album was only ok for me. Listenable, but a little derivative of The Smiths in places. Nothing really stuck out for me, but at the same time nothing really annoyed me either. Overall it felt somewhat forgettable. I saw that Lloyd Cole has had a bit of a solo career since; curious whether that's worth checking out.
I'm guessing the author of 1001 albums was reading at the university of Glasgow in 1984. 2.6
Not sure how I've never heard of him/them. Elvis Costello/Pulp with a Smiths poetic edge. 76/100
Melancholic at times, but also very melodic and rock pip. Makes me think of Future Islands.
80s rock
A very fun pop record. A lot of these songs are gems and I’d venture to say forgotten ones because I’d previously never heard of this band or this album. It fits in with typical ‘80s pop while also bringing a few other elements that really do work well.
Very meh. This is not an album anyone NEEDS to listen to. Sounds like an average bar band or every other mediocre 80s folksy new age band.
This was a fun little album, reminded me of others but listening on a Saturday morning feels like the best way to listen.
Nice album! Hadn't heard of this group, could tell they're British, and they remind me a bit of acts like Cocteau Twins or Mazzy Star, I think we're in a similar vein of dreamy rock music. A few really great songs I'll be keeping, though the album as a whole didn't hold my interest as much as I'd hoped. Still, it's a good album. Favorite tracks: Perfect Skin, Down on Mission Street, Charlotte Street. Album art: Very simple, a shot of a door in a rundown building, and you've got all the band and album text including the track listing on the right in red. Not bad at all. Not exactly memorable, but the photography is nice. 3.5/5
Has elements of The Smiths, it’s good. A refreshing listen, nothing taxing about it.
Not bad when you are in the mood for this kind of sound.
Another boring brit pop album. Definitely need more variety in this lost. Nothing special here. 2 stars
80s vibe. Seemed more lyrical and I didn't pay much attention to the lyrics
I think the main crime this album commits is being instantly forgettable. When it comes to jangle-y pop songs, you can assuredly do worse than this album, but one has to question if it really does anything all that special, and in my opinion it doesn't. It has a decent hook there, and nice bridge here, but as an album I struggle to find this to be more than a somewhat pleasant listen in the moment, and nothing more. Again, you can do worse, but you can also do a lot, LOT better.
It was ok - but wouldn’t seek it out again.
Have a soft spot for this. True, it wasn't "ground-breaking" or "revolutionary" but it's a delicious slice of jangly indie pop. 3.5 stars, with an extra half for nostalgia because a mate of mine was absolutely obsessed with this one
Music equivalent of boiled steak. Bland and flavorless.
Forgettable record with uninspired music and average, bordering on irritating, vocals.
Some good tracks. Refreshing after the last few albums. Just not sure if i'd go back to it.
I might have liked this more just because of how much I hated Bjork yesterday, but I found this to be very fun and engaging. I'll put this one on again.
Not really my thing personally, but not bad!
Klinkt als elke andere british group op deze lijst
Buen disco clasificado como pop-rock, sin grandes pretensiones. Apetecible de escuchar en varios momentos. No destaca especialmente. Poco virtuoso y un tanto predecible
2.5
ensimmäinen biisi ehkä huonoin biisi koskaan tuotettu. toinen biisi ehkä yksi parhaista ikinä.. luulin että nyt alkaa historialloinen kapuaminen. mitä seurasi oli ketju niin keskiverto himputusta. hymy meni mutruun suusta uskallanko sen verran sanoa. no sanon sen verran. speedboat
Not bad
Depressing 80’s music without any of the fun parts of 80’s music
bit of 80s nostalgia
Je trouvais que l'album partait vraiment bien, mais plus ça avançait plus je trouvais ça redondant et trop "sweet" à mon goût. Les inflections de voix du chanteur devenait vraiment énervantes à la longue et sa voix trop claire tombe sur le coeur à la longue. Je dois lui donner qu'il sonne un peu en avance sur son temps par ses sonorités un peu indie. 6/10
It's funny that the Wikipedia page mentions Bob Dylan being such a big influence on this album, particularly with regards to the opening track, Perfect Skin. I didn't hear that at all on Perfect Skin - to me it sounded much more like Television than Dylan. But then on 2cv suddenly the Dylan influence struck me. Overall it's a good album, sounds a lot like several of the other British pop albums I've had lately on this list. 3 stars.
love Lloyd Cole
Good sound but where are the memorable tunes? Got worse as the album left, the end was real slow.
I should’ve hated this album. But somehow I didn’t. It’s making me question everything I thought I knew about myself. I might even listen to it again. Dear God what has happened to me?
helt ok
I really don't like the singer's voice. But I also don't like Bob Dylan's voice, and I think that's kind of what he's going for. Other than that, this album is really incredible. Excellent instrumentation. Some really interesting songs, too.
Nothing. I felt nothing when listening to this. Not absolutely terrible, just not impactful at all.
I've never even heard of this album before subbing to this app. Thanks for a number new album and group.
It was fine. Nothing really stuck out to me about it.
This one is decent, but drones on a bit by the end. Apart from the first song, it's fairly forgettable - unless you were to love that musical style, I guess.
I can imagine how this would have sounded different from music at the time but now sounds so similar to other albums of the era.
Helt skön musa.
Good debut.
Zeer meh, niet eens zin om hier iets zinnigs over te schrijven
Ian? Is that you? Really has that Bunnymen sound. Very decent. Interesting to listen to.
This one is strange, it has a talky vibe with a bit alternative that reminds me of The The. Strangely, i love The The, but this rubs me the wrong way... it feels/sounds pretentious. The music itself is fine, but the vocal delivery is like a sand wedgie.
Pretty good 80s sound. Never heard of it before now.
Wasn't bad, wasn't great either. Typical 80s pop
I like it but don’t love it. It feels longer than it is.
I can't even remember it now, and it's been fewer than 24 hours.
Bisl langweilig, aber noch ok.
Shrug of the shoulders. They seemed to find a formula that worked for them. There was a distinct lack of commotion.
Nice little folk album with pure vocals, but didn’t make a big impact on me
bro's singing strongly reminds me of Manoel Gomes aka mr. blue pen... not bad music though
I've never heard of this band or album, but I really liked this album. On my first listen, I wasn't terribly impressed, but after listening to it a second time, I appreciated it a lot more. For some reason, this album is listed as New Wave and Rock on here, and I think that altered my expectations on my first listen. Going through it a second time, I knew it was much closer to Sophisti-pop, or some sort of folk-pop. The musical arrangements on this album were really great. I loved the string arrangements and the guitar playing, and the lyrics were great too. My biggest beef with this album is that at times, it sounds like Lloyd Cole is ripping off The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, and The The. All three of those bands had pretty big albums released before Rattlesnakes, and honestly, it felt like their presence on this album was more than just an influence. Thankfully, it wasn't every song that felt this way, but it was enough that I noticed it pretty quickly. Even though I enjoyed listening to this, I'm not sure it really earned a spot on this list.
Not the biggest fan of this only gave it one listen I like new wave but this didn’t really feel like new wave more just like 80s music. It objectively sounds good just not for me. -B (ig balls Brendan)
Really enjoyed this. This is like, when new wave is kinda garagey and emo like this I really fw it. Love 2cv, love forest fire, patience
The album was okay. It sounds like something in an 80s high school prom rom com movie. Not a big fan of the voice. The album had pretty consistent instrumentation. A couple songs were good like Charlotte Street.
This is a fine album. I'm not sure why it is on this list.
I dont love the new wave style. This is not for me.
titelnummeret var en del af Tori Amos' coveralbum 🤓 første gang jeg hører den originale. Nok mit yndlingsnummer på albummet Faktisk vældig god musik, lyder meget som om det kommer fra samme skole som Elvis Costello? Men jeg syntes det var sådan lidt ubemærkelsesværdigt. Jeg kommer nok til at glemme det ret hurtigt igen tbh
Sangene bed sig ikke SÅ meget fast, men jeg kunne rigtig godt lide lyden. Camera Obscura har en sang der hedder "Lloyd I'm ready to be heartbroken" som jeg hørte en del i gym, den giver MEGET bedre mening nu
🤷
Unmemorable and not offensive. Boring, I guess. But it didn’t hurt my ears. Decent background score.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Decent, but not great. Reminded me of new wave-ish bands like Squeeze or Elvis Costello but not as interesting.
This had a few 4 star songs for me, but not enough of them. Overall, this was a pleasant listen and I’m glad I heard it, but I don’t think I’ll be revisiting.
4/5
Lloyd Cole is a fine songwriter and the commotions are a fine band. This is a fine album but they improve a bit in later stuff. He always seemed to me to be a bit behind in his writing style. This would have fit nicely a couple of years earlier. But more than a few years later it holds up pretty well. But it’s the later albums where the gold is mined.
Actually didn’t know this album very well, although I’m familiar with a bunch of tracks from my 7” single & 4-track 12” EP of Perfect Skin. It’s a track I’ve always enjoyed. However over the years it’s the album’s title track that I go back to often. Rattlesnakes always reminded me of Where Do You Go To by Peter Sarstedt, just because of the lines : She looks like Eve Marie saint in on the waterfront She reads Simone de Beauvoir in her American circumstance Which always remind me of Sarstedt’s opening lines : You talk like Marlene Dietrich And you dance like Zizi Jeanmaire Where Sarstedt’s 1969 composition was definitely placed in a fashion/ swinging 69’s context, Cole’s is definitely a more literary lyric, as indeed are a lot of the songs on the album. A common question ever since the 80’s has been : whatever happened to Lloyd Cole? This is such a quality record that it’s hard to believe he didn’t find big success.
There's nothing wrong with this album per se, but I just don't really dig it. I remember Perfect Skin getting played on the radio when it was released, and I thought it was OK then, and it's still OK. The production is pretty good for an 80s indie-style release. His voice is nothing to write home about, and I find it a bit mannered and thin. He has a lot of trouble with the high notes. His song writing is intelligent (and pretentious), melodic (but not super memorable), and tuneful (even if his voice is weak). He fits within the tradition of your Dylan and (more obviously) Leonard Cohen. I keep thinking "he's like a less compelling version of Nick Cave/Greg Dulli/Jarvis Cocker/insert name here", except for the fact that this album pre-dates most of those artists (at least, when they were working in this vein). Most of them don't really start this type of songwriting until the late 80s or 90s. The contemporary of Lloyd Cole that immediately springs to my mind is David McComb of The Triffids, whose songwriting is much more musically and lyrically compelling (IMHO). I just checked my record collection, and I own a copy of this record. I don't recall _ever_ have played it. I was having a beer with some mates last week, and a few of them mentioned that they were going to see Lloyd Cole when he tours Australia soon, so he clearly means a lot to some of my contemporaries. But I have no desire to sit through a show by Mr Cole. Again, there's nothing _wrong_ with it, but there is just some spark missing. 2.5 stars, rounding down
A few good songs, a few bad songs. Overall an interesting acoustic-new-wave kind of thing, even if it doesn't have anything particularly stand out about it.
This album is a cross between new wave, college rock, and folk. It features jangly guitar but still retains a blues and funk core. Lyrically, it is very literate and make references to literature (especially New Journalism and philosophy). Musically, it is highly melodic which is often reinforced or echoed in the instrumentation. The guitar outlines the chords and along with the strings, achieves a full sound. The bass is prominent as is typical of new wave/post-punk. Its folky elements are reminiscent of the Byrds, Bob Dylan, and the early/mid career Beatles. I can hear a lot of this album in modern indie folk and indie rock, especially the reinforced melodies.
meh
Not sure what to say about this album. I'd never previously heard of this band, or listened to any of the songs. I would say indie/pop/new wave describes this. Nothing really stood out, I didn't hear anything innovative or ground breaking, it was pretty generic. Overall, it was ok, but nothing I'd recommend or listen to again. Basically forgettable
Reminds me of Morrisey, but if Morrisey had a more tolerable voice
Meh
- The vocals are very 80s, but the sound production carry a somewhat country/folk soundscape on the guitars specially. - I had never head anything about this band before. Cool discovery.
sin más, un poco aburrido
Rattlesnakes is the debut album by the British rock and pop band Lloyd Cole and the Commotions. This jangle pop / folk rock album was inspired by Bob Dylan's music and its song's themes are mostly about love/romance. Critically acclaimed, this debut album was popular at release and was commended for being a fresh dose of tender pop tracks with dashes of other genres for balance. Although overall I liked this album, there were some songs not for me, and the pop music kind of gets old since I believe it's always been overplayed. However, for a debut album Lloyd Cole hit this one out of the park and made his band an instant sensation.
Han hyvlade till ett bra album den gamle kedjerökaren.
Didnt really like this one either. There was sometimes this sound to british pop vocals of that era that I didnt like. Almost sounded like they were trying to sing without any bass in their voice or something. Just was kinda boring and uninspired to me.
this will be of the 1984 release, not the 1985 bonus edition nor the 2004 deluxe edition. track 1, Perfect Skin track 2, Speedboat i have listened to these six seperate times and every time i zone out midway through the first song and come back near the end of the second song. entirely indescribable. 9/10 and 7.5/10 respectively. track 3, Rattlesnakes: the titular song. the guitar and violin(?) go really well together, good vibes here. 9/10 track 4, Down on Mission Street: honestly, every song so far on this album has been super chill and relaxing. could put this on as background music for anything and have a good time. 8/10 instead of repeating "wow, i zoned out almost the entire song and had a great time just sitting here and taking it in", i'm going to put the following mark: [!]. if you see that symbol, that's what happened to me for that song. that being said, track 5, Forest Fire: [!] 9/10 track 6, Charlotte Street: [!] 8/10 track 7, 2cv: [!] 8/10 track 8, Four Flights Up: [!] 8/10 track 9, Patience: ironically, the song i've been most present for so far, despite being one of the strongest relaxation-wise. the guitar + strings combo is still here and still going very well. 8.5/10 track 10, Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?: [!] 8/10 overall: 8.3/10 -> 4/5. i'm a little disappointed i couldn't offer better commentary about these, because wow were they good to listen to. might add this to a background music playlist.
Good. Nothing that really tickled my fancy. It was unoffensive.
Pretty cool 80’s sounding rock
Bland, uninspiring, basic. I'm struggling with this one as it's just so by-the-numbers that all the songs sort of bleed into one amalgamous blob of jangly guitar music with no real substance.
Helt greit. Ikke min greie
I am struggling to see how this album is notable in anyway at all. It's not bad, but what is the inspiration here? You can quite easily tell the history of recorded music without mentioning this band, let alone this album. There aren't any groundbreaking sounds, techniques, arrangements, lyrics, etc here at all. It's just a fine album that I'll never listen to again after this. Favorite track: Patience
After 4 or 5 tracks, this album really just sounded like one long song. not for me at all.
Ok
I think if you're making a list of albums you should listen to before you die, there's only so many boring British '80s albums you can have and still be credible. I think this list is past that limit.
The vocalist is trying to do rockabilly a bit, and it intrigues me. It sounds like a cross between a few different vocalists, but not overly distinct. But in the middle, the songs did start to blend together. Maybe it was the guitar, I dunno. They just started to sound very same-y to me. I really did like the last song, though. "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?" The mix of acoustic guitar and 80s feel clicked with me, along with the accordion. More of that, please.
So my first reaction was "never heard of them". Then I saw they had some decent-charting UK singles and quickly listened to them before diving into the album - still thought "never heard of them". As I was listening to the first song the whole way through I started to read up on the album and saw this review from Spin "This is the first album I've heard of late that rejects the techno-pop banality we've been drowning in without being overly self-conscious in its minimalism or wearing a chip on its shoulder". Are you f'n kidding me? I apologize for all the times I've used big words in my reviews here. That is as pompous as pompous gets. Also, what the hell did you just say? In the words of Barney Gumble (Simpsons) "go back to Russia" (well, Oxford sociology class really). To me, their sound reminded me of REM (e.g., Perfect Skin) but at times with a bit more blues (e.g., Speedboat) or Waterboys-like Celtic stylings (e.g., Rattlesnakes). Coincidence these two bands debuted around the same time? I don't know but this album was a pleasant surprise. On top of their sound, the lyrics were really poetic. No problem giving it a 3 on first listen. On multiple listens, it felt like the first three or four songs were a lot stronger than the rest of the album. A 3 is where it stays.
Made very little impression
The first thing that I noticed and then continued to notice, is the lead singer's slightly off-pitch voice. It was hard to enjoy the album without focusing on this.
Pleasant, jangly mixture of guitar based folks and rock, with country thrown in.
A very decent example of a certain style and era of British pop I hadn't heard much of before embarking on this list. Enjoyable listen although nothing stood out that much to.me.
Fínt gáfumannapopp.
This album fucking blowwwss unghh. It’s like a dollar tree version of the cure. Like a Midwest cover and you find in a busted ass bar that does the whole new wave style with a little twang, but is somehow styleless while also derivative of a far superior band. Holy fuuuuuuck
Wiz areet. Some tunes are bonnie. Forest Fire - Ext. Rattlesnakes. Perfect Skin. Tbh got a bit bored and listened to Fightstar instead
Good album. Nothing blew me away but it was pretty listenable. 3.5/5
Vanredno mid. Nije lose ali rade bare minimum na pesmama. Kao samo su pesme nema nista zanimljivo, kao da ne pokusavaju. Mid
Generic boring british bullshit pop album. Only reason its on this list is because its made by british white people. Not so bad that it deserves a 1, but not good enough to get past a 2. 2/5
This was good,especially the title track Rattlesnakes, easy high 3* maybe even a 4* ?
Bit warbly and meandering....
This isn't reinventing anything. But it is pretty pleasant. Just a real solid record.
So bland. I feel like I've listened to ten other albums on this list that sounded exactly the same
Some decent tunes but mostly forgettable
Jangly, heartful Prefab Sprout‘ishness. „Speedboat“ is amazing.
Weird and 80s, not necessarily in a good way. I feel like this album is a bit confused about what it's trying to be. I found this to be pretty average and unforgettable.
Bjork is what I would call an acquired taste. It’s certainly not a bad album but also probably not an album for my morning commute. The “hits” from the album: Human Behavior, Big Tim
It was ok. Couple great songs and for the rest its a bit middle of the road. They play it a bit safe and they dont do anything all that daring with the style, but for what it is its still solid.
Forgot I listened to it the minute the last song ended. Not bad just super forgetable
this was cool. I like his voice