Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Not quite my thing
Pretty interesting, but incredibly incredibly restrained. I think their later albums build on this very soft sound and add in more techno and electronic elements....this early album felt a bit stale to me on first listen but could grow on me if I give it repeat listens
Sheesh. Boring. Didn't like it.
This album isn't even poorly done, it's just so boring and mid that the mediocrity makes me angry. Why did *this* get a spot on the list but Security by Peter Gabriel didn't? Every second of this album I listen to is a moment in time I can never get back.
So the big question with this album is: Do I rate the original release with nothing remarkable on for me (2 stars)? Or the re-release with at least the single hit "I Don't Want To Talk About It" on (3 stars)? But just because even this hit is a cover-version, it stays at two stars. 2,5
own
Rate: 7/10.
I've forgotten the whole thing.
Can't disagree with the naysayers on this except on the intensity of rejection. The 80's were lousy with adult contemporary music, oozing with feelings and romantic sentiment, lovelorn or deep into a great relationship. It's a style and a lot of it doesn't stand out. This is a middling offer in that genre.
All idle. No wild.
Okay this is an absolutely gorgeous album, and it makes me wonder how I've never given this band an honest chance beyond their few breakout hits in the 90s. My fave tracks: Love Is Here Where I Live, I Always Was Your Girl, Oxford Street (this made me think of an 80s TV show theme song - in a good way), Tears All Over Town
I'm going to try something a little different this time. Read about 15 reviews on this website pertaining to this album. I will agree they're exaggerating about how truly "bad" this album is, but I also agree it's a bad album. At least the singing is good. Favorite Track: "Love Is Here Where I Live".
Background music that is so bland that you forget you are listening to it.
Unmemorable
Waaaaaay too smooth. Not the 80s I was looking for.
Certainly not my style
I almost got this one completely wrong. For the first half hour I thought I was listening to a beautifully produced, impeccably tasteful sophisti-pop album. The DX7s are everywhere. Ben Watt has left the retrospective musical world of Eden behind and embraced 1988 completely. Then I realised the lyrics had done exactly the same thing. This isn’t an album looking backwards. It’s about two people in their late twenties taking stock of where they are now. Friends are becoming parents. They’re wondering whether they should. Home has become something more complicated than an address. Jealousy hasn’t disappeared simply because they’ve become adults. Relationships still contain tenderness, compromise, insecurity and the occasional red mist. What impressed me was that the album refuses to confuse maturity with emotional perfection. These are decent people, but they aren’t idealised people. They admit to things most of us spend years pretending aren’t there. The songs don’t flatter their writers. They simply tell the truth as they understand it. Ben Watt deserves enormous credit. At first I heard tasteful arrangements. By the end I heard an arranger with the confidence to stay out of the way. Too many records from this period ask you to admire the production. Here, the production simply creates space for the songs. For a self-produced album, it’s astonishingly assured. The Night I Heard Caruso Sing is the emotional centre of the record. Ben’s own song, and quite possibly the only album in the 1001 Albums canon to mention Montrose, manages to be about fatherhood, inheritance, beauty and fear without ever becoming grandiose. The album kept reminding me of Philip Larkin. Not musically, but philosophically. Both are fascinated by ordinary adulthood, by the strange business of becoming yourself while life quietly accumulates around you. The difference is that Larkin often stood outside life looking in. Thorn and Watt stay inside it. I’ve been thinking recently about albums that gave other artists permission. The Velvet Underground gave permission to leave the joins showing. McCartney gave permission to write about everything and nothing simultaneously. Everything But The Girl give permission simply to write about being: about adulthood not as a destination but as an ongoing negotiation with yourself and with the people you love. When I started listening, I wondered why this album belonged in the canon. By the end, I couldn’t imagine it not belonging there.
I was prepared to be charmed by this album, as the haunting “Missing” from 1994 is an absolute classic. Thus, I was shocked by my hatred of this. It’s absolute, bland Muzak. Tracey Thorn has a lovely voice, but it doesn’t vary here at all, just floats at the same register over slow, ponderous, sad songs that seem half-baked. It became boring, then annoying, and finally I had to DNF.
Gear: Dunu SA6 Artwork: 🙂🙂💐 Production (2012 Remaster): 👂🩺🧈 Music: 🧼🧀😤 Rating: 🌬️/5
I love Tracey Thorn’s voice, and at its best, 'Idlewild' is excellent pop music, but admittedly, in places it's also a bit too much like hold music. Around three and a half stars.
That was challenging to hear on gloomy Saturday morning. Too slow and same tone throughout this album. Need more coffee now.
Ehhh.
An easy-listening album that isn't nearly as good as the other album I got from this group. Not nearly as interesting as it plays out to be, especially from that era.
#1017. There is so much good New Wave out there. How is this album one of the ones chosen for this book? 2/5: mediocre
Offensively inoffensive. Staggeringly dull - so much so that I actually kept forgetting it was playing.
Decent pop album
At its best, its got the sad longing of a Smiths ballad, though it almost tips into easy listening.
Clean Pop Folk. I was familiar with Everything by the Girl but I had always known them as an Electronica group, I has no idea they had an acoustic past. Pretty fine and finely pretty. I really like the Crazy Horse song "I Don't Want to Talk About It", you can never go wrong with that tune. Key tracks: I Don't Want to Talk About It
Amazing album
45 minutes of hold music.
Reminds me of those infomercials I would see as a kid in the middle of the night for a boxset of some band no one had ever heard of and even as a kid I would thing to myself, "who is this for? Who is buying this?". After all this time, I know the answer.
Das britische Duo Tracey Thorn und Ben Watt nahm sein viertes Album im Herbst 1987 in den Londoner Livingston Studios auf und veröffentlichte es 1988 über Blanco y Negro Records – ein Wechsel weg vom orchestralen Bombast des Vorgängers hin zu einer intimeren, reduzierteren Klangsprache. Der Sophisti-Pop-Ansatz bleibt erkennbar, doch die Produktion, die Watt und Thorn diesmal selbst verantworteten, setzt stärker auf Akustikgitarren, Drumcomputer und sparsame Synthesizer-Texturen als auf glatten Studio-Glanz. Thematisch wendet sich "Idlewild" dem Alltäglichen zu: Mutterschaft, Vorstadtkindheit, das Erwachsenwerden – Songs wie "These Early Days" oder "Apron Strings" lesen sich fast wie Kurzgeschichten, nicht wie klassische Popverse. Thorns Stimme trägt diese Nüchternheit mühelos, ohne ins Sentimentale abzurutschen. Die Coverversion "I Don't Want to Talk About It" sticht heraus als seltener Moment offener Emotionalität inmitten der sonst so kontrollierten Zurückhaltung des Albums. Kommerziell wurde "Idlewild" von der eigenen Plattenfirma zunächst unterschätzt, gewann aber im Rückblick an Ansehen – zu Recht, denn gerade die Kargheit der Arrangements verleiht dem Album eine Beständigkeit, die viele glattere Popproduktionen der späten Achtziger vermissen lassen. Ein leiser, kluger Schritt weg vom großen Sound – und gerade deshalb einer der prägnantesten im Frühwerk des Duos.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Quite a pleasant album. I can't say any tracks blew me away, but that's not what this kind of music would do for me. It featured good vocals and simple soundscapes. Nothing too disruptive or surprising. The standout features for me was the quality of the vocals and the relaxed mood the music produced. Great album to work to. This one is close for me between three and four stars. I think I'll give three because I'm not likely to go through the rest of their catalogue to find what I've been missing.
There's a right way to do slow music, but this really isn't it, not even close. I had this on in the background while I did other things, so it didn't feel as bad as it could have, but every time I took a small break and focused on the music I was just left thinking "oh cool, they are still doing the exact same thing that they were doing 10 minutes ago." I guess it's a good thing to have on just to have some background noise while you work or do whatever else, but it completely lacks the substance needed to be an actually interesting album that deserves your undivided attention.
I can’t tell why I’m not loving the vocals for the instrumentals. Like I think I like each independently? Also I’m stressed tf out today, this may not be the vibe.
Its a great album with very good vocals, very chill! Theres songs that he kinda sounds like Morissey…
Surprised at all the hate this is getting tbh - vocals are nice but the album is very repetitive and follows the same formula throughout. Starts nice and then you're like 'Oh this is exactly like the previous 6 songs'. Not as bad as some as making out
Not for me. The whole vibe is the scene from 90s movies where the mom is driving away from dropping there kid off at school in there minivan, crying to the song playing.
There’s too much good music in the world for us to continually be subjected to some of this shit. Album should be last on the list because it will bore you to death
Meh. Not terrible but kind of boring.
Interesting! My first impression was that it was New Wave pop, but even more boring. In fact, though, the arrangements aren't nearly as trivial as they seem at first glance, and Tracey Thorn's voice is truly special. So Everything But The Girl probably could have made really good music if... well, if they'd had compelling song material to work with. But they didn't.
This album is quite lovely really. The clean production leaves loads of room for all the little guitar, bass, sax licks that really elevate this album. I hear shades of John Mayer, Norah Jones etc in this - wouldn’t be surprised if this was a production blueprint for their earlier works. Excellent.
I prejudged this when i saw it was an 80’s album and categorised as ‘pop’. Everything But The Girl as the band name threw me off acent as well. I apologise to EBTG. It is pop. It is 80’s. But it is super mature pop - I have a friend, we talk about books. She comes around and drinks while I cook. This is too mature for my simian brain to comprehend. It is smart and adventurous in where the pop goes and what it mixes with, it is adult topics and musings. I think this could be a five star with time but could fall to 3. I need time to get my head around it.
Bit of an intriguing one, this. The production and execution is superb, and great vocals, but themetically/sonically very similar overall, so found it hard to find the standout tracks. But I tried - favourite tracks: Love Is Here Where I Live, The Night I Heard Caruso Sing, Apron Strings.
Already listened
4/10… sophisti pop / mellow / *1988
1. talk - 2 2. live - 1 3. dayz - 1 4. girl - 2 5. ztreet - 2 6. night - 1 7. zunday - 2 8. moon - 2 9. roze - 1 10. tearz - 1 11. knouu - 1 12. apron - 1
We're currently dog sitting. It's a poodle/border collie cross. Why would someone breed these two together? You have a border collie that requires stimulation, work, etc, and a poodle, a breed known for boundless energy and never leaving the puppy stage. Last night he tried to jump on my bed to sleep with me. The thing is, our dog sleeps on the bed. Our dog (a golden retriever) was not happy with this. WTF are you on MY bed? She jumped up, started bouncing up and down and barking - Get off! Get off! So today, I'm quite tired, but I still need to work. Which all means I did NOT need this. My only experience of these guys before was "Missing" which was a bit of a snooze but had a beat and stuff. This is a whole other level. Starts with a snoozy cover, moves on to what I assume is a snoozy original, and my eyes are getting heav, this three-minute song feels like it's been going for 15 minutes... And there is still a minute and a half left? DNF.
Dando uma pesquisada após ouvir o disco vi que o duo é mais conhecido pelos trabalhos mais eletrônicos, tipo trip-hop. Já esse aqui puxa mais pra um soft rock, com bastante piano e uma voz bem doce da vocalista. Em certos momentos me lembrou muito de Christopher Cross que gosto muito, em outros alguns trabalhos da Sade, e até mesmo algumas músicas do nosso brazuka Jorge Vercillo. Não vou dizer que é ruim, mas é chill music pra momentos bem específicos do dia a dia.
Idlewild is de geurkaars onder de albums in deze lijst. Mocht er tóch nieuwsgierig naar worden dan weet je al vrij snel dat je een verkeerde keuze hebt gemaakt. Mijn breekpunt was de saxofoon in I Always Was Your Girl. Toen blies ik deze kaars weer uit. 3/10
The reviews have spoken everyone is bored. To me, it's not memorable, but it's not something that I dislike. Do I think it's earned it's place on this list? Probably not, but I'd disagree with approximately 70 percent of this thus far. It's music, you can't make a list without subjectivity. Still I feel like I would have stuck to music that changed and influenced music. I also would have left North America and England.
An eepy sleepy album I hated.
I liked this strong Sade vibes will come back to this band for a wee peek I think
Completely different from the first album by this duo. This album is more acoustic with a touch of country in and out of some songs. I dont know they got even one album on the list let alone 2. Very mid tier band and as far as I can tell not historically signficant in anyway
I had heard people dissing this album pretty hard, so I read some of the reviews before listening and - they are SCATHING. Ya'll have no mercy at all! Maybe I'm a contrarian, but I didn't hate this at all. Part of my affection (or at least non-hatred) for this is that Early-90s Retail is a genre of music I'm well associated with. Listening to this album took me back to wandering around Petite Sophisticate in Willowbrook Mall circa 1991, looking for somewhere to sit while my sister tried on clothes we couldn't afford. We've already gone to the only store in the mall I'm interested in, a computer store called Babbage's, and I know I'm in for a long day walking back and forth between stores for young teens and middle-aged women. But I digress. I didn't think this was as bad as some of ya'll say it is, but yeah - not sure why you have to listen to this before you die. THREE STARS
Tracey Thorne could sing the phone book to me. I first encountered ETBtG during the credits for the film, _She's Having a Baby_. Apron Strings held a place in my musical lexicon for decades before I actually discovered ETBtG with the "Missing" remix. Then I went on a deep dive and absolutely absorbed everything they did. Desert Island Artists.
Thoughts before listening: Oh look...more British alternative synth pop. I believe these guys had a big hit in the 90s, but this is an 80s album. Maybe it was a big deal over in Europe? Review: So I guess I missed on the sound of this one. This definitely isn't synthy new wave at all, but is instead lush, jazzy pop ballads that seems to be called "sophisti-pop". Totally was not expecting this sound from this group...and according to AllMusic, this is likely because they transitioned into more of a dancey sound in the 90s. I have to say I am a little bored by this album. It sounds like the soundtrack to the montage scene in a sappy 80s love story. 1-star
beyond insufferable & english in the worst way #sorrynotsorry
Pleasant, inoffensive could be hold music. However, having heard it on hold there is now way I'd go out and buy the album. Voices are really good lyrics are meh, music about the same. Not sure why it's on this list, precursor of trance possibly??
It is beautiful and deep and reflective. She has a beautiful voice and is a talented guitarist. I also really enjoyed Caruso Sing and him singing alongside the sax. But there is also something so intellectual and emotional it almost exhausts me. Sometimes I just like to loose myself in music and not fully pay attention, but this takes all my attention and some days that is great, but most days I don't have the bandwith for this depth.
Man, there were some songs on here I really related to. Clinging to a past that can't be relived. It's why I get so sad when traditions end. But life only moves in one direction. Musically, I felt average about this because the vibes were a little too melancholy, but it did make me cry.
Really good album
Shite
Was like background music that you would find in a restaurant in a foreign country who just wanted to play something in English. Only knew one of their songs, and I didn’t know they sang it. Background music
I didn't like this. It was really boring. I have a Christmas song by this band that I love and I know their big 90's hit Missing, but this was not good.
Favorite track(s): Goodbye Sunday The musical equivalent of skim milk.
Awful
Lo sentí bastante sofisticado calmado en cierta parte como elegante, pero en ocasiones demasiado calmado, no hay momentos donde te atrae
Nice songwriting but I was falling asleep by the end.
After listening to this album I've decided never to read the reviews on here before actually listening to the album. These people come on here and give their takes on music like its a universal fact its so conceited honestly. I came into this expecting trash but it was extremely welcoming and I enjoyed this, especially the beginning!! Strong start and strong end to such a serene and peaceful album, loved it.
The editors of this book after listening to the blandest 80s British pop album: "Wow everyone really needs to hear this before they die" Favorite Track - These Early Days Least Favorite Track - The Night I Heard Caruso Sing ⭐️
Adding points for the lines about it already being hard to watch the news let alone explain it to a child. Subtracting points because they’re British saying that line about not wanting to worry about their kid being born in the UK lmao. Overall pretty but boring
....surely this isn't the everything but the girl album they chose for this? 3.1-3.6. only the easiest of easy listening today.
58/100. Most turning points only become visible in the rear-view mirror. A charming record, but ultimately I don’t really find it interesting lyric-wise and since it’s so slow-paced it can become a bit of a drag. It’s focused on the smaller emotional moments that accumulate over time that eventually build up to adulthood arriving quietly. It has a folk jazz focus in its sound, kind of interesting, but feels a bit too monotonous. Ironically, the song I enjoy the most wasn’t even on the album, or the original release. I Don't Want to Talk About It was added for later editions and is a great cover. But since it’s not on the original, it isn’t calculated into my rating.
I'm sure this is someones favorite album of all time. There has to be one of you that love this. I'm not one of them. But I bet there are dozens of you. It's just boring and bland. I saw someone say the wild is missing and truer words have never been spoken.
cool for individual songs, too repetitive
this was boring, why its on this list is beyond me.
Competently dull. It's not like it's shite, but it's boring. Like when the telly used to show Ceefax after shutdown to some smooth jazz. So incredibly of the time.
The first time I heard Tracy Thorn sing was a guest appearance on a Style Council tune and my honest reaction was to wish the band's regular singer hadn't farmed it out. To me her voice has an emotionally flat quality I find deeply repellent. So I'm coming in negative and then the album opens with a song that borrows heavily and ineptly from Hank Williams and features a self indulgent guitar lilting over a musical setting reminiscent of The Weather Channel. Not good. I read later it was a Danny Whitten tune - that explains the country structure and chords. Still sucks, though, as much as I hate to say it about the man who inspired some of Neil Young's best stuff. The album got better, eventually, but not enough to change my feeling about these guys. They seem like nice people so sorry but you can definitely live a good life without having heard anything by Everything But The Girl.
This album utterly baffled me. I was excited to see Everything But The Girl made it into the collection, especially since I was a fan and have several of their albums, but then didn't recognize *anything* from this painful 80s "sophisti-pop" album; I probably couldn't have even said I recognized Tracey Thorn's distinctive voice if I hadn't seen the band name first (except perhaps on some of the second half songs like "Shadow on a harvest moon" or "Tears all over town"). I've also never seen any videos by them (or from her solo work), so I was also flummoxed by how both of them look, or at least looked forty years ago. For whatever reason, I imagined a *very* different looking Thorn, perhaps more along the lines of Dido, I guess. I'm not sure it ruined anything for me, but I suspect it will influence how I hear/visualize their songs from now on. I'm *very* glad that we also get their breakout album from a decade later, with a very different sound, but aside from the sort of shock value this current album makes with its contrast to "Walking Wounded", I'm quite confident that I never needed to hear this at-times-insipid effort from a very talented duo.
Ugh, at first I thought I might get a Steely Dan vibe from them but it went in an easy listening direction which I found a little hard to listen to.
Melodic and chill, the sort that after a couple of listens I might really start to love
Nice.
Day 319. Really struggled to get through this one unfortunately, a definitely won’t be returning to anything here.
Without a doubt in my mind this is the least deserving album to be on this list, and this list is plagued by issues. There are very mediocre electronica albums that are over 1.5 hours long. There are British groups of the 80’s that all sound the same (this album happens to fall in this category), and then there are the experimental albums that deserve to be on the list, such as Throbbing Gristle, and yet, are not easy to listen to. This album is hard to listen to because there is not a single outstanding quality about it. The singing is mediocre, the songwriting is the same love song over and over again (or I can assume, because it’s the same slow song over and over again). It’s constantly hitting you with cheesy 80’s production, there is no groove, no guitars, or really anything of substance. There may be another album I hate more on this list eventually…… but this one will be tough to beat.
She has a beautiful voice. Unfortunately, none of the songs here really pop. It’s all just one note that is more grating to me than pleasant. I might give it a try another time, though.
A pleasant, but overall uneventful listen with nothing grabbing my attention.
6/25/26. Didn't feel this one. Thought the songs were slow and uninteresting, but the production and arrangements were cool.
A little bit too aggressively 80’s for my liking.
Not really sure what was so pressing about needing to listen to this, it’s very easy-listening 80s pop with a few influences on it that just contribute all the more to it being easy-listening and sort of a forgettable wash. Nothing in here really stands out as particularly great, it just happens to be an ideal low-engagement album for a hot day, like it’d fit perfectly in an evening as background noise to a barbecue.
Meh
Cute kinda hippy
This one hurts, I wish they wouldn't had added this album to the list, they have so many great others that don't have to be their more electronic stuff like Temperamental (my personal favorite). Their self-titled is amazing, with a lot of bossa and twee pop influences mixed with jazz and soulfull flows, Amplified Heart is quite memorable also of course. This one I just don't understand why it's more recognized, maybe because it blends into the yatch rocky style of the mid 80s, I can't stand it. I love Tracy and Ben, and I hate to do this, their presence slightly buoys the blandness of most of the album
Sowas vergesse ich gleich nach dem Hören wieder.
Ich kannte bisher nur "Walking Wounded" und "Temperamental" von denen. Die fand ich beide okay, aber besser als das hier
Meh, it's alright. Pretty relaxing. But I think the author liked these guys a lot, since I've come across two of their albums already and I wouldn't consider them 'essential', especially not this one. It became very repetitive towards the end. The melodies are generally quite beautiful and his voice matches this beauty, but the songs don't 'stand out'. It's decent music, and nice to have on in the background I guess, but it's not a listening experience that changes your view or music or anything like that. This is just very average I think. I saved a few songs to see if they grow on me.
This really just sounded like a bog standard 1980s singer songwriter album. It was unapologetically 1988, but it was pretty boring for my tastes. It would be good to just have on for quiet time music or if you're having a dinner party and need something gentle in the background that isn't Fleetwood Mac, Indigo Girls, or Highwomen. I've always held that all genre's of jazz, pop, blues, or rock are pretty strictly defined by the style of their drums, so its no surprise to me that an album with no actual drums is a miss for me.
Dentists of the world rejoiced when this album was released. Finally, a record they could play in their offices all day. A form of Muzak that is inoffensive with Tracey Thorn’s lovely vocals overlaying synths and a drum machine. I actually cannot imagine how anyone thought this was worth acclaim, let alone critical acclaim. I love the tone of Tracy’s vocals but really this is soppy drivel that would inflict pain after repeated listens. It is definitely a record for the times with its low energy appeal only for those currently residing on death row and in nursing homes. 2/5
Just awful.
I don’t know who “the girl” is that is referenced in the band’s title but she should consider herself lucky to be excluded from this dreck. The album is full of very thin production and snoozy instrumentation. Each track sounds so much like doctors office waiting room music that I would be surprised if the initial release didn’t include an outdated issue of Reader’s Digest. The only saving graces are the charming lyrics of “Oxford Street” and the poignantly heart-tugging “Apron Strings”, which benefits greatly from the wispy drum machine mercifully being turned off.
It was alright
middle aged white lady owned retail kitchen store ass album. i hated it
Excellent stuff! This is music my parents grew up to... But that's no diss. This one really hit on this day of days, as it's Father's day minus my father. It brings me back to a time where tracks like this filled the radiowaves as I drifted off to sleep.
Esto en los 80 donde primaban Michael Jackson, Pet Shop Boys, Madonna, Bon Jovi o Duran Duran pues era como agua en el desierto. Junto a los Go-Betweens, los Smiths o los Coucteau Twins los Everything but the girl eran una banda para cuatro amantes de la buena música. Aquí publicaron el que sería su mejor álbum hasta esa reconversión a la música electrónica. Viendo la portada es imposoble no arcordarse de los Smiths y Mozzer. I donn´t want to talk about it, una exquisita versión nada menos que de los Crazy Horse. La otra joya del disco es Apron strings. También Shadow on a harvest moon o The night I heard Caruso sing (con Ben a la voz). Love Is Here Where I Live o These Early Days y el resto de disco son más ochenteras, sobre todo esta última, pero conservan su calidad. ¿Qué tenía el agua de Hull por aquellas fechas para que surgieran tanto los Everything but the girl como los Housemartins? Qué tiempos aquellos donde había realmente música independiente.
Fine enough, kind of what you'd expect from an earlier Everything But The Girl album. They have their own sound, this sort of adult contemporary sound that doesn't suck like a Michael Bolton or Kenny G does. It's quite boring of a listen though, kind of comes with the territory. Made for someone but not me.
Interesting, but not remarkable in any way.
Extra boring
What a pleasant discovery! I know of this band, but was surprised that i didn't recognize any of the cuts on this album. But this is the kinda Britpop I love. Very enjoyable.
Buhland. Not as bad as the one with the guy who lost his money in his TV but so slow.
surprisingly nice
Why would I want to listen to this album. I had to stop. I had so many on cue, and I was not enjoying any of it. Boring.
some truly agitating songs there 🤡
4 sterne
Worse than Coldplay
Thought this was going to be mid but it’s just as fire as my fave everything but the girl album <3
I could not get into any of this.
EBTG's Walking Wounded and Tempermental were foundational albums for me, so I've occasionally waded into their back catalog of jazz-pop and sophisti-pop, and it just doesn't connect for me. Kind of wish it did, cause I really love Tracey Thorn's voice. Her work on Massive Attack's "Protection" (for which she wrote both the melody and lyrics that she sang) put a spell on me in 1994, and I've yet to break it.
Sinceramente esperaba una muy mala experiencia, despues de haber leído unas cuantas reseñas pensaba que sería un album muy malo, principalmente vi comentarios muy malos hacia los instrumentos que aunque no son excelentes tantopo lo vi para tanto, las letras no son tampoco las mejores pero pues al menos a mi me gustó el album, bonitas notas y algo tranquilo
I'm so annoyed I listened to this entire album It's just middle of the road inoffensive music for your Mum or Aunt Imagine The Beautiful South or The Pretenders only terrible The only reason I haven't given it 1 star is because Ive had to endure a Kid Rock album which got 1 star. The only positive being that Idlewild wasnt as bad as that Definitely an album to hear after you die, not before
I can’t lie this is def on the blander side of the list… however do I think it’s bad ? Not really. Feels like an inspo album for someone like Norah Jones
This album is not great at all... I love the production of the 80s, but I can only imagine that this is what they perceive when people say they don't like the sound of the era. Her vocals are not flattering, and the whole thing really feels cheesy. The cover of Rod Stewart's "I Don't Want to Talk About It" was not bad and not comparable to the original at all, but that was the highlight.
todesboring wow es passiert nichts
Ugh... I knew this guy from their ethereal, heavily atmospheric electronics with a touch of DnB that I heard on Walking Wounded. I was so disappointed listening to this toothless pop muzak. It's like wannabe Sade except not good.
I expected to dislike this but it’s perfectly listenable if inoffensive. Some nice songs, some cheesy songs. Nice voices. A talented duo.
Here's one I already knew a lot of songs from. Glad I listened to the whole thing now. Generally I think Everything But the Girl is really underrated, so I was surprised to see one of their albums on here
Like if the 80s had a fart
album #72 why on earth is this on the list lmfao. utterly pointless. ꩜ favourite track(s): none ꩜ least favourite track(s): all lol ꩜ album rating: ★☆☆☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,017 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 35 ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 14 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 58
Great opening track but the album bored me.
A bit smooth for me.
Gorgeous voice, chill, fun instruments
Slow and boring. Could've been musically interesting but ended up really dull with dreary vocals. 2/5
4/10 Yucky, sickly, late 80s pop-soul. Plinky-ploppy studio piano, chorusy bass. There are songs under the saccharine, but they are a bit jazzy and a bit meandering. But points for Tracey's great voice. Sadly, I just hated the music
About 40 mins in, I gave up and played “missing” which is the only EBTG song worth hearing. I will round to 2 because I think there’s some decent songwriting in there somewhere but the sound (all of it, the singer, the band) isn’t worth listening closely enough to find out.
1.4 I wasnt really expecting this to be a shitty smooth jazz album, but thats exactly what it is.
Fav-love is here where I live
It has a very Lilith Fair vibe, a decade before Lilith Fair.
Slickly sickly. Pretty bland from start to finish.
Pleasant background music but that's about it.
Idlewild is a pleasant listen, though it rarely pushes beyond that. It makes me want to light some scented candles - vanilla ones specifically - and sit down with some weak tea and cucumber sandwiches. There's a clear jazz influence running through the record, and the songwriting and musicianship are genuinely strong. You can hear the craft in every track. What holds it back is a certain safety in the production choices. The drum machine, while functional, lacks the swing and vitality a live drummer could have brought, particularly given the jazz-adjacent arrangements. At times, there are hints of something closer to city pop, but without the rhythmic drive to fully realise that energy. The ballads are beautifully performed, though the electric piano tones occasionally lean a touch sentimental. A little more restraint in that department might have served the record well. That said, there are highlights. "Tears All Over Town" features a genuinely lovely saxophone solo that reminds you what this band is capable of when they let loose, even briefly. And the cover art, with its understated flower, is rather charming. A well-made record that sits comfortably in the background. It just leaves you wishing it had been a little bolder.
hahahah the reviews on this are savage. idletame! apron strings is lovely...
溫暖
Pretty but boring
This was an absolutely terrible album. Nothing about it stood out and I question it's existence on this list.
6/10. Very generic 80s chill pop
Fav song: Tears All Over Town
not bad, not my favorite. wouldnt listen to again
The “weather channel” album.
This is #day657 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… let's face it, EBTG is a weird band. You spend years playing jazz-folk, sophisti-pop, and whatnot, then come the '90s, a DJ remixes your song into a worldwide EDM hit, and, boom, you're trip-hoppin' and drum'n'bassin' your way through the rest of the decade with a whole new identity. I kind of don't mind this softer incarnation, though it gets overly mellow from one song to the next. But, if I were to choose which EBTG to listen to, I'd most definitely go with the electronic one. By the way, their comeback record, Fuse, is proof. As for this one, you don't have to hear it before you die. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day658.
Bland.
No standouts
Bland bland bland oh GOD why is it so BLAND?
Longest 45 minutes of my life. I want them back please. It was like I was stuck on hold.
My mom approved
Boring slow 80s synthy nothing.
The very same vibe and static drum patterns make 45 minutes of the album too long. These are great musicians, but the composition is bad.
No. Sorry. The 80s is sometimes much maligned, but this bland twee synth nonsense is fully deserving of the hate. 100% the soundtrack to lots of posh Chelsea Girls with big hair and excessive makeup swaying whilst drinnking their cocktails and arsehole traders in suits talking about how much money they earned that day.
There is no more obvious factor that the person who put this list together is British than the fact that there are multiple Everything but the Girl albums on this list. Tracey Thorn's voice is as lovely as ever but this albums suffers from being compared to their later output and, while a pleasant listen, nothing really pushing this one into greatness.
I actually really got into their 2023 album Fuse, but hadn't listened to their older works. I thought it was nice.
Prettig relaxte jarentachtigmuziek met een aardige dosis tijdloos. We horen hier het duo (en echtpaar) zoals ze aanvankelijk klonken, niet hun gecomputeriseerde jarennegentigdanceversie, of de remix die bij ons het bekendst is geworden. En raad eens wat? Ik vind dit veel leuker. Geen nootje verkeerd, het album begint met een cover maar wel eentje die niet onderdoet voor de hitversie van ome Rod Stewart. Ik mis nét iets om het naar een 5 te tillen, maar verder een heel fijn album.
Ik dacht altijd dat Everything but the girl mega-saai was. Tot deze lijst mij het jaren '90 album met Missing presenteerde. Ik kon de Triphop-klanken prima waarderen. Hoezo saai? Nou, om toch even te laten horen dat ik niet gek was, krijg ik nu een album uit de '80's voorgeschoteld. Welterusten!
Oh jee, wederom Everything But The Girl. Ik trek haar stem slecht. En dan komt er bovendien een lading standaard 80s geluid voorbij. Met name die doorsnee drumbeat is gewoon storend. Verder zijn de synths van het niveau likmevestje, tenenkrommend gewoon. Later gingen ze een soort triphop maken, maar door haar stem was dat ook al niet aan mij besteed. Deze standaard jaren 80 vind ik dus al helemaal niets toevoegen aan een lijst met albums die je ooit gehoord zou moeten hebben. Het album stevent in eerste instantie af op een 1. Niet omdat ik zuur of boos ben, al werkt de zangeres me op mijn zenuwen. Maar simpelweg omdat het totaal overbodig is en werkelijk waar niets toevoegt. Later wordt het iets minder slecht, ik hoor af en toe een harmonie. Helaas blijven de matige drumbeatjes en de gedateerde synths. Het doet me ergens denken aan de trage nummers van beroepszeurkous Morrissey. Ik wil er een 2 van maken, al heb ik wel een paar nummers door moeten skippen. En dat is het equivalent van een 1. Dus ik heb weinig keus. Sorry Roel, ik geef de schuld aan de zangeres.
Gepflegte Langeweile. Aber eben Langeweile! Langwei …. . Schnarch!
Can appreciate that this is their origins, but I am very much a fan of their 90s output, and the remixes that came with it.
This album has no place on this list
This was incredibly cheesy and schlocky, and worst of all, uninteresting.
When to listen: at a retirement home. The first song I was like... ok this is... pleasant. By the last song I was like pleaaase I want this out of my ears. Soft, ballad-y, sleepy.
I'd almost call this my guilty pleasure, but pleasure is not the only thing I feel while listening to this record. I'm a sucker for lounge music, but this is as cheesy as it gets. I really wish there were no electronic instruments in this, it would almost sound classy. I also don't really love how the girl's voice sounds, even though she's clearly talented. Still, there are some pretty neat songs in this, even if it feels samey pretty fast.
Hoo boy what a stinker. I feel bad giving it a 1 because I think it’s fine in execution, it’s just the execution is of the most maudlin crap
Sad it was not that girl
There was a girl singing on every song, and barely any Everything
The worst that sophisti-pop has to offer
I wanted to give this a shot but I wish I was listening to anything else
Kattengejank
Helemaal tot rust gekomen
Felt nothing for it
This sounds like the soundtrack of a cheesy romance movie. 2.5 stars.
Walking Wounded had some cool beats, but this has absolutely nothing going for it.
gorgeous lyrics and vocal performances. especially endearing is the male vocal on The Night I heard Caruso Sing. Some of the beats are dated, but most of the songs are timeless beauties. Definitely worth further and deeper listening.
Mooie pop rock, maar weinig randjes
cva wel, ni perse mijn ding ma oke om te studeren
Saaaaaai
Not the Everything But the Girl album that I think deserves to be on the list, but fine nonetheless. Of the albums already on this list, I feel like IDLEWILD shows off Tracy's instincts and WALKING WOUNDED shows off Ben's instincts, but if it were up to me, I would swap one of the EBTG albums currently on the list for AMPLIFIED HEART instead, an album that married both sides of Tracy and Ben's musical instincts the most seamlessly, and has far more range than both. Their songwriting style is definitely unique enough, although I guess you could argue they are sort of like a latter day British version of The Carpenters. They definitely helped define the genre of sophist-pop and made it popular enough that other bands could find career success in the form.
Bordel.
Pleasant. But pleasance doth butter no crumpets.
3/10
Tracey Thorn has such an amazing voice, but this album just fell flat for me. Definitely of a time, and hasn't aged well, in my opinion.
I guess even adult contemporary has to have its landmark albums. However, when an entire genre is devoted to being as unobtrusive as possible isn't that antithetical to landmarkosity? Anyway, I don't know why I had to listen to this, but I did, and now I will forget it.
This just… like elevator music? Disappointing.
not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue
Honestly didn't really enjoy this at all. Not sure I can call it bad, but wow was it something I wouldn't listen to. I don't inherently have a problem with slow music, in fact I enjoy a lot of it, but this just all felt very same-y and didn't really pop out to me. It felt like one flat, long track playing.
80’s music has the ability to be so boring.
Tracey Thorn has a nice voice and the album has a pleasant sound. A lot of it is too influenced by smooth jazz for me. There’s nothing about the music that really engages me. Highlights are I Don’t Want to Talk About It, I Always Was Your Girl, and Oxford Street. There are no lowlights, but I’m still disappointed nothing felt like a standout. I might be more interested in a later EBTG record as I understand they try some different musical styles and arrangements.
that first track was very pretty, but i couldn’t get too into it bc the lyrics were distractingly mid. shame three tracks in. almost wish this album was instrumental, i would like it a lot more. i like oxford street a lot. the rest of it was fine.
Great pop
Sophisti-pop worth listening too. Thorn could sing the phone book and it would be riveting.
This needed to be one the list of albums to listen to before you die because you'll want to die after listening to it, completing the cycle the list intended on
In a survey 15 of Len Houmous’ wives, when asked about their marriage said they didn’t want to talk about it. 2.5 1/12 I don’t wanna talk about it
This is music for my soul!
Another album I didn’t know existed and probably would have never listened to! I really liked it!
very pleasant, gives me mall walking vibes
What you would listen to getting your haircut in the mall
Didn't really enjoy the record. It's soft and uninteresting. I thought I'd find something more interesting like their big single Missing but I was disappointed. Not for me.
C'était... sirupeux ! Autant dire qu'il faut aimer les années 80 pour écouter ça, parce que sinon, l'overdose est proche. Et on parle pas d'un groupe un peu énergique ou je sais pas quoi où au moins, c'est un peu rythmé. Non, là, on est dans de la musique gentillette, où rien ne dépasse et il n'y a pour ainsi dire aucune prise de risque. Alors c'est un peu subjectif et je suis sûr qu'il y a plein de gens à qui ça parle et qui peuvent écouter ça toute la journée parce que ça leur apporte quelque chose. Mais personnellement, ce côté très mielleux et souvent... mièvre, on peut le dire, j'ai du mal à supporter. Alors c'est 10 fois mieux que du Georges Michael (c'est pas dur...), mais ça ne me parle absolument pas. Je me demande selon quelle logique cet album a été ajouté à la liste. Est-ce que c'est parce qu'il est particulièrement représentatif de son époque ? Est-ce qu'il y a une autre raison ? J'en sais rien du tout, mais c'est pas un album sur lequel je reviendrai. PS : j'ai vu que c'était un album de "sophisti-pop" ? On a réussi à trouver plus pompeux comme nom de genre musical qu'art rock. Personnellement, je vois pas ce qu'il y a de sophistiqué dans un album aussi easy-listening. PS2 : et si j'en crois un des commentaires, il y a au moins un deuxième album de ce groupe dans la liste ? Bon, ben il rejoint la liste des albums que j'ai pas hâte d'écouter avec au moins un album de Georges Michael et un album de Kanye West (au moins, j'ai fait passer l'album de Taylor Swift...).
New genre alert This one wasn’t nearly as bad as the rating suggested. Not the most exciting music but it’s pretty easy on the ears. The lyrics are mundane for the most part but there’s something comforting about that. I really don’t know exactly how to describe this music but its far from bad It does feel very boring at times, with their being very little variety in the songs themselves and the instrumentation. There are absolutely zero songs that left a lasting impression on me and I forgot a ton about this album between the time I listened to it and the time i wrote this review We’ve got some truly terrible albums that have higher ratings than this one on the site, so I will happily give this one a 3
This album sounds like the credits music to an 80s film about two dolphins falling in love.
Nice and chill, but it gets boring, I can't tell you how many times I glanced at Spotify to look at how far I was in the album just to be a few songs in.
Idlewild is just like a lot of the other albums we’ve looked at for this project when it comes to quality, Its not a very remarkable album but it is still fairly solid for what it is. The songs were all generally good sounding and never really felt annoying or super boring but there isn't really anything interesting I can really say about the majority of them. The saxophone and trumpet solos were cool and some of the songs did have that Super Nintendo sounding keyboard which I like about it. This album is a fine listen, especially as something to put on the background, but it doesn't really do anything that other new wave albums from this time period haven't done.
Ok
Just a little too soft rock/easy listening to be enjoyable.
Jesus… just strip out the vocals and it feels like I’m watching the weather channel
Oh no no no, wimpy soft rock at it's worst
There's a subtle beauty to the music of Everything But the Girl. There's also a timeless feel to these songs, especially with the knowledge that it sounds nothing like the common pop trash of the 1980s. Side B plays it a little safe, which is a bummer after the album starts on a run of truly great songs. Regardless, Idlewild is one of the more pleasant surprises in my journey so far.
Would not buy
Reminds of sitting in a hotel bar while travelling for work.
"Mr. President, a second Everything But The Girl album has been included" 😭😭😭
Some harsh criticism in the reviews but its chilled and theres some great work here a steady 3 for me
a pleasant listen
11/05/26 ah glr é clichê e pá mas n é tão ruim assim é q tbm pegaram um álbum bem bosta, mas as famosas dá pra curtir vai 2/5 / 4/10
A chill album, perfect for a Sunday, but not something I'd listen to regularly.
I've tried listening to this album 3-4 times now, and each time it just leaves absolutely no impression on me. The synths are just so vague and boring. Feels like everything is just a Casio keyboard playing it's built in song demos.
Pop, 1988 -> 3
Enjoyed this one a lot more than I expected. Really liked the singers voice and the background instruments really allowed her to shine. Reminds me of department store music, nice and soothing pop.
I tuned the album out pretty much immediately. I didn’t have any desire to finish either.
I forgot it as I was listening to it
Not for me at all. Sounds like something that’d be played in the lobby of a sandals resort. I had it on in the background but still couldn’t wait for it to be over.
Very good mellow pop music with a touch of blue-eyed soul. I love Tracy Thorn's vocals on this album. 4.5 if possible.
This sounded much more like Sade and Anita Baker than I ever could expected. She has a nice voice, but nothing here was super memorable.
great mellow album
"Good news! Today we're going to be listening to a duo from the 80s. There's synths!" Aww hell yeah! Are they mysterious? And British? Do they have a cool sounding name? Is there a drum machine?" "You know it!" Sweet. It's gonna be a good Friday! "Just one other thing..." What? "They suck" Huh? "They really suck. Just like, wall to wall sucky, boring music." ....oh. "Yeah." And who are you? "Me? I'm an entity you created. For the purpose of this review." Just for this? That's sort of sad. That means you'll cease to exist when this review is done? "That's right. Everything I am. All my hopes and dreams. Gone." What did you hope and dream? Besides telling me in a mildly amusing way that "Idlewild" by Everything But The Girl sucks? "I...well..." What? "It's dumb but...I always wanted to see Spain." See Spain?!? But you don't even have eyes! You're not even...corporeal! "Don't you think I know that? DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT!?" I'm sorry. "Yeah, well. It's sensitive." Well. This is it. "Yeah. It's been nice knowing you." You too. Hey...do you have a name? "..." Hello? Hello?
At times this could be entrancing and quite beautiful while others it’s down the line 80s pop and quite boring, I think they could’ve pushed the boundaries a bit but stayed quite safe
What a lovely chill album. Great voices, very 80’s music but hey that’s understandable! It’s just a nice album that fitted the sunny day I listened to it on perfectly
peak
2.5
So called "Sophisti-pop." This album evokes the idea of Patrick Bateman, but instead of working in finance, he works in HR at the local DMV. It's pretty good, not as boring as some of these reviews would have me believe (mostly thanks to the bass/synth). This is someone's favorite band, but it's not mine. I appreciate that in the decade that is famous for the most over the top bombastic nonsense, this laid back album got some recognition.
Musique oubliable mais bonne musique de en tâches de fond. Note : 3 À réécouter : Non
todo el álbum estuve esperando algo que nunca llegó. el peor tipo de tortura
Nostalgia. And yet, not quite anything I've heard previously. I was born in 92, this reminds me of the "jazz" my parents would listen to, but I don't think they had this CD. It's similar to elevator muzak, but academically much stronger than that. It's the second time I've heard this duo, so maybe it's the exposure, because I'm not typically a fan of 80s production and it hits real obvious here. I give them the benefit because with just a little reading, you know they take the production very seriously. I'm growing to love Tracey's voice and range, but the low points on this record for me are precisely when she's trying to be too ballad-based. She's got less of the Sade flow on this effort, I actually dig that. I'm a fan of the way she pulls it off in the future, but the slight spin she's given her sound on this project sounds more genuine to me. I'm really surprised I enjoyed this one. Repeated listens have unlocked the wit in their lyrics, and the smooth compositions feel nice to play along with when they start to engrave in your memory. Not my typical listen, but I would spin this again. 3.3/5
Música cálida, con muchos arreglos, fácil de escuchar, sin pretensiones, pero que tampoco logra conquistar. Acompaña, pero no conmueve.
I wasn't in the right mood for this one. I could see that I like the sort of early synth-pop sounds, but it just kind of ended up as all sounding the same. Nostalgia for early love, similar guitars. I did really like the dual vocalists, but not really the rest of it that much. Interesting to find an artist I've never heard of before, but not like this.
Never heard of this group. Loved the album.
Seemingly one long, painful song with pretentious lyrics.
Album #1 on “1001 albums you would hear after you die and are stuck in purgatory”
2.5
Everything But A Memorable Album.
Garden centre music. Gets a 2 instead of a 1 just because it's so inoffensive that it's impossible to feel anything about this album at all. Changed my mind, it’s a 1.
The way she ended every word of every line in a breathy tone ruined it for me. It would've been bearable had she not done that. For that reason, the only song that was almost decent was "The Night I Heard Caruso Sing", where the guy randomly sang lead vocals (although I wasn't a fan of the lyrics much either)
It's not my cup of tea, but it was situationally pretty good listening to it on a rainy day. Quite smooth.
I was excited to hear an album by a band I had never listened to before. Some of the material was interesting, while other parts missed the mark. I especially enjoyed the fusion of soulful passages with jazzy elements, alongside the groovy bass. I wasn’t crazy about the vocal performance, and it’s one of those albums where you have to listen to the whole thing otherwise, it starts to feel repetitive. Whether that’s a good thing or not is a debate for another time, but overall, I found it to be alright. The tracks I enjoyed were the opening "I Don't Want to Talk About It" and the closing "Apron Strings".
Just dull generic 80s earnest pop. Not for me.
leuk maar niet amazing
Not as much my taste as Walking Wounded unfortunately.
Nette Pop-Musik, angenehm zu hören, schöne Stimmen. 3-4/5
I did not know these are the original performers for song Missing. Other than that good elevator music.
ufff
Ekki alveg nógu ánægður með þessa. Allt eitthvað voða næs en heillaði mig ekki
I thought this was quite OK. I don’t understand the low user rating. Maybe saxophone haters? I added “Blue Moon Rose” to my playlist but my favorite was their cover of “I Don’t Want to Talk About it”.
Not too sure about this one. A bit predictable, as much of the 80s tends to be, but the words are very sweet and if I needed an album that I think my mom would love I would put this on. Matter of fact, I'm sure she does love this album lol this is from her era. Highlights: Goodbye Sunday
2.4
Huh?
A collection of boring, insipid songs sung by female Morrisey. 1.2
Yawn. Couldn't wait for this to finish. The sort of music Alan Partridge would like.
Waiting for mum to finish shopping so I can play the Gameboy Colour on the way home.
If you like listening to Mazzy Star's Fade into You for 24 hours a day or are obsessed with The Joy of Painting, this album may not be for you.
Middest adult contemporary I heard in a while
I can’t imagine it as more than background music but it’s pretty pleasant
Didn't listen to the whole thing but it was okay.
Sounds a bit crude, but that’s the appeal.
so so
Dang, super chill songs on here with some great vocal performances. Great to just walk on a sunny day with, or grab a drink on the patio and just have on in the background.
Did not like this. At all.
bof
I was pleasantly surprised by Walking Wounded, the other Everything But The Girl album on the list, so I had high hopes for this album. Idlewild however, was a bit more like I expected. A bit bland and middle of the road. I didn't dislike it, but it didn't really do much for me either.
Every once in a while these albums surprise me. This one shocked me. I love her voice! So chill, so strong, so calming.
That was lovely. I like that some of the songs had a jazzy feel.
I love Thracy Thorn's voice, and really enjoyed their other album, but this one doesn't do it for me. Most of the songs sound like something that would be played on an "easy listening" radio station.
It’s nice music……but surely I cannot yet die.
Not into experimental, weird music
Not terrible melancholic music. I get why some people say it’s too cheesy. Maybe I’m just partial to that.
I wish I liked this more, but I didn't, while it was ok listening to two songs in a row, the whole album was quite hard to sit through
I forced myself to listen to this to the end. Sounds like an 1980s soap opera soundtrack.
This album proves that this is a UK over indexed list and really doesn’t belong here. It’s unmemorable despite the lead singer having a nice voice. Just meh across the board with the worst of the 80’s instrumentation to accompany it.
Love Tracey Thorn's voice. Shades of 10,000 Maniacs and Cowboy Junkies. This is one of those albums that I suspect if I'd heard at just the right time in my life would have been a favourite.
9/10
noll emotionell respons
Lät inte så himla illa i sig, men skivan idlade verkligen rakt igenom, inte mycket som hände.
Toppenhärlig stämning, inget som sticker ut supermycket efter dom första låtarna men härligt sound räcker långt!
Fint!
... this is an odd album. Not "creatively odd" jut... hard to peg. It as not annoying, or grating, but really "safe". Weird. Will not listen again, but cannot damn it. Would really prefer 2.5.... however I feel magnanimous
Gentle sophisti-pop and slow jazz-inflected pop built on soft piano, restrained percussion, mellow guitar, and intimate, whispery vocals drifts along with minimal variation. Listening feels like sitting in a quiet café where the music barely shifts, leaving the surroundings more noticeable than the songs themselves. The melodies are pleasant at first stay ultimately slow and uninspired, and the lyrical content is simplistic.
The music version of Uncle Colm from Derry Girls
Painfully sappy.
Woof, this album was rough to get through. Just boring old school sounding mom pop. Just soft and boring. Sure, the vocals are very pleasant and well done, but that can only get you so far. I feel bad giving this 1 star but it was honestly torture to get through this album. Vocals were nice but that can't save how utterly boring this was. Idlewild was just not for me.
the reviews are killing me. so is the off-brand morrissey on this album
if the 80’s where a song:
A lovely album.
2.5 - 90’s film end credit music vibes. A bit of a snooze fest.
Musically it's the worst parts of the 80's but the vocals are beautiful. Favorite track: Oxford Street
This is not the Everything But The Girl I was expecting. In fact, maybe nothing could have been further from what I was expecting based on the one song I know than this. I'm not sure how I feel about this, but I think I like it better than an album of Missing clones. I bet Lisa Stansfield loves these guys. Michael McDonald too. Maybe I spoke too soon though. This sucks. It's getting much worse. This is easy listening garbage. This feels like a joke. This is the softest music I have ever heard and I changed my mind, I'd take 100 Missing dance remixes over the songs on this album.
knock-off Eurythmics