Reviews (page 3 of 9)
Nothing stood out. Nothing detracted.
- Okay, 2.5 rounded up for competency and sounding like Big Star ...... but minus 1 star because the writing just isn't very good. -
Satan
If I could give this album a 6th star I would. This album is perfect to me. The song “Star Sign” is a masterpiece of power pop in the vein of Big Star. That build up..chefs kiss.
I quite enjoyed this album. I liked their sound and vibe
Noch nie von gehört, taugt aber durchaus für das nächste Grillfest.
Angenehm, manchmal langweilig. Aber mochte ich schon.
Just sounded like average 90's alt rock
"She wears denim wherever she goes. Says she's going to get some records by the Status Quo, oh yeah, oh yeah." That opening line just paints a picture. This is one of my favourite solid melodic rock albums. It's so consistently good, even after all these years. Liked Songs Added: The Concept What You Do To Me Metal Baby Alcoholiday
Fine. Nothing special.
So good! Never sat down with the classic- I have a new appreciation
It was fine I guess. Bland and uninspiring but fine.
Great
Beach Boys-esque
Shrugs. It's fine.
This is a GREAT album. I love power pop, which leaves me scratching my head on how I missed this in the early 90s. The album mixing seems to be taking a page from the shoegazers of the 80s with a wash of sound and the vocals just barely above the rest of the mix. Something about that style gives me warm fuzzies. There is so much to praise here -- December is absolutely beautiful with the arpeggiated guitars and lush vocal harmonies. The tight vocal harmonies continue in What You Do to Me and I Don't Know. I'm fond of Metal Baby and its use of interesting chords. It looks like Teenage Fanclub has an extensive catalogue -- I definitely plan on listening to more of their music. This is another album I wish I could give 4 1/2 stars. In time it could become a 5 for me.
Still pretty good, but didn’t capture me all that much or leave me feeling overly inspired to return. This might be a style I need some time to warm up to. Definitely some enjoyable moments though and woah that closer will be on repeat for weeks. 1 listen Favorite Track: Is This Music?
Expectation: -> Never heard of this band, album, or probably any of their songs. After listening: -> Fantastic from start to finish. How did I miss this?!? Track ranking: Music? Concept December Alcohol Sidewinder Metal What you do Star Sign Satan Guiding Pet Don't Know
I liked this more than I thought I would. I hadn't heard of them at all, but it was right up my alley
They have a good sound, but it was a bit too samey. Like an album of putting the same Gin Blossom's song on repeat. I liked it well enough, but I wouldn't say I liked the album as much.
great record - one i wish i'd found when i was younger.
4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/teenage-fanclub/bandwagonesque/ Jangly guitars and vocal harmonies. What more can a man ask for? Some of the instrumental intros/outros take a bit too long, making my lose my focus, but other than that, I can really dig this.
Teenage Fanclub, ein Quartett aus Bellshill bei Glasgow, veröffentlichten ihr drittes Studioalbum im November 1991 über Creation Records in Großbritannien und DGC weltweit. Eingespielt wurde es vom 9. April bis zum 12. Mai 1991 in den Amazon Studios in Liverpool, produziert von Don Fleming, Paul Chisholm und der Band selbst. Das Ergebnis ist ein Album, das sich tief in die Tradition von Big Star und Neil Young eingräbt, ohne dabei je bloße Imitation zu sein – es klingt so, als hätten diese Einflüsse nie aufgehört, relevant zu sein. Schon der Opener „The Concept" setzt den Ton: dichte Gitarrenschichtungen, mehrstimmige Harmonien und eine Unmittelbarkeit, die mühelos wirkt. „Star Sign" wurde in den USA ihr bisher größter Charterfolg, „What You Do to Me" und „Alcoholiday" bestätigen, dass die Band auf diesem Album in außergewöhnlicher Konstanz agiert. Das Spin Magazine kürte Bandwagonesque zum Album des Jahres 1991 – vor Nevermind. Diese Einschätzung mag provokant erscheinen, aber wer das Album heute hört, versteht den Impuls. Was Bandwagonesque dauerhaft auszeichnet, ist seine emotionale Ehrlichkeit ohne Pose. Teenage Fanclub machen keine Anstalten, cool zu wirken – sie sind es einfach, weil sie es nicht versuchen. Die Melodien sitzen tief, die Arrangements atmen, und es gibt kaum einen Moment, der sich verausgabt. Ein Album, das nicht laut nach Aufmerksamkeit ruft, sondern still dabei bleibt. Wer nur ein Album dieser Ära braucht, das Schönheit und Lärm auf Augenhöhe hält, greift hier richtig.
I don't know if I've heard this or not, you'd think with a cover using such stellar Microsoft Paint skills I'd remember. It sounds sort of familiar but I don't know if that's because I've heard it before or if it's because it's just got that sort of 90s sound that I've heard a lot. There's a lot to like on this album - good instrumentation, good production, creative songs, competent playing. I like that it is early 90s jangly without being thin. It's a little more upbeat than a lot of the more well known music coming out at the time but I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Spin Magazine says this is better than Nevermind and I politely disagree there. This is a good, solid 90s rock album and I have no major issues with it. It's just not quite interesting enough for me to want to listen to more. 3.75/5 and will grudgingly round up.
I liked it, it was fine :) light rock or something like that.
Could be a 4
Try to imagine the most generic-sounding "just-slightly-harder-than-soft-rock" music from the early 90s. That's what this sounds like. That one magazine picked this as "album of the year" over Nevermind--an album that truly is one of the greatest of all time--speaks more to the mindless conservatism of rock critics than to the quality here. Nirvana began with some of the same trite concepts that permeate this album, but then smashed them into genius with angry licks and biting satire. These guys play it straight, which is why they are (and maybe why the should be) largely forgotten.
This is right up my alley. Had so much fun with this. I'll probably revisit it often. It kinda sounds like a lot of others in the 90s, but it's also kind of ahead of the sound a little bit. Maybe it's not at the level of Nevermind, khm khm Spin magazine.... Still, strong 4
Not enjoyable
Very good this. I was a fan of the record with a car on the front but hadnt delved much more into them, so I’m glad this one popped up. Recognised a few songs, including the one near the end that Arctic Monkeys ripped off. Some great songs on it, sounds like a very early predecessor to Real Estate. I probably prefer their national contemporaries they often played with or get compared alongside, like B&S or Camera Obscura, but this is still good in its own right. Will be giving it a few more listens
Vaguely aware of teenage fanclub as a band I might like, think this exceeded expectations though. The main sound really reminds me of early ash albums, really catchy guitar led pop. The last song was probably my favourite though, the programmed drums and sustained guitar lines reminded me of chiptune/anamanaguchi. Wasn't a blow me away 5 out of 5, at least at first listen, but right up my street.
Like Nirvana, but not quite as miserable or angry. The Concept was the standout. Star Sign was good too. Really grungey, can imagine listening in a dank, sticky, underground room smelling of fags and WKD. I can practically smell the amp feedback.
Know of them but couldn't have named a track. Enjoyed this, got that early 2000s indie sound going on. What Jamie said!
63/100. This is a band that I never really got into and this record feels like a pretty decent power pop release but nothing more than that. It is a solid example of the genre but it feels a bit like it is stuck in one gear throughout the whole tracklist.
A fun early nineties alternative album that sounds like what would have happened if Elliot Smith had been in the Gin Blossoms. Highlights: “Pet Rock” and “Alcoholiday”
I have a lot of different games I play with these 1001 Albums reviews, depending on what the Generator chooses fit to send my way. early on I talked about Cool, But I've Heard That Already! (which has accounted for a decent chunk of the offerings so far), but the game here is more like Who? Ohhh. today, it went like this: Teenage Fanclub? Who? okay, they're a Scottish band, big in the 90s and, Ohhh, Bandwagonesque is Ben Gibbard's favorite album of all time. Of All Time! (there's also the Spin Album of the Year fiasco, which you can also go read about on Wikipedia.) despite Gibbard's endorsement, Teenage Fanclub's sound is not too similar to Death Cab's; it's slightly more in line with, like, that Jesus and Mary Chain album I checked out in January. Bandwagonesque evokes a sense of 60s/70s nostalgia, but in a way that's unmistakably heralding the 90s. perhaps it was the sound of bands like Teenage Fanclub that would eventually evolve into the Britpop thing: catchy power pop tunes, sun-kissed electric distortion, a firm rejection of synths in favor of strings and brass. this album also incorporates ample three-part vocal harmonies (possibly more?), something you don't hear too often in 90s rock music. for me, it has the potential to get a bit hokey, but it never quite does. if this music does have much in common with the Death Cab sound, it's that omnipresent mellowness. to me, the Death Cab thing is pretty grand and expansive, whereas Teenage Fanclub's thing is less adorned. Bandwagonesque came out on Creation in the same year as My Bloody Valentine released Loveless on the same label and... well, I'll get there when I get there. decent 7/10.
Yeah i enjoyed this. Not a revelation
I enjoy the sadness and plodding tone, especially for something that at its core is power pop.
Decent. Early garage band/Britpop music. A few decent songs but mostly all sounded similar.
Me thinking I wouldn't know this band at all and then immediately being proven wrong by 'The Concept'. Great song, great start. I don't imagine the rest of this album is going to hit, but it's cool knowing the one hit going in. Sort of a middle of the road 90s sound.
This is pretty cool. Raw, diverse, eclectic. It's early garage rock that doesn't try to be punk. This is a crafty blend of garage rock and indie rock. It reminded me a bit of Neutral Milk Hotel. Anyways it was between a 3 and 4, but I particularly liked the last track so it got the bump.
You can see how Oasis/Muse/all that british midlands music evolved from this. Take any edge out of it but keep the lyrical content and the instrumentation out of this and that's what you get. Muse would evolve but this is so proto-Oasis I couldn't hear anything else. My favorite track out of this was the final one, which yes, I can answer that it is indeed Music. I wouldn't say the rest of it is forgettable but I listened to it an hour ago and I can barely remember any of it. It was fine, the songs were entertaining enough but I didn't get any wows out of it. Good enough I guess, and they seem to be a big deal in the UK music scene so I see why they're in here.
Didn't care for this, nothing grabbed my attention.
Interesting quote from the Wikipedia page: Bandwagonesque was voted "album of the year" for 1991 by American music magazine Spin, beating R.E.M.'s Out of Time and Nirvana's Nevermind; the magazine has subsequently both apologized for and defended the selection. When I initially read this, I'd imagine it'd be a crazy take. However, they not have been as far off as I thought. While it doesn't come close to Nevermind, it was still pretty enjoyable.
I bet if I were in a better mood I'd be more generous with my stars on this one, but it was kind of generic. Good power pop. Down the middle. Basic, perhaps. Not feeling why this was so highly regarded when it was released. This feels like the kind of album that everyone has in their collection but never grabs off the shelf to play.
This wasn't bad! Kinda felt like some kind of early emo music at times. Like just hints of it sprinkled through which I was kinda diggin. Wasn't anything too too crazy to make it really stand out, but I did enjoy the listen through enough to listen to it twice. Will probably re-visit at some point.
Reverby, fun mix of indie/grunge/post-punk with low-fi sound and some pop sensibilities. Bit like britpop in places but clearly American. Also like Pavement. I'm sure I've heard What You Do to Me Best track - December, Star Sign, Metal Baby, Guiding Star, Is This Music 4 stars - can't say why but I found it compelling!
I knew I didn’t like Teenage Fanclub
Cool album, lots of interesting sounding guitars. Amazingly ahead of it's time
Bandwagonesque exists at the crossroads of indie pop, shoegaze, alt rock, and that Stone Roses neo-psychadelia thing that's hard to categorize. I hear how they must have influenced 90s bands like Ash and bis. Extra points for the album art! Incredible!
This is just ok 90s garage band. Not much to to get excited about but also not much to be offended by.
Not bad
Didn't really stand out, but not bad.
I think this album would be a good introduction to the music genre. Many of the songs were upbeat and catchy. Some of them it was hard to distinguish between the verse and chorus.
Pretty forgettable. There were some good tracks, but on the whole, it was pretty average. meh
Oh my lord my eyes (and ears)
I like power pop music, and I've tried this album multiple times, but it's never managed to grab me.
Som om weezer, beatles och ride fick ett tråkigt barn
The more of these albums, I listen to the less patient I become. I was really trying to give each album its due, but after listening to the first four songs on this album, I didn’t care to listen to the rest.
Yep - early 90s guitar driven alternative punk inspired record. Nothing new to hear here. It’s fine - nothing ground breaking for sure.
this is better than i have expected. wow. 4/5
I thought I’d heard of this band, and maybe I had, but I thought it was the Teenage Dirtbag band. I found out later that Teenage Dirtbag was performed by the band Wheatus, whom I’m not sure I’d ever heard of. It turns out the Teenage Fanclub is a Scottish alt-rock band that is pure 90s alt-rock. If someone asked me to give them the best example of alt-rock or even just rock in the 90s, I would put this album on. While the band had no huge hits off this album, the three singles they released received a ton of airplay in 1991-1992. Beyond that, the critics loved TF’s music, and this album made several all-time greatest albums lists, including the 1,001 Albums You Must Listen To Before You Die. I sat down and began listening to track one, The Concept, which was probably their biggest song at the time, and it's pure 90s alt-rock. It’s really good, even though I was still holding on by my fingernails to hair metal and metal during this time. I never watched 120 Minutes with Matt Pinfield because alt-rock was for nerds. I found out in my later years that I’m a nerd, and I was missing out on some of what is now my favorite music. The album is full of short instrumental tracks like track 2, Satan, that are kind of palate cleansers, I guess. Or they were songs they liked but couldn’t really fill out enough. Track 3, December, was where I began to form a picture of what was going on at this time. During the 1990’s, alt-rock bands and their fans had fallen in love with a band called Big Star. Big Star was a Memphis band active from 1971 to 1975. The group didn’t have a long career, but, in the years after the band broke up, their music gained a cult following and pretty much influenced 90s rock. Big Star could be described as power pop. It’s like rock songs that have a pop sheen to them and would sound just as good on pop radio as they would on rock radio. For me, Cheap Trick is a great powerpop band. Cheap Trick can rock with the best of them, but they make music that can play on pop radio. Well, not today, today now bands with real instruments can play on pop radio. Beyond the rock music, there are great vocal harmonies and guitar hooks that get stuck in your head. Teenage Fanclub sounds like they worshipped at the altar of Big Star. In fact, I’ve dabbled a little in Big Star because I remember the band getting shout-out after shout-out in the 90s. I listened to their three albums and thought they were good, but I think I wasn’t open-minded enough to fully appreciate them. I imagine all three of their albums will be on this list as they are all in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time. Now, I know I’ve spent most of this writing about Big Star, and the album is by Teenage Fanclub. I did this to say, this album is really good. But I’m torn, as I’m not sure I like this album because I really like it, or because it's nostalgia of a time in my life where I was having the most fun just being a knucklehead, or because I recognized Big Star as their biggest influence and am just being an ego-driven music nerd. Whatever the case, I think this is a fun album, and beyond the alt-rock of it, there are a lot of great fuzzy guitars throughout with some cool solos. I’m not sure it’s as must-listen today as it was back then, but if you’re a Big Star fan or a huge fan of 90s alt-rock, I think this should definitely be on your radar.
A pleasant surprise
3⭐️/5 [03.08.2026] 03.11.2026
if this album was something you heard on youtube on a random finding, it would be ok for a lazy afternoon, having it on the background and not thinking. But this is supposed to be one of 1000+ albums that you MUST hear. In that sense, there's nothing remarkable here. It's not even too experimental, or plainly boring. Disappointing.
Favorite Track: Star Sign
This was a hard album to have a truly solid opinion on. I was on the fence for a while because to be honest I was just so underwhelmed. There were moments i enjoyed, but as a whole it didn’t really do anything to grab my imagination. I listened to this album like 4 or five times and I still only saved metal baby, star sign, and is this music?. I wish I had something more to say that was more insightful or helpful, but honestly I just think power pop is the most underwhelming and boring genre I could possibly think of. It’s just soft rock that’s made to be “lowest common denominator” type of music, crowd pleasing, and I just find this whole genre to be boring.
Melody-heavy alternative rock built on jangly guitars, steady drums, and relaxed, harmonized, smooth, conversational vocals. Listening to it feels like a long drive through okaish and unchanging countryside—monotone familiar scenery passing by without much variation. Despite its tuneful warmth, the experience ultimately lacks depth and feels boring from the start.
Surprisingly good.
No disponible en Chile salvo una canción,
Kui ma oleksin tiinekas ja nad oleksid mu kohalik bänd, kes on põhimõtteliselt ainuke bänd piirkonnas, siis kuulaks. Muidu on ikka kohutavalt igav rokk. Weezer ilma šarmi, ilma mõtteta ja ilma meeldejääva vokaali/pillimänguta. 2.2/5
The songs were all good, but there was no real 'sound' to the album as a whole. It's kind of weird how each song can stand on its own and be rated highly against contemporaries, but taken as a group the album just doesn't stand up nearly as well as a lot that came before or around the same time.
The first song is very representative of how I feel about the entire album. Some of it is a little too evocative of that 90s alternative rock sound that I’m not a huge fan of (first half). Then we get a really spacey, Pink Floyd sound (second half) that I’m a huge fan of. 3.5
This was shockingly good, the perfect balance of forward facing (for 1991) while firmly rooted in the rock of the 1970s. I can hop on this bandwagon.
It's an easy listen, and there's nothing wrong with that, but people who love this album also have vanilla as their favorite flavor of ice cream. (2.5)
Wow, this was made in a lab to annoy me. Poppy but no hooks, insipid lyrics, boring droning snooze-inducing vocals, tries to get heavy but fails, what was Cobain thinking!?
Couldn't decide if it was a anachronistic as an 80's album or a 90's album. I didn't hate it but it never found its footing with me.
A very safe 90’s alternative album. Nothing really stood out.
Good rock album, nothing that really grabbed me but solid enough.
Cool
As great as powerpop goes. The concept and what you do to me were known but I hadn't heard the full album. What a way to finish up with Is This Music? It's almost bagpipes rock 🗿💎
Excellent 90's jangly guitar
Don’t really get why this is on this list.
Nothing outstanding or remarkable, it's another in the 1001 albums that you wonder why it's included
Not feelin it brother 2/5
Actually a pretty unique album all things considered. It didn't immediately grab me, but the fun mix of shoegaze and indie rock caught my attention enough that I'll definitely be coming back to this one. Especially considering this only came out in 1991, they were definitely ahead of their time already using shoegaze in combination with other genres, despite how new of a genre it still was at the time. And because of that it's clear how much improvement there still was to be done, but it definitely lays the groundworks for shoegaze to be experimented with in other ways beyond what this album manages to do.
Don't remember the name Teenage Fanclub back in the day, but after listening, December and What You Do To Me sounded familiar. Were these the radio hits? Too busy to lookup at the moment. Thought this was a pretty solid album from start to finish. The more I listened, the more I thought of TJAMC, of which I am a big fan. Satan, after The Concept took me by surprise, in a good way. All in all, really enjoyed the listens. Nothing really mind blowing, but just a good all around album. December probably my favorite song, but just thought all the songs and sounds were pretty good. Nicer way to restart my reviews after vacation. 3.5
3.5 Been a minute since my last review - I spent two weeks on vacation and then about two weeks catching up on work. Fortunately, I think this album largely benefited from that. When I first heard it, I thought it was nothing special, but it’s grown on me largely since that time a month ago. It definitely has that lo-fi, slacker rock sort of sound to it that I love in bands like Sonic Youth and as of more recently, The Dandy Warhols, and while I don’t know if I would say Teenage Fanclub pull it off quite as successfully, it results in a pretty enjoyable album nonetheless. A lot of it admittedly blends together, something I think can be attributed to the one-note production, but at the same time, it never results in anything that’s less than pretty good. In many ways, I appreciated the hazy ambience that hangs about this, one that almost feels shoe-gazey at times (or maybe it is? Idk genres are hard). Weirdly though, I feel like my favorite song here was actually the closer, Is This Music? I don’t usually prefer instrumentals, but despite its borderline shrill nature, I actually found the thing to be a huge earworm and something that I looked forward to each time as the album closed. It also helps that it's the most unique-sounding song here by a mile. Not much else to say on this one - I don’t think it does anything special, but it’s worth checking out if you’re into the genre. Even Wikipedia doesn’t have much to say about this, but it does contain a gem about how Gene Simmons sued the band over the album cover, alleging KISS owns the imagery for a money bag with a dollar symbol on it… because of course he did. F that dude.
The magic is in the dose. Catchy hooks + vaguely meaningful lyrics + whatever instrumentals = apparently an enjoyable album?
Superb
OG weezer vibes. Pleasant background. Artist description on Spotify makes them sound really full of themselves despite their simple discography...
Sympa
belongs on the list of 1001 most boring albums
Little pop gems drenched in fuzz guitar and sung in harmonies so sweet that there's a diabetes risk. Imagine if Simon and Garfunkel became the lead singers of the Jesus and Mary Chain. Probably too much of its time to he celebrated these days, but a lot of fun.
knew the name but have never listened to them. very 90s alternative
This album completely drifted into the background for me, nothing particularly special about it. I'm not part of the fanclub and I refuse to jump on the bandwagon.
Quite unremarkable
I love Big Star! Once I’d discovered the song “Thirteen” in 1979 by some random reference in a long forgotten music magazine, I was hooked. Of course, numerous bands have been influenced by Alex Chilton, Chris Bell, Jody Stephens and Andy Hummel who put out 3 amazing records between 1972 and 1978. Teenage Fanclub essentially resurrected Big Star. This is power pop at the highest level. Although in my mind Thirteen (See even TF acknowledged the debt) released two years later in 1994 is a superior over all record, Bandwagonesque has some very fine moments. For me, the best tracks are the simplest and are a little Beatlesque such as What You Do To Me and Star Sign. The vocal harmonies are perfect and although this was an unusual record for Scotland at the time, it comprises elements of late 80s American power pop with Brit pop ala Oasis and Blur. These are subtle influences and likely why this record connected with a broader group as this record was huge on College radio. I’ve revisited this record several times over the years after being in a steady rotation in my car CD player and in my classroom when I was a High School teacher in the 90s. It is a fine record- not perfect but honestly should be in everyone’s record collection. 4/5
👎
Terrible art for an average album. Liked it more than I thought and I’m probably giving it less credit than it deserves but it’s just like a really good local band in your town made a good album. Satan is my favorite song on here because it goes so dumb after that way too long of an intro but then nothing happens. Not bad at all, just not something that sticks out to me as a hidden gem or classic.
By no means mindblowing or original but I really enjoyed this album. It’s fun, silly, sweet, and has great guitar.
I think it just sounds so of the time, which means for a lot of people I think it sounds a little dated. Some decent guitars for me, catchy songs, very early 90’s transition from sad indie music into taking things a little heavier bridging into emo I think (I’m sure fans of those genres will disagree). So yeah I think it’s alright, and an easy listen overall. I think if this was your favourite artist/album I would judge you though.
Mellow but catchy
listened to in chunks but want to come back!
Pretty anodyne. I don’t see what makes this special. 2.5
Never listened before. Feel like I need to go back and spend more time with it. 3.5 stars
I thought this album started really strong, but I found myself checking in toward the middle and end of the album. I really enjoyed the guitar work, the solos almost sound Gilmore-esque to me. I wasn't crazy about the vocals though. Not bad overall. CERTAINLY shouldn't be in contention for 1991 AOTY over Nevermind, but I won't hold it against the band.
Tuneful, interesting proto-Britpop. 4.5
Not the worst thing on this list by far, in fact it was one of the better picks I've had. Actually thought these guys were a bit more punk but I enjoyed their vibe
This kinda feels like it lands somewhere between Beach Boys and Foo Fighters and my ears were confused, but it's also good early 90s rock.
Houmous & Chutney are the greatest alternative rock band of all time, I’m not sure why these guys ever tried? 3.4 3/12 December
Never heard of them before and kind of know why after listening
Never heard of this band. I like it. Cool melodies and riffs. A little too brokenhearted for me, but 14 year old me would have spent hours with this album.
There guys felt a little ahead of their time with this album... like a good 10-15 years ahead of their time with the gritty indie rock sound. Really enjoyed "The Concept", "What you do to me", "I don't know", "Metal Baby", "Pet Rock", "Alcholiday" and "Is this Music". All the other songs were great to be honest, but these stood out to me the most. I really enjoyed this album, it has the pure vibe of some young guys having fun and jamming in their garage; fun just runs through every note on this album and I love it. This kind of fuzzy, innocent creative fun feels missing in this day and age of music, so its refreshing to hear it now. It's an incredible cliché now, but being born the same year this album released makes me feel as though I missed out on a time that was more right for me as a teenager than the one I grew up in. Oh well, at least we can still listen to these and look back fondly on what we did have at least.
Meh, not my cup of tea.
Pretty neat.
Enjoyed this. Good sound and good melodies. I will definitely listen again.
Liked it but wasn’t completely blown away. Sounded like pre-Brit pop fare which may be doing it a disservice but I didn’t have anything that really shook may as being out of the ordinary.
This was pretty cool. The album really throws you in, like the second song is quite an emotional swell that I think most artists would push towards the end of an album. Caught my attention. I like the warmth and jangly/fuzzy sounds throughout.
I have a soft spot for Scottish salt-rock, but this is a little uneven
Good for what it is - pretty chill, would listen in car or at gym, good for background music
Eh it was okay, probably won't add to the rotation but enjoyed it enough.
I like it but it’s not blowing my ass off
this is the kind of music that would play in the background while I work a grungy retail job in a touristy small town
I started to enjoy this when the album finished. Reminded me a little bit like the Gin Blossoms.
Tedious
Not bad but quite forgettable
pretty cool. it's got this early 2000's hit flavor to it where i feel like i should've heard some of these songs on the radio a hundred times. it's impressive how much they nail their niche but that niche isn't the spiciest or most exciting brand of rock. like maybe this would've blown my mind in '91? still, generally pleasant vibes, even if it doesn't move me particularly. although Is This Music? is a really sick riff, few more of those in the album and we'd be cookin. *strong* 3
Rating: 4/10 Really started to veer the line of irritating to me as I was just not getting into the songwriting. I think at the point of Star Sign and Metal Baby I had decided that this record just wasn’t going to work for me at the moment, which is a shame because some sweet power pop tunes with a little bit of noisy feedback isn’t theoretically something I should be turned off from. Extra shame that I was actually really into that first track and nothing hit the same at all the further into Bandwagonesque I got. Maybe I can get more into this band one day but for now I’ve got plenty of other indie rock I can reach for.
Absolutely mediocre. Artist could have saved a bunch of time and just not made this album. Maybe not a single interesting sequence of notes happened in this entire thing. Like FOR EXAMPLE Scott 2 was bad/weird but at least it made me think thoughts, this one was just straight nothing at all. I can see how they're a direct influence of many other supermarket mid rock artists still around to this day, so I can at least respect that a little 2.4/10
This is the type of music that usually does something for me but honestly this really was mostly whatever. Not bad but not particularly good or interesting either. 6/10
…and you could dance to it!
Loved the last track but cannot even begin to describe how much "Metal Baby" annoyed me.
Definition of mids.
I don't hate it, but I wouldn't listen unless encouraged.
I definitely think these guys listened to Bob Mould. I mean, this is a very good record, in spite of the cover. But I think I would have liked it more 25 years ago. This list has given me a whole bunch of fuzzy 90s britpop and alt rock all grouped together, and I am realizing that a lot of it just doesn't do much for me right now.
Felt kind of boring and too tryhard... maybe it just wasn't my style
Soft music delivered hard, this is the fey-Crazy Horse tributary of grunge’s big-guitar outpouring, a hard sell for me then, a hopeful, lovable vibe to these older ears. Do the guitars on the last track deliberately sound like bagpipes?
"The Concept" remains a relative banger, at least for the first few minutes. The rest is quite blah (and lazy) - a huge disappointment when eagerly purchased based on music rag hype (and happily traded for "S+E 1992" shortly afterwards). Widely described (favorably!) as "ripping off Big Star", if only it was that good.. Released the same day, and on the same label as "Loveless", a month or so after "Screamadelica". What a time to be alive!
8/10
This is probably a 4 star album. Sounds a little bit like The Stone Roses, but at the same time it's its own thing. Definitely need to revisit later.
Much as I like Teenage Fanclub, I’ve never really clicked with this one. I find it odd that this is the album of theirs people always cite as a classic. It’s got a very sludgy sound to it and the songs feel a little half-baked compared to their fresher, more fully-formed records that followed. It feels very much of its time although some tunes, like Metal Baby and What You Do To Me provide indications of the band they’d grow into. Grand Prix is my go-to album of theirs.
To my ears, at least, Teenage Fan Club were another band championed by John Peel which I came to love, probably coming to them late with a Peel session which I know included Alocoholiday a fabulous track from this wonderful album. Grand Prix stands out as their absolute tour de force, but this is almost equally wonderful. I think they always wore their influences on their sleeves e.g. Big Star but I think they are so much better than them. Some wonderful melodies, great arrangements and clever lyrical and musical twists along the way. The slightly understated December is perhaps a less obvious particular highlight. Bandwagonesque made it clear they were and in fact still are something special.
Perfectly alright. Nothing too crazy but it was enjoyable. Unlikely to revisit.
Really good. Feels ahead of its time.
Nothing too much to say; wasn't super good nor super bad.
4/10
While this isn't horrible, it's pretty dull.
Álbum promedio de rock prog, divertido
As a fan of Nada Surf, I feel like these guys must have been their direct influence. Really enjoyed it - and I think if this had been something that I knew at the time, it probably would be 5 stars of enjoyment for me. As it stands it's a solid 4 that I'll be happy to continue to listen to.
Fine
Meh
Mid
Meh?
Ah classic 90s style rock/alternative. I even recognized a few of the songs or maybe recognized the vibe of the songs, but it was pretty good. The name of the album is clever, and I added a few songs to my 90s playlist. Solid
really liked this, thought this would be from like 2009 from the title
Great record! For some reason it doesn’t click for me as much as some of the other big early 90s power pop albums, I don’t think I am in love with how this record sounds compared to Grand Prix too. Still a banger tho
This was a heavenly listen on the way home from tutoring. It was 70 degrees and sunny in Chicago in March. The windows were rolled down on lake shore drive, and the harmonies were making me melt. Heavenly. I love this album. This album has it all. It’s cool, it’s rockin, it’s sentimental, and it’s power pop! 5/5 of course.
such a good modern classic. I’ve heard of Teenage Fanclub but this was such a fun listen the grungy guitars and drumming made my day. Tracks I enjoyed were ‘The Concept’, ‘Star Sign’ and ‘Pet Rock’ A good 3.5/5-GEMV (26.01.2026)
Mediocre sing songy pop tunes with a feigned edge. Not much here. “Metal baby” got stuck in my head, but otherwise an unremarkable album.
Nice 90s mellow rock. A couple great solo jams. Probably I won't listen to it again. 2.5/5
Surprisingly solid indie rock/power pop type stuff from the early 90s. It's really funny that people got mad about this beating out Nevermind to the #1 spot
I was driving through heavy rain and traffic while listening to this album and after it was done, three more generic 90s alt rock songs played on autoplay and I had no idea they weren’t part of the album. This wasn’t baaad, some pretty good guitar throughout, however it didn’t make enough of an impression on me
Very solid album all around, but outside of the guitar player who's kind of sick with it, they're not doing anything super memorable or unique. Can't bash it, can't adore it! Standouts: The Concept • Sidewinder • Is This Music?
Had no idea what I would be getting here but I loved it. They are built around a very consistent sound but there is enough variety to keep me enjoying it, especially around the ends. The opening and closing tracks are serious highlights for me.
Eh, it was okay. It won't be one I remember or return to, but it was good background music while I worked. It reminded me of the season of fall for some reason.
I really enjoyed this one, then I tried going through it a second time and my opinion fell a little. A good album that made me interested in checking out more from this band, but there was nothing that stand out here.
The Concept. What a tune!
A fine album, but it is shocking that Nevermind lost to it in Spin's albums of the year in 1991. There's some parts that are good, and I like the sound of 90s rock/alt, but it also didn't stand out in any amazing way.
Okay
i know Teenage Fanclub, and I've heard them, a long time ago when I worked in a record store, but I wasn't a fan back then. However, now that I'm older, I appreciate it a lot more and can also understand why I may not have been as into their more laid-back sound. I do hear a lot of the Big Star in them, along with the Brit-Pop/Rock sound of the early 90's. So, I am a fan and do want to go through this album again and other albums by Teenage Fanclub in the near future.
I listened to this album at the gym. From what I remember I liked it and it had a cohesive sound. 3/5 stars.
Devin loves this so it was super enjoyable for me.
You know how in Hollywood when they make an adaptation of a property like Judge Dredd or John Carter or Flash Gordon, one of the criticisms is that it feels derivative of something like Robocop or Star Wars, when in fact those properties were the inspiration? That’s how I felt listening to this record. I got a lot of Weezer vibes listening to it, so much so that I googled when Weezer was formed and turned out this album came out a year before they became a group and four years before Weezer’s Blue album. Solid album imo but it’s funny to hear it and feel like it’s derivative when it’s not.
Good Stuff
Das war cool! Die Gitarre hat einen richtig crunchigen Sound – das erinnert mich an Dinosaur Jr.
Good
Man I feel like I've heard this band and album a thousand times in this album listening thing.
A little meh to me. Could be way better. Or no....
I saw a review that suggested listening to this album twice, which was good advice I felt. I did indeed enjoy the album a lot more on a second play through, probably because I knew what to expect. The first couple of tracks start strong, but it devolves into power-pop rapidly. Kind of like a watered-down Sonic Youth meets Oasis. I think if the harmonies had been ditched, the guitar ramped up just a little, and the pop elements turned down just a little, then this could have been a really great album. But none of that happened, so I'm going with three stars.
Overraskende godt?😍
Overraskende godt!! En af de bedre fra 2026
Non male
Extremely dull
The Concept What You Do to Me Star Sign Alcoholiday
This was solid. Don’t know how this got past me at the time but it’s in the rotation now. Fun listen.
I forgot how good these guys were. A great jangle power pop alternative. Up there in the same conversation with Matthew Sweet, the Lemonheads and Dinosaur Jr. The Big Star comparisons are complimentary and well deserved. And Kurt Cobain himself was known to name drop them in interviews as the best band in the world. Maybe there was something to Spin naming this album as better than Nevermind? Ha. Not really. Oh well, whatever, nevermind. Still a great record.
Have always loved The Concept, so shame on me for not spending more time with the rest of this before now. This was great, can see why people hype this band.
Solid album. I was a little surprised I didn’t recognize anything on this or really the band. Feels like we would’ve crossed paths. Will definitely check out more. 3.5 but it just didn’t have that something that made me want to round up. A very solid 3 that could evolve over time.
This was pretty solid. Probably needs a second listen for a proper rating...unlike Spin Mag, I gotta say I'd pick Nevermind over this album. LOL. 3.25/5
Mediocre jangly punky pop. Starts as kind of a punk sound and turns into like a shitty version of Oasis towards the end. Bonus points for what might be the worst album cover ever.
luv what u do to me and the concept 👍 coolll
Rock and roll baby! Some jams on this one
A power pop album that is kind of... forgettable. This record was released the exact same month and by the same label as 'Loveless'. Despite of being drop so close to such titanic work, this album seems to have done really well back then. From what I could read, they got enough fame to make a world tour, and it was also named one of the best releases of 1991, something which I disagree. The main problem with this project is how one-dimensional it is. Once passed the first four songs, almost everything follows the same ideas and melodies. To summarized, the majority are romantic songs with very soft voices, nice chord progressions, some noise moments and solos here and there, and a shoegaze type of production with very distorted guitars that build a very pleasant wall of sound. In paper, it sounds very good, but is the lack of variation and the songs being a bit too similar that makes the album a bit predictable once reached the half point. However, there are a couple of exception: First, there is 'Star Sign'. It was with no doubt my favourite one, and it also was the main single of it. It has a very atmospheric intro that is followed by the most energetic guitars of the album. It reminded me a lot to Dinosaur Jr, which is great. Then there's 'Satan', the worst song of the album and a super weird inclusion. It is one minute of pure noise followed by twenty seconds of a very hard riff. This track is very confusing. It feels like an idea that was never developed upon and that they decided to left it in instead of removing it. In conclusion, this is a decent album that sounds super pleasant but everything sounds way too alike.
No tenía idea de la existencia de Teenage Fanclub y tremendo y divertidísimo disco que fue Bandwagonesque. Todo el tiempo se siente fresco, tiene ritmos con los que pude conectar enseguida, y en general una de las mejores sopresas de esta lista. A escucharles más.
Not sure how great this album is, but it well encapsulates the sound of that genre/era
I quite enjoyed this record with a lot of similarities to early oasis and britpop but also a lot of similarities to nirvana. The album didn’t blow me away as such , but there is definitely a few songs which I will be going back to.
Full disclosure. I’m Scottish and will listen with greater attention to try and find something to like within anything from my kin. Orange Juice and Cocteau Twins are two examples where active listening has brought unexpected delight. Teenage Fanclub were always floating about in recommendations from magazines and friends in my youth, but I could never get into them. Every song, to my ears, always seems like it gets up to the desired speed as quick as possibly then whacks on cruise control, which ultimately makes the majority of songs never get beyond the mundane. Quite a few reviews I’ve read on here whilst listening cite Oasis as a similar, earlier, sound. I can hear this. Overall, fine, but nothing I’d return to.
Oops end
The Raspberries got there first, and better.
Well, I did it. I listened, neglected to rate, and the totally blanked on the album. I don’t think don’t I either particularly liked or didn’t like it. I’m too busy at present to re-listen so I’m granting myself a fuck it on this one. By default, it gets a three.
Surprisingly good - will listen again
Hits super well on a couple tracks, but I dunno. It just made me yearn for some of the 90s' better noise pop records, because this just didn't stand out too much on the whole.
Rockin record
I actually really like this album, though it’s not perfect. People might question the relevance of this album but the sounds developed here went on to consolidate the sound of shoegaze so undoubtedly quite an important album
#818. This seems like high school talent show level music. Not terrible musicianship, but kind generic and a bit uninteresting overall. 3/5: fine?
Oh man.. December was a big song for me... twenty plus years ago. So nostalgic!
Lame pop rock not really good but listenable.
This is #day514 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to some fine jangle/noise/alternative rock in the vein of the early '90s and all that. Creation Records on display, so to speak. A must hear before you die, though? Doubt it. Still, this is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day515.
Mediocre indie album. Some great guitar and vocals but nothing too interesting
The Concept // What You Do to Me // I Don’t Know // Alcoholiday // Is This Music?
Pretty generic
This sounds very psychedelic. Very strong album.
Pop with hints of grunge as well as the Beatles. Some radio-friendly tunes but all in all, very forgettable. A generous 3.
The songs sound messy
Oh man, this is so generic and without emotion. Every song looks the same. Well, it has some calm vibe, but it sure is not for me.
GOING IN: Very excited indeed LISTENED WHILE: Chillin at home FAMILIARITY: Listened to it many times SKIP RATE: Played it straight through REPLAY VALUE: Deffo play again DISCOVERY CURVE: Warmed up nicely ALBUM ARC: Pretty even, consistent VERDICT: Absolutely brilliant BODY'S VERDICT: Decent head wobble FAVOURITE TRACK: My Rating: 4.5
This came out while I was sophomore in college and somehow did not come into my world. And I’m glad for that. Temu Weezer. 2/5
Now this is the kind of garbage I was waiting for. Typical boring gen-x drek
Enjoyed this one. 3.5/5
"I WANT TO ASSASSINATE DECEMBER." Need I say more.
I do enjoy 90's alt rock. this one dragged a bit at times, but it had a good foundation.
I know teenage fanclub already but never properly listened to them. This was a great album. It has an almost timeless quality to it, as if it could've been released last week. Really good stuff.
Seems like a good album but the singers voice lacks a certain charm
It’s like pavement but not
I really enjoyed this sound.
Some good some less good. Why would anyone make Satan. Not bad overall.
Not interested.
It's like 12 tracks of music from that Fast Show indie club sketch.
Tyypillistä brittiläistä ysärirockia.
3-4
Some great memories from the scots lads
For some reason I expected it to be the sound to be a lot heavier, but the sounds and voices were brighter, youthful and more melodic. The album feels like we are following the ups and downs of a crush/relationship as reflected in certain songs (ex: metal baby). Some standouts included Pet Rock, which had a pretty groovy sound as it was closing out. The end of Satan felt like a nice taste of what I had originally pictured. Considering the sound, this album could have fit more in to the 2000s. I could see myself listening to this again.
Never heard of this band. Pretty typical 90s UK Indie sound and mellow vibe.
Better than Nevermind, as SPIN claimed? Not quite. But it's an inventive, catchy and well-written album that I could play repeatedly. And it won't get nearly as overplayed as Nevermind was. So good on them.
I should love this; Indie Rock, Power Pop, Jangle Pop, Alternative Rock from 1991 I don’t. Just wall of guitars rhythm so no favourite songs
Not really
Quite a 3/5 band generally
Some nice bits. Not unpleasant by any means
Decent but a bit boring
Nadal surf been here or it's just me
I liked it. Nothing really stood out to me, but it was a pleasant listen. I liked the harmonies.
Wasn't bad but nothing stood out to me.
++: I Don't Know, Alcoholiday, Guiding Star +: December, Metal Baby +-: The Concept, What You Do to Me, Star Sign, Pet Rock, Sidewinder, Is This Music? -: Satan 4,1/10
Context mattered. I was on my back in a crawl space insulating pipe when I listened to this for the second time. It felt young and free of adult life. I remembered the cathartic feeling of making music as a teenager with nothing else to care about. And that felt good.
Important in its day and an unexpected breakthrough, this merger of grunge and power pop was misunderstood as a heavy rock record. The Fannies continued to evolve and peaked a few albums later with Grand Prix and Howdy.
noisy good
2.7 3x
This album had promise when it started out, but just sounded like much of the same stuff over and over. Not too great.
It is interesting that Teenage Fanclub struck chord with critics and other musicians more than the public. Bandwagonesque is a fantastic indie power-pop album with amazing song writing, great instrumentation and brilliant, sometimes harmonic, vocals. At a time when grunge dominated indie music, this album stood out. As the band’s name implies, Teenage Fanclub’s schtick is reinterpretation of the sound of their youth into something new. The influences of bands like the Byrds, Big Star and Neil Young are easy to spot, but it doesn’t distract because the band leans into it. The songs throughout Bandwagonesque, have pop-like strong hooks and melodious vocals, but this is intermixed with fuzzy, sometimes noisy instrumentation more reminiscent of bands like Pavement or Dinosaur Jr (an inspiration to the band’s creation). I can see why this juxtaposition will not land for everyone, but I also think that this is why many report enjoying the album more on relistens. Music like this is sometimes easier to enjoy when you know what is coming. Cool stuff. Although admittedly this is a genre I’m partial to, I agree that this is one everyone should listen to this at least once before they die. Also, another album that is back in rotation thanks to this project.
This is definitely a classic from the early 90s alternative scene, blending power pop and jangle pop with a joyful, melodic vibe. It carries a strong sense of nostalgia, clearly influenced by 60s and 70s bands like Big Star, The Byrds, and The Beach Boys, but listening to it today instantly takes me back to the 90s.
Okay
Some nice riffs, but overall didn't connect to it. Fine to listen to.
I mean it's ok, it simply didn't do anything at all to pull me in.
"December" "What You Do To Me" "Star Sign" and "Alcoholiday" were all decent, but the rest of this kinda bounced off me.
It’s like a poppier Dinosaur Jr. not in a bad way but the band smooths out the rawness.
Very good
I'm very much in the middle when it comes to this record. It's got good singing, good production, and it kinda stays within one sound. There's a couple of songs that stand out but the album itself was fine. 3.0/5
Kinda basic, unclear why it's here. Not bad, just not outstanding.
The production really lets this album down. There's something great buried in here
I liked it quite a bit. It reminded me of dream-pop Foo Fighters. Given I was a teen in the 90's I'm pretty familiar with the 90's sound, but hadn't heard much of this band. This sounded familiar but fresh. I loved Is This Music?.
After the first listen, I read a review that said "God bless the second listen", so I decided to give it another chance. I'm glad I did.
I liked their sound a lot, but didn't hear much in terms of memorable songs.
pleasant to listen to but absolutely nothing to distinguish it from the dozens of other power pop bands of the time
I've never listened to this album (65). It probably influenced a lot of bands I don't care about.
exactly what you want you'd want out of 90s pop-rock album
3.5
Tuneful, slightly weird and a bit lo-fi. The Concept is a brilliant opener.
Interesting, a band from the nineties that I completely missed out upon. I remember the cover from the displays of the record shops at that time, but somehow never got around to listening to it. This isn't bad at all, it has that typically nineties sound of distorted guitars, but the songs are well crafted and are melodic too. It's a kind of like Sonic Youth meets Big Star. I actually knew "What You Do To Me" but liked the album as a whole, and would definitely play it again, 4/5.
A record I could never get that into. It has such a “90s indie” sound, and coming out in 1991, I’m sure part of this record’s notoriety is they were among the first to sound like this. But did they perfect the sound? I’m not sure. But is it a good record in general? Yep.
8/10 Favourite: The Concept Least Favourite: Guiding Star
A thoroughly decent album. The first half gets off to an interesting start, moving from quintessential late 20th century rock on the opening track with a lengthy guitar solo to the in your face shoutiness of ‘Satan’, then back to more recognisable pop/rock. While the second track ends up a bit of an outlier, there’s decent variety throughout. You get some semi-grungey songs, others more britpoppy but (I would argue) a less acquired taste than the bands who made the genre famous. Could definitely hear from Foo Fighters / Biffy Clyro in there too. A strong 3 for me, definitely found it enjoyable but no wow factor to it.
Not sure about this. Its a bit lazy indie band with a droning undertone. Its not bad but it doesnt really go anywhere. It just makes me feel 90s indie but dont see how this is better than anything else at that time. If I was to compare to say Stone Roses or The Verve for example would I really prefer this. I dont think so and I dont see how this blazed a trail for anyone either.
This yo-yoed between a decent rock album and pretty middle of the road 90's brit-pop. I quite enjoyed the general vibe but a lot of it felt pretty plodding and the vocals were lackluster. Apart from a few interesting moments, like the instrumental part of 'Satan', a point where I briefly thought the album might pick up into something more exciting, this was a decent enough but forgettable album.
In no way anywhere close to the quality of Nevermind, but nevertheless a nice addition to the world of jangly indie rock. A lot better than expected
At first this is so derivative 90s overblown mega period piece indie rock that I cannot stand it. Sounds like a melodramatic and poorly made highschool movie soundtrack inside of the brain of a super hormonal teenager with a lack of taste who thinks they are going through somthing. Booringg and generic. When I listen more I can hear this is british and has hints of oasis in it, but moments where it could be more do not break through.
Not my genre - 1-2 good songs
Sounds as if the Beatles went Grunge But not in a good way. 3/10
5/10
Never heard of this band/album before, but I enjoyed this! I really enjoy a lot of albums with this post-punk ish sound from this era. I would give this another listen for sure.
Teenage Fanclub were a band highly rated by critics at the time, especially this and 1995's Grand Prix. Scottish indie outfit with fairly breezy enough tunes but not as accessible to ever garner great radio play. There was much better jangly guitar stuff earlier (the Smiths etc) and they'd also be outdone by the likes of Dodgy and the Lightning Seeds in the Britpop era. This is all fine but doesn't really go to the next level. I believe one magazine voted it album of the year for 1991 which is particularly bizarre when you consider what came out that year. Fine enough but I prefer Grand Prix (not sure if that's on here) better melodies and slicker production.
Scotland’s Teenage Fanclub crash onto the scene with Bandwagonesque, a fuzzy love letter to classic power pop that balances distortion with unexpectedly tender harmonies, like Big Star filtered through a J Mascis pedalboard. The band doesn’t just echo their influences—they bend them into something distinctly early-’90s and unmistakably their own: “December” channels Dinosaur Jr.’s loose-limbed cool but softens it with sweeter vocal blends; “What You Do to Me” is a 90-second sugar rush that plays like Badfinger coated in fuzz; and “Metal Baby” delivers a winking, riffy swagger that feels like proto-Weezer before such a thing technically existed. Bandwagonesque isn’t reinventing the wheel, but it’s carving out a melodic, hook-happy niche in Britpop’s noisier corners.
It’s like the worst parts of Sonic youth became a band
Shaggy slacker rock surprisingly brimming with hooks. Loping melodic bass, fuzzy guitars, sweetly earnest vocal harmonies, a bit of noise around the edges. Jangly power pop with the gain up high that tumbles occasionally into grittier terrain.
Awesome. Loved it
Oikein kelpoa alt rokkia, semmoista aika indie henkistä. Alkoi vahvasti mutta loppu olikin sit aika tasapaksua. Tasapaksun hyvää kummiskin, mutta mikään kappale ei erottunut joukosta. Parhaat: The Concept
Great guitar work, some fun songs, but mid vocals
5.6
It's a pleasant surprise to see this one make an appearance. Not because Teenage Fanclub don't deserve a place on the list but because they feel like the kind of band that could slip through unnoticed. I also would've chosen the more accessible (and commercially successful) Grand Prix if I was including one Fannies LP. But on a personal level, I love to see them given their dues as one of Britain's great underrated 90s bands. This was also a nice reminder to give this album a fresh listen as it's probably their album I return to the least. It has some fantastic little tunes on it and the vocal harmonies are excellent. It feels a little rough around the edges but that's not a bad thing - you could probably accuse them of feeling a little too polished on their late 90s-00s albums.
Ok
I could tell right on the first track that this album was gonna have some amazing guitar playing. And I was right. What a cool tone. This album has a lot of bangers on it and it felt like it just flew by. Great choice as I probably would have never heard this otherwise
Another day, another okay enough British alt rock album that doesn't do much of anything to stand out from the myriad of albums just like it. No idea why this is in the project, largely fine and forgettable. Top tracks: The Comcept, Star Sign
An enjoyable listen and style though no real stand outs for me.
Man, this one was a blast. I went in knowing absolutely nothing about it, and it hooked me right from the start. The opener sounded like something that came before early 2000s pop punk or emo, with those killer guitar solos and tight vocal harmonies. “December” had serious proto-Oasis or Radiohead vibes, and “Sidewinder” felt straight-up Beatles-esque—like it could’ve been on Help! or Rubber Soul. The bassist crushed it on that one and on “Star Sign,” giving both songs a great groove that pulled everything together. I wasn’t expecting much, but this record totally won me over. If the rest of Teenage Fanclub’s stuff sounds anything like Bandwagonesque, I’m definitely checking out more. Favorite song: The Concept
It's not too bad. Almost an angsty punk vibe which sounds about right for early alternative rock.
I liked it better than I thought I would but honestly still pretty forgettable. I probably would have really liked it in my teenage years if I had known of them.
Nice instrumentation but a little boring ar parts
A lot of it was just glorified background music, sometimes got very dreary, especially with those vocals. The Britpop/Beatlesesque stuff was just utter shite. Generous 2. It's been so long since I've had a 5 man, release me.
Nothing remarkable. 2/5