The Trinity Session

I was expecting to like it more than I did. The roots/country influences and the weird almost covers threw me off. Still it's a vibe.

It's no Joni, but it's decent. I like it. It's not groundbreaking, but weirdly sounds ahead of it's time. Still would have it in the 3 range, but it's nice

I tried to get into the Cowboy Junkies a few years ago, so I already knew how I felt about them. It's pleasant, inoffensive and well-done. I think the major draw of this album is how it was recorded, around one microphone with no overdubs. Most of all, this album is quiet. Very fucking quiet to the point I had to pump the volume up just to hear the music. It's a headphones-only album for me. What really surprised me is how quiet the album is and then BOOM here comes a harmonica at the highest decibel level possible. A bit disconcerting the first time you hear it. Not a bad album and I had it recommended to me, so I imagine I could see myself recommending it to others. It's just too chill and too torch-songy for me to listen to often. I mean, they are all torch songs and they aren't exactly short torch songs either. Appreciate it, don't love it.

Pretty good but not my style. I love the sound of the recording.

This was almost entirely amazing, but that is the worst version of i'm so lonesome i could cry i've ever heard. it was so grating for reasons i can't pin down. star deducted for that alone.

Blue Moon is great. Definitely music for a dystopian future western bar.

More my tempo

Not what I was expecting at all. The name suggested a more rocky sound to me. I quite enjoyed it though. Not biased by the blue moon song at all..... It's very slow and haunting though so not the most interesting thing but not bad at all

Pretty good folk/country rock album. Can be a bit slow and chill but nice to hear when you're in the mood for it

Day228 - not at all what i thought cowboy junkies would sound like. interesting and different the sweet jane cover was good

Good chill music. Kinda dull so I can't rate it too highly, but good for what it is. 3.2

Enjoyable, and I am glad I listened.

The "Sweet Jane" cover is the absolute shit, the rest doesn't quite match up to it but it's not that bad either.

Smooth listening. Pleasant to my ears without being anything I love extra special. 3.5

This was pleasant, quite dreamy and melancholy, not captivating enough to get a really high score but a reasonably comfortable 3, I think. Not quite my jam, but it's not bad.

This is a very smokey album. The album has very strong character which helps me get immersed in the slow progression of each song, but it does mean I struggle to differentiate individual songs. Standout Track: I Don't Get It

just okay 3/5

They're very talented. Vocalist has a great voice. Slow ass Americana isn't exactly my style (I always enjoy it better in the live format) but this is pretty good - I just wouldn't listen to it on my own.

sounds like an Enya alternate project. It's quite enjoyable although I don't know about the hearing before dying part.

Sweet Jane is class

I very rarely listen to slowcore music. The closest I get is with Duster, or some post-rock stuff, like Godspeed You! Black Emperor. But often the slowest parts are just build up that lead to some very explosive moments. But music that is purely slowcore is not at all my forte. I was still intrigued by the idea of this combined with 80s alt-country though. Folk does often go hand in hand with slowcore music. If anyone decides to give this album a listen themselves, fair warning that if the first song does not interest you, the rest of the album won’t either. What you hear there is what you get in its entirety. It changes very little, if at all. To some, this consistency might be appealing, especially if they are into this sound. But I can understand why many others would be positively bored to death by this. There is very little to really latch onto. It’s probably one of the weariest and most depressing sounding albums I’ve ever heard. By all means, it’s pretty simple once you break it down. Just imagine any 90s indie rock/country album, but slower. This listen really just reaffirms my original thoughts. This isn’t much of my thing. I think the lead singer’s voice is lovely. And it’s clearly made by a group of very competent musicians. Although that harmonica is even more ear piercing and intrusive on the rest of the music than Bob Dylan’s. Didn’t think that was possible. I find it funny their name is Cowboy Junkies. Totally sounds like it would be some kick ass punk band. And it’s about as far away from that as you can get. This also feels like hippie indie nerd music. Reminds me of what I’d hear my English teacher playing in class. That’s not necessarily a good thing either. This is music suited for a very specific kind of person. That which I am not. Rating: 5/10

Just kinda meh overall. Enjoyed I Don’t Get It, and that’s probably what bumps this up to a 3, but honestly could take it or leave it

I really enjoyed the change up! Good vibes and I like her voice. Don’t think I can give it higher to a three because it was all a little too similar but had a good time

Not bad. I can cross Canadian Alternative Country off the list now. I had a decent time listening to this album, but I probably won't be coming back.

Beautiful voice and I liked the songs But it was just a bit too slow for me. A few upbeat songs in there and the album would have been much higher 3 ⭐️

It's a bit like a countryfied Low. Twangy slow core and quite decent.

Mjög kósí og næs.

My parents love Cowboy Junkies so I'm not going to hate on it too much. The songs are very pretty and pleasant and the vocals quite angelic. 5/10

Wouldnt listen again, but its alright

Bien

Doses, just in doses. Really good

Nice, really didn't do much for me. Very atmospheric. Lovely singing. I remember Sweet Jane from back in the day. It was nice, different, but I didn't buy the record. 3 stars I guess.

Enjoyed it! Great sounds for waking in the morning!

Day 31 of listening to 1001 albums, one album at a time. This album is slow, like really slow. Sometimes it works other times not so much. I think some songs didn’t really need to be 5 minutes long but that’s just me. I thought a lot of the folk type blues was good and for the late 80s with country music it’s a nice refreshing sound from what you would usually hear from country. However I don’t think this album is really anything special though. I think it has good songs but it becomes boring unfortunately.

Not bad but I had to fight my way through the first few songs. Afterwards it got better and I enjoyed parts of it a lot.

Not sure if 3 or 4 yet. I did enjoy, will need a couple more listens haha

Wow! This one is super chill and recorded at an extremely low volume. I had to crank this one up just to hear it. I'll be revisiting this on some super chill night. I have hope this one will grow on me. The covers of Sweet Jane and Blue Moon jumped out at me. This requires a lot more than one listen to really feel this one.

I found the alt-country vibe really interesting, but not enough to be really submerged by it

It's OK, I remember when this was big, but it is a bit too low key for me. And the best tracks, including Sweet Jane, are covers.

Never heard of this band before, the album starts off very slow and stays slow throughout , nice folk track about miners to start with. I can hear a khruangbin guitar sound throughout, wondering if this was one of Speer's influences. Would have check other albums out before I made a decision about the band Stand out tracks: - Mining for gold - Blue Moon Revisited (song for Elvis) - I don't get it - Great harmonica parts - Working on a building - Sweet Jane - Walking after midnight - harmonica again

It sounded good but felt a bit boring. I enjoyed hearing a very different take on one of my favorite songs “Walking After Midnight” but it was a bit too slow for me.

Melancholy not bad

Nice voice but a little uneventful

It establishes a pretty distinctive atmosphere, but ultimately feels like a pale imitation of Americana by artists that either don't have the chops or the heart for it (or both).

A smoky, sultry collection of country crooners, Margo Timmins purrs out these slow jams about lonesomeness and silicosis.

Can be kind of haunting. I liked it although I'm not sure how much I'll revisit it. 3/5

Intriguing. Kinda forget it was running but it kept grabbing my attention every few minutes. 3 stars

lil slow but some good tunes at times 2.8/5

Love that Sweet Jane!

Decent stuff here

2,5

3,5. ljúft áheyrnar en of mikil áhrif af leiðinlegum jazzi. önnur yfirferð.

Quite good

Had to adjust my expectations as the name 'Cowboy Junkies' definitely had me prepped for something harder than this. It was much slower, softer and calmer than I expected. Not bad but I did get a little bored with it as there wasn't much variation to the vocals, lovely as they are. Probably a 3 for me - quite listenable but not something I'd revisit.

Made me a bit sleepy

This was a surprise indeed! Didn’t hold out much hope, but it’s really good! Beautiful, melodic and stripped back!

This album definitely has a unique sound, not sure it's quite my tempo though. I definitely liked the country instrumentals, but I think the songs are just a bit too slow, which made it uninteresting at times. The singer has a good voice though.

Quite relaxing

Mostly, I am rating this a 3 because I didn't hate it. I truthfully didn't have the time to give this the focused listen that I would have liked. This might instead be a 2 but only a relisten will really tell me. What I liked about it was the vocals and felt like a good mix of country and blues. What I am unsure on is that some of the stuff sounded very samey, but I can't tell if that was because I wasn't focused enough or if that's accurate. I definitely wouldn't balk at a relisten though so at the least I passively enjoyed it.

Det är inte dåligt men samtidigt är det rena sömnpillret.

I went into this thinking of a different band. Initially surprised, eventually comforted, it was a fine live album of life's simple things.

Vocals five, song choices four, instruments three. Lovely to listen to.

Roooosalega rólegt og lögin kannski pínku keimlík, en þetta er oft fallegt og það má hafa ánægju af þessu.

6/10 not bad in any way good sleeping music

Best Song: Dreaming My Dreams With You. Beautifully understated in a way that makes you want to lean in to hear her better. Worst Song: I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry. Sometimes, even in the pursuit of melancholy, you can be a little too on-the-nose. Overall: Extremely stripped down. Did not help that I had a head cold while listening to this album, but it did feel like it was trying to put me to sleep. Nevertheless, the vocals were quite nice and I came to relish the quiet of it all.

Pretty similar throughout. Standout songs: Mining for Gold 200 more miles Postcard Blues

35 years ago I definitely had this album. I do love her voice and the arrangements but I didn’t realise how many covers were on here. I think all those years ago, it was very late night listening and suited those studenty smoke-filled environs. Sweet Jane is a great cover. .

I LOVE the Cowboy Junkies 1996 release, Lay It Down. That's a 5 in my book. I've always found this album rather boring. I get that it's a one-day recording and that's some big deal, but the end result is an album that sounds very much the same from start to finish. Cool concept, but not my fave.

Yeah, it's OK. I mean, each individual song is gorgeous. Some nice covers on here. But overall, every song is so quiet and chill, it's all a bit much. At one point, I kept turning up the volume and I swear the song kept getting quieter on me. I literally couldn't turn it up high enough to hear what was going on. Anyway, props to them for that Sweet Jane cover and for resurrecting that middle 8 that had been missing from the original VU single. OTOH, you now can't find that original VU single without the middle 8 added back in, and frankly, although that bit works here with the CJs it doesn't work as well on the original. But that's not the Junkies' fault.

Just reading about how this was recorded has me intrigued and I know very little about the Cowboy Junkies' music. Oh fuck... Harmonica? I like the sound of this so far even though Misguided Angel is not something I would probably listen to again. She has a beautiful voice. One of those 80's/90's female fronted band voices. Oh this bass in Blue Moon Revisited. This is a good one. Half cover, half original. Goddamn. She has a great voice. I understand the church recording session now. The acoustics are amazing on this. Lost a little interest in the middle but sonically this album sounds really good and I could see myself returning to some of these songs.

Admittedly, country/folk isn't my favourite genre but this was OK. Margo Timmins voice saved it. Soft, haunting but with no noticeable twang that keeps more than tolerable. I can see why Robbie Robertson and Neil Young liked this album.

Fantastic sound, but not much variation between songs.

Funcionou bem, especialmente a voz na cover de Sweet Jane

Dreamily relaxing and gentle -- if you're in the mindstate for that

3.4 - Sleepytime music for when you're curled up with a cup of chamomile, rocking your snuggy and fuzzy slippers. The problem is, snuggies make my belly itch and fuzzy slippers make my feet sweat. So, overall, this isn't ever the vibe I seek out. Also, I feel like on any college campus with a passable music program you could scout at least a handful of beautiful female singers who would kill to croon this type of sultry country-inflected prattle. Overall, this record isn't bad -- pretty voice and proficient instrumentation -- but it doesn't offer anything memorable.

I had heard of the Cowboy Junkies but had not heard them before! Nice record but the selections just seemed to plod along…

Hauntingly beautiful at points, a little slow at others, but a neat album nonetheless. This is an album where the vocals make it - she's extremely talented and nice to listen to. If you like folk/blues/etc, give it a whirl. Fav tracks: Postcard Blues, Mining For Gold, I Don't Get It

BLUEEE MOOOOONNNN

3-3.5

Standouts: Mining for Gold, Sweet Jane

Rating: 6/10

Nice album well produced, she’s a beautiful singer,

Nice and relaxing

Not the sort of thing I’d normally listen to, but I found it surprisingly enjoyable

I enjoyed it, but not sure when I'd actually listen to it again. Can imagine it playing as background music in a hipster bar, or by a live band in the corner.

It's mostly slow and boring yet satisfying at times. I have to be in the right mood to enjoy this otherwise it's a slog.

With a name like Cowboy Junkies I was expecting some hardcore country and that first long soulful note was a bit of a jumpscare. That being said, this was a solid album. The music kinda put me to sleep but I’m not mad about it. This is the kind of music I would expect to hear at a yoga class while doing shavasanah.

La primera vez que los escucho y me ha gustado bastante.

I’ve always been opposed to this band off the name alone. You’re…cowboys who are junkies? Junkies strung out on cowboys? It’s a name a guy gripped by midlife crisis would come up with.

This record is simple and beautiful. Missguided Angel is an incredibly well written and performed song, and I loved the cover of Sweet Jane. However some tracks feel too restrained and a lot of them didn't really connect with me.

Not my favourite but it was pretty good

Sad cowgirl type of album. Very quiet

Una mezcla curiosa de blues con un toque sofisticado.

The band name sounds familiar. So far, from the first track, this doesn't sound familiar. Into track 2, a lot mellower than I anticipated. So far not the band I thought it was. Not really my style.

Gorgeous voice. Some beautiful songs, but didn't grab me. Maybe a 2.5. I feel like I need to listen again as it was very background music!

Nice ethereal folk/country album. The intimacy of the session, recorded in a church with a single microphone, is magical. The vocals sound a little monotone at points, and lacking emotion, but the delicate playing is beautiful. The covers are also well placed to sprinkle in some familiarity with well known influences. Great addition to the late night repertoire.

Mellow but didn’t really engage me

Like the intimate feel, for C&W not bad at all 6/10

Steady album.

This was a slow start for me. At first, I was annoyed that it sounded like a rough demo of an album they were going to record later, but then I read about how they recorded it all in a single day with one microphone - so, okay, that's kinda cool. She's got a great voice, and it's real old-timey, jazzy, country vibes. I was a little bored, but the last 4 tracks really saved it for me. Solid work, Junkies.

Easy going. A bit too slow and low key in my opinion. Nice clean guitar sound and reverb.

This is so different to the kind of music I usually listen to. There were some cool unique sounds across the album which I liked and I added a few songs to the playlist.

it was okay. isnt something i would have listened to if not for this app. very bluesy/folky which i dig.

A nice, laid back listen. I like the vocals, and the instrumentation, while understated at times, suits the songs well.

The first half of this I found a bit slow. But there were some tracks later on that I really enjoyed and you could hear the influence on bands like Khruangbin

It is subtle and atmospheric, it is boring too.

Folk rock, country alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.

It’s very nice and the story behind the recording is cool but… it’s a bit dull isn’t it?

An album of pedestrian songs that are as interesting as pile of wet cardboard.

I really liked the singer of this band, it's weird because I thought this was an all male band by the album cover, but her voice was great. Says alternative, but this felt like a sort of country, singer songwriter type album. Like if Kurangbin had more/quieter vocals.

Here we go, here's something pretty interesting. A group I've never heard of, and it seems to be a very raw, unpolished recording session from them. Apparently they were all huddled around one mic playing these songs, that's really cool. I really dig the vocalist's voice, she reminds me a bit of Fiona Apple, but with more of a country/folk edge. Really enjoyable tunes on here, a number of them covers, and I especially enjoyed the one track that, well it's not a cover of Santo & Johnny's "Sleepwalk," but it sounds a lot like it, I think it's an old standard. Anyway, really good album. Very consistent vibe. Favorite tracks: Mining for Gold (really powerful way to open an album), Blue Moon Revisited, 200 More Miles, Sweet Jane. Album art: Washed out, grainy photo of the group, definitely captures the DIY energy underlying the music. Nice touch with all the cups and drinks, definitely in scumbag mode. 3.5/5

Way more chill than expected. What a voice though

Integer en minimalistisch

I like the Natalie Merchant's voice, although she can come off as overly somber, the reigning mood of this album. She gets close to a kind of slinky sexuality on "I Don't Get It", which would've been welcome on other songs (I think "Misguided Angel" would've benefited from some of that energy). I've seen other reviews refer to this as a kind of proto-slowcore record, which I'm inclined to agree with. If a lot of these songs were a minute (or two) shorter, I think fewer reviews would complain about being bored. Many of these tracks just overstay their welcome. The lead guitar playing is great, often bluesy, and the gritty tone cuts right through the lowfi production and restrained vocals. I think this album is beautiful, in a way. I also think it could've used some edits and more varied vocal performances. I could see myself revisiting parts of this. Highlights: Blue Moon Revisited, Dreaming My Dreams With You, Sweet Jane

country that I don't hate. I never thought I'd see the day

Kinda dull in my opinion, but ultimately inoffensive. I just don’t have a lot to say and I’ll most likely end up forgetting it. 3/5

It's got a sorrowful tone. not bad, but also not something I'd listen to often.

This is a carousel in slow motion. It doesn't take long to realize you are going nowhere. The music comes across as very similar, same vocal delivery, same slow playing. A single song of it might be soulful and interesting, but an album of it feels long quickly. It isn't officially bad, just a bit boring.

Didn't hate it but most of it was a one and done.

Nice voice

Worth checking out if only for that "Sweet Jane" cover. As for the rest, your mileage on unobtrusive shoegaze having country inflection will decide if you join the ranks of listeners ascribing a cult status to this record. If you're a fan of Mazzy Star, chances are that *will* join that cult! 3/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential" albums. Which translates to a 8/5 grade for more general purposes (5+3). Number of albums left to review: less than 400 (I've temporarily lost count here) Number of albums I'll include in my own list: half so far, approximately Number of albums I *might*  include: a quarter, approximately (including this one, most probably) Number of albums I'll never include: another quarter (many others are more important to me).

Relaxing blues and country songs. The guitar work is top notch and the vocals are beautiful. It does start to drag though.

Quite Nice and chill. 3

This music was pleasant enough to have on in the background but didn't really move me or hold my interest for long. the covers are pretty good but i don't know how much of this i'd relisten to. it has a cool origin story though. favorites: mining for gold, blue moon revisited, I'm so lonesome i could cry, sweet jane

Yeah, not bad.

The singer has a beautiful voice but the music is too slow and plodding for me to really enjoy. Not bad overall but could be better.

Good album. Never listened to them before. I enjoyed it but probably won't revisit.

This was a 90s dorm room staple. Like most, the "Sweet Jane" cover is the only one I can remember, but what a cover it is! It's kind of the epitome of what you want a cover to be, true to the melody but interpreted in a way that you hadn't imagined before. The rest of the album is solid, establishes a mood early, and keeps you involved throughout. Trippy emo country/folk has seldom been done better. Tip: If you like this you should also be checking out Mazzy Star.

I was expecting the worst sort of country from the name, and what I got was a slightly downbeat, folksy and often beautifully sad album. They really should have picked a better name!

didn't listen to all of it but it was def a vibe, would come back and listen more ++ cowboys

File under : music I would play at my small town Canadian bar on a dreary Tuesday evening

It started off really nice, with couple of very atmospheric songs with very good vocals, real melancholic tunes, but the rest of the album became a little too country generic for me. The shtick became tiring and I couldn't stay connected with the music. It was a nice position on the list though, definitely better than a lot of other country artists I found in here.

Pretty and gentle with more blues than country. Very quiet and mature. Excellently measured singing voice.

isn't this album something! i didn't love it but i found myself intrigued. the lead singer of the cowboy junkies has such a lovely voice that lends itself well to their airy, alternative country sound. honestly, i found similarities between an album like this and "emo music" in the early aughts, and the trinity sessions was released in 1988! i enjoyed what they did with their covers; they definitely made these famous country songs their own. for instance, "walkin' after midnight" is barely distinguishable from patsy cline's! the cowboy junkies used their unique sound to change these covers, and because i'm familiar with some of the original songs, it's easy to see how different their sound was and how it drove the songs in unexpected directions. one easy example of this is how the use of the harmonica had a near "crying" sound effect.

This album was really surprising. It's indie/alternative country/folk from 1988, and yet, it would be entirely believable that this album were released today. It sounds current and relevant when compared to alternative music in these spaces being released today! When I looked ahead at the tracklist and saw that this album was a mix of original material and covers, I was definitely partially intrigued, partially concerned. But upon hearing the album, I can say that the covers are done with such intentionality. They didn't just cover these songs for clout, they reinvented the songs in their own image. The covers take on new life of their own. I didn't absolutely love this, as sometimes it was a bit TOO slow and mellow and fell into the background for me. But man, it was interesting and unlike most things I've heard on this project so far, to say the least. Anyone who loves indie/alternative country should not skip this album, an album that came out long before such music was considered "hip".

1. mining for gold - 1 2. mizguided angel - 1.5 3. blue moon - 1.5 4. i dont get it - 1.5 5. im zo lonezome i could cry - 2 6. to love iz to bury - 1.5 7. 200 more milez - 1.5 8. dreaming my dreamz uuith you - 1.5 9. uuorking on a building - 1.5 10. zuueet jane - 1 11. poztcard bluez - 1.5 12. uualking after midnight -

suave

Languid and torchy proto-alt country with a simmering, bare bones vintage vibe. I've got to say, I appreciate the band's original work over most of the covers, which tend to be rather flat reimaginings of some pretty iconic songs. That said, the band's interpretation of "Sweet Jane" is really lovely, best song on the album by far. Fave Songs: Sweet Jane, Dreaming My Dreams with You, Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis), 200 More Miles, Misguided Angel

This album was very important to me at 13. It's kind of an oldie but a goodie and certainly reminds me of my first girlfriend as we listened to it alone slacking around in our bliss. Dark, moody, emotive. Lots to still love here. There have always been a couple tracks I didn't get, but the most are still sounding good. Timeless.

Country may be my least favorite genre of music, but the Cowboy Junkies’ “The Trinity Session” is a style of alternative/folk country that I can appreciate. It also continues to challenge my opinions about live albums on the list and makes me think about the diverse ways musicians record music. “The Trinity Session” is not quite a live album. It’s mostly one session, but without an audience. But the Cowboy Junkies found a space with unique acoustics, lied their way into that space, and set about recording an intimate performance. Some albums are recorded in a day in a church. Some are recorded in a state-of-the-art studio over weeks. Some are recorded live on stage in front of a cheering crowd. All can produce amazing results. Except the live albums that stitch together several different shows. I still don’t care for those.

Some songs, like "I Don't Get It", have an incredible combination of an alternative folk sound with more direct modern lyrics. But most of the album leans too far into a more traditional southern blues-rock sound, which quickly gets boring and sleepy.

3.5 interesting

Husker ikke helt men sikker 3.5

6/10. Eh, ethereal cowboy music, whatever

I'm not big on country, but I enjoyed the Junkies' moody, bluesy take on the genre more than most country acts. Margo Timmins' voice compliments their style, and the pinnacle of that combination is undoubtedly "Sweet Jane," which is absolutely transcendent. We'll call this a 3.5.

Interesting album- got some nice jazz in there, some blues, some country-western. I dug the pedal steel guitars, harmonicas, and that droney country-western bass. The Spotify description for this band called them "quiet, beautiful, reflective" which I think is a fantastic way of painting their sound. I didn't love the album to start but it grew on me. 3/5

Too slow

Better than I thought

Saw these guys live once. I like it but I don't love it.

I bought this under some unknown influence maybe 10 years after it came out, listened to it once. On a second listening I remain perplexed by it. In general I prefer the original versions of the cover songs, and the original songs just don't make a deep impression. I don't hate it, but it is all a little vague and whispery.

Always liked it, but grow weary of it quickly.

I had entirely the wrong notion of their music and got ready to pan them. Errrr, couldn't have been more wrong. How were they making music like this in 1988 with everything else that was going on around them? Still, it's good to listen to and chill. The level of musicianship is good, as is the production.

I felt like I needed to be at a 90s house party in the early hours to fully appreciate this album. Did not dislike.

Semi-sweet-country-folk. Kinda came and went, not bad but nothing latched on.

Really chill and easy listening. Nice vocals

Folk. Jazz. Agradable aunque un poco aburrido.

Wikipedia says that the group's music is alternative country/country rock/folk blues and it's none of these and all of these at the same time - it's quite unique. Recorded in a church around a single microphone with no edits, mixing, or overdubs, the sound has a very natural sound, and the vocals from Margo Timmins are ethereal. I liked the album, especially "Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis)". Music to chill to.

Very somber slow moving album. First listen has been hard to get through, not due to it being unpleasant, but I find it difficult to focus on the music as i find it uninteresting. Going to give a second listen and re-evaluate.

Wasn't sure I would take to this, but it's like REM's Country Feedback slowed down. Which it turns out I like. One to drift into, and a whole mood for a dark, rainy Sunday afternoon. As it turns out it's Thursday, but I'm off work sick, and it's dark and rainy, so this gentle album is basically perfect for today. I wasn't that impressed with the patsy Cline cover though, that was a bit dragged out. Not a metric to judge this album but Spotify played a very pleasing mix of stuff after it finished as well. I extremely unsurprised to hear Mazzy Star, of course

Je soupçonne la chanteuse d'être liée de près ou de loin à Nico et ses portails, je vais mener mon enquête et vous tiendrai informés.

Un album très bien placé juste après le repas du midi, permettant d'entamer sa sieste dans les meilleures conditions possible.

Pretty nice and pleasant. 6/10

The lead singer had a very nice voice, but this didn't really do anything for me. Very mellow - easy to fall asleep to.

Om op het gemakje de zaterdagochtend mee te beginnen was dit best fijn. En de feitjes die ik op wikipedia las maken het nog wat boeiender: de hele plaat is in 1 week opgenomen, met de band die live speelde rondom 1 stereo-microfoon, in een kerk. Niet gemixt en geen overdubs. Dat is toch wel behoorlijk indrukwekkend.

This is fine if a little boring. I am happy to hear records like this in the 1001, even if this really isn't for me.

There's a certain artistry in the restraint displayed by the singer here, but it needs some contrast. The Sweet Jane cover was a perfect opportunity to get loud and nasty, but it all stayed at an intensity of 2. Best track: Walking After Midnight

Given the recording circumstances, kudos for how good this sounds! Musically though i can't give more than 3 stars as pretty much the whole album sounds the same and just drags on a bit

There's people who sing good songs, then there's people who can really sing. Margo Timmins is one of those singers who can sing. She can make a bad song a glorious experience. Effortless, breezy, lyrical beauty. this album is a solid bluesy groove. I think Timmins is what it works though. I think the original songs are fine, and the covers are great arrangements, but to me, the magic of this album is in the vocals.

You can't grow up in Canada in the 80's and 90's and not know who the Cowboy Junkies are. That said, I was never a fan - not my scene. And that was their more rock country sound of later albums. But to their credit, this is a nice, sultry piece of country jazz. Margo Timmins' voice is perfect for their soft, suppressed style. Still not my scene and it's tough to get me too excited about mostly cover songs. I've heard it now, respect, and time to move on.

It's easy enough to compare this to Goldfrapp since they're both fairly laidback and chill. The Cowboy Junkies arrangements and production are less adventurous, which you would expect since they were all sitting around a single microphone in a church. The guitar solos are nice but I could have used a few more. Margot Timmons' vocal range is more limited than Allison Goldfrapp's. The highlights of this album are the covers and I prefer bands whose highlights are original material.

Based on my history and knowledge, I shouldn't like this album, but I enjoyed it for most songs. Alternative country is far from what I look for in new songs, but the "Cowboy Junkies" will be included in future listening sessions.

Another band I've never heard of before. Strong start, the singer has a really nice voice. It got a bit weaker in the end, but I probably give it another go.

Folk rock, country alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.

Wasn’t sure I’d like it at the beginning but warmed up to it Saved tracks: Blue Moon Revisited Soon (Song For Elvis), Working On A Building, Sweet Jane, Walking After Midnight

A country album which does things a bit differently, if for a bit too long. Straightlaced female vocals in place of stereotypical male twang was a welcome change to the usual formula, and the instrumentals were executed well. Just wish there had been a tad more variation in the melodies, as I did feel a bit fatigued by the LP once the 50 minutes were up.

When I seen alt country I was expecting much, but enjoyed this a lot more than I expected, really liked their take on the covers of blue moon and sweet Jane. Really good vibe throughout the album, though that same vibe could get lost as background music. Deserves to be on the list.

Pleasant, but not memorable.

The vocals and the music are pleasing. But the overall tone is too sleepy throughout, it never picks up or gives me something to latch onto. I need to rock, I like to groove, I wanna funk shit up. This record meets 0/3 of my essential listening needs. But I do still appreciate the new path they forged with this bizarre country-alt fusion that nobody was asking for at the time.

it’s only one trick but it’s a good one, their own tunes are thin but they did write Misguided Angel which is pretty fkn solid

Nice, is if but a bit depressing

Nice

Ambiance on the first song is instantly haunting. This has me yearning for the mines fr. The Sweet Jane cover was cool, they started with my favorite verse of that song so that was neat. This album had a really cool aesthetic, but the songs themselves didn’t do much to stand out outside of that. Cover art: 4/10

pretty good, had not heard it much before.

26th April 2023 Listened during the day while working from home. Tour of Stroud mat ward and dinner at Cheltenham Turkish place in the evening with West Ham Liverpool later. A surprising, soulful blues country treat. Very smooth and precisely produced and she has a lovely voice. 3.5 if I could.

Non è che sia brutto, ma non è il mio genere

I can here this in any blues bar in America

How did they manage to make Sweet Jane this boring?

Super saai

Good lord, what a slog. Low-key irritated that something like THIS was chosen to be among the scant Canadian content on this list.

Maybe the music isn't that bad after all. But Margo Timmins's saccharine cooing really gets on my nerves. 2/5

Boring as hell but the instrumentals were nice but so slow and depressing

#420 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ Revisit? ❌ I have a bad feeling about this, even before I've hit play. I do not like country nor do I enjoy most charting pop music. The vocalists voice is quite pleasing, but that's about it for the likes on my part. There are a lot of similarities soundwise to 80's finnish pop music, that is a major turn off for me. I feel like 1/5 but give 2/5, since the vocalist would be so nice in literally anything else.

Boring from start to end with no standout moment for me. 4/10 is generous

I'd call this country dream pop mixing two genres I don't really like or get. One song of this would be fine pleasantly reminding me of Twin Peaks. But the while album just gets tedious...

It reminds me of lounge-folk with a hint of jazz (aka kd lang’s Shadowland). Other than that there’s not much variation in the songwriting, delivery, and instrumentation, which does make sense that this record was made as a live session. Even still, I can’t believe this album is 50 minutes long. It makes it seem like double that. I couldnt wait for this to end. At least Bob Dylan showed some diversity in the albums on this generator (1.5-2).

Cool cover of Sweet Jane on here but exists in one mode for like, the whole thing. Not bad at all but I listened to this on Wednesday and promptly forgot about it!

Beautiful most of the time but also too slow and sparse. Maybe not a good idea to listen to while I’m really tired.

ze heeft een mooie stem... verder was dit net zo slaapverwekkend als een gemiddelde voetbalmatch

Pleasant but a little bit boring

meh

4/10

It's light and mild night on the prairie junkie high on mexican dirt.

An incredible voice that is just accompanied by music I couldn’t get into. Still some songs kept me going through my listen. I don’t get it, 200 more miles, and sweet Jane were certainly the stand outs for me

Cool concept, terrible execution. This woman is sooooooooo boring to listen to sing.

6/10 - Its very calming and has its time and place. But ultimately is a little samey Fav Tracks: Misguided Angel, Blue Moon Revisited, 200 More Miles Heard before? ---–- ❌ Saved a Song? ----- ✅ Saved Album? --–-- ❌ Will Listen Again? -- ✅ Album Cover -------Is that a carton of milk? next to a bottle of win?

Hmmm. Aldri hørt om før. Var litt merkelig.

I had a friend that liked Cowboy Junkies. Not long after, we weren't friends anymore. 2

This started off promising, and I was stoked to hear a female vocalist but it got very boring very quickly

No fav song

Put me to sleep

The cover of "Sweet Jane" is a gem. The rest of the album bored me to tears. All the songs sounded alike. I wonder if I had already been a fan of the band, if this special recording in a church would have rung differently. I was listening to it on headphones while going about my day, and throughout, either forgot I was listening to anything (it was that bland), or thought it was on repeat, and that the same song was playing over and over. The music is good, I suppose, but I found the album boring.

This album is a very laid-back, breezy, country/folk album. The singer's voice is beautiful, but as other reviewers said, it is slow and kind of boring. The songs all pretty much flow together in a similar fashion. I guess I wished there was more variety and hooks that kept me interested. Besides, country music isn't really a genre I favor.

607/1001 2026.05.05 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑

I saw this described as 'slowcore'. Quite apart from the naming convention of putting 'core' after a characteristic of the music that seems to have been prevalent in the American 90s, as well as porn, if the overriding takeaway is 'slow' then the music hasn't really worked. How was the album? Slow. How was the film? Slow. How is your son? Slow. None of it is good. Neither is it bad. It's just very, very undwhelming. At best there are a number of tracks here that would sit well with Emmylou Harris, or maybe even Nancy Griffith - including the lilting 'Misguided Angel'. A yawnfest.

Low low energy. Low low interest in this.

I was meh on the album until I realized the mix made the singers "ess" sounds all squeeky/whistly. Really grated on me by the end of the record.

Het album gaat mij op veel momenten net iets te traag. Misschien raak je na een paar keer daar wel aan gewend en is dat fijn, maar ik zat het niet met plezier te luisteren. Ik vond het wel een mooie cover van blue moon. Ik vind dat als je covers gaat doen je het helemaal eigen moet maken en dat hebben ze goed gedaan, maar als het beste nummer van het album een cover is dan kan ik het geen voldoende geven.

While I get that this thing is supposed to be slow alt-country record, I think it is way too slow. To start with its positives, I appreciate the approach of the songs, trying to create very pleasant and relaxing vibes. All the instruments, including the vocals, are incredibly quite and delicate, creating a warm atmosphere. The problem is how much I can enjoy this mood before it becomes overwhelming, as there is not a song that truly breaks the monotony of the aesthetic and sound. There are only two things that really change (obviously excluding the lyrics): One are the rhythms, altering between blues and country rhythms, and the other are the additional instruments, like the harmonica in "I Don't Get It" or the strings in "To Love is To Bury". Apart from that, the songs are incredibly similar, if not by structure, then spirit or melodic-wise. Maybe the three to four first tracks work quite well, but after that, the album becomes a bit tedious and too one-dimensional.

When it’s good, it’s gentle, it’s delicate. But most of the time, it took things a step too far and was too safe. "Mining For Gold" had a part in it that sounded like "God Bless America", so there’s that. Otherwise, I had a hard time digging my teeth into this record, as it was wholly unexciting. Is there a place for this music? Yeah, maybe. But wherever that place is, you'd have to play this out at max volume. It's a painfully quiet record. I liked the accordion and wobbly strings pairing with the slide guitar on "To Love Is To Bury" quite a bit. An amalgamation of sound that fluffs up the romantic side of this project. I'm not sure I hear the mass appeal in "Sweet Jane" according to spotify's numbers. Can I hear the good in this? Yeah, but this just isnt up my alley. Happens every once in a while. I think ambient music performs the same function for me that this album performs for a lot of other people. Strong 2/5

Hauntingly beautiful soothing voice. Melancholic mood and bittersweet lyrics, some even tragic and downright depressing. Fits a chill evening, but very little variety in sound, you get tired/bored halfway through the album. Favourites: Misguided Angel, I Don't Get It.

Mellow covers, a kind of whatever album to me. Dreamy, but felt like it lingered and went nowhere.

I'm just not that into Cowboy Junkies, but at least they're not Bob Dylan.

ok album, felt like some of the songs were building to something but never quite got there. the cover of sweet jane caused me genuine pain, LEAVE THE VELVET UNDERGROUND ALONG!!

Margo has a pleasant voice. This album is just "nice." It would benefit from any mood change.

This one just didn’t do it.

God damn this was dull

“Hey guys, we’re recoding in a church, make sure you sing and play as low as possible so that we get none of the great acoustic effects.”

Jesus fucking Christ I just do not care about this music. It all sounds the same, slow and boring. And all the themes are always the same, can you please get some new material or at least approach it from a new perspective.

This wasn't hideous; in actuality, it was quite listenable, although rather one-paced, one-note and a bit dreary. I was anticipating some yodelling bonky bonk racket, but this is more "atmospheric" country - the sonic equivalent of a gentle stroll at dusk, with some western instrumentation sprinkled in. The issue is that variety is very much at a premium here, so it quickly disappeared into the periphery.

J’ai écouté ça pour courir, c’est passé hein… pas de plus value

This was too chilled. Maybe needed some weed to enjoy this 😂

It was OK

Review - not a terrible album, and interesting how it was recorded, but the good tracks aren't good enough and there are a few duds. Second album I've had that was recorded in an Anglican church though. That's weird. Catholics needs to raise their game. Rating - 4/10 Need to hear? NO

I've seen this labeled as Slowcore, more like Snorecore. It is cool that this was recorded around one microphone in a historic church, gives it a nice reverb sound. For me overall it is too country and too slow. Other than Blue Moon it didn't get interesting until the last 4 songs when they got a bit more bluesy sounding. Felt like they had some influence from Mazzy Star throughout the album but especially when Sweet Jane started. Think they both came out around the same time and used that California psych revival sound template.

Meh. Although, to be honest, "Meh" uses more letters than this album deserves. It's just terribly, seriously dull. But it's dull done well, so it deserves more than 1 star.

I found this very dull, and very bland. Awful cover of Sweet Jane. Nothing much going on with this at all. Going with a 2 rather than a 1 as my interest was lost so quickly, it failed to annoy me and dwindled into background music. Resulting in it being in the “ok for what it is” category.

didn't really do anything for me. i dont know why, i can sometimes get down with some slow and sleepy shit, but this album didn't feel very inspired. maybe just the day i was having. favorite song was Sweet Jane

Very much one of the sleepiest albums ever without much going on for me to have opinions on 3.9/10

twin peaks background music with a country undertone. emphasis on BACKGROUND music.

A bit boring.

I feel like most of the lifeforce and energy in my body has been sucked out by this album. I don't actively dislike it, but I don't see a reason for me to listen to this again

So mellow

pretty, but very slow. not something i necessarily see myself revisiting; 2 stars

I've never really understood the appeal of this record. I suspect you have to be in a certain kind of mood to really appreciate it although I can't for the life of me imagine what kind of mood that would be. Certainly not one I've ever experienced, or would wish to experience. I'll give it one star as I know it's influenced a lot of artists I love, and another because it reminded me I haven't listened to Mazzy Star for ages.

this was pretty boring

Kind of slow and boring. Sounds like the music for an indie film. The covers were okay. 2/5 Won't listen again

Found this incredibly dull.

not for me sorry

This kind of thing paved the way for the alt country and Americana boom in the 90s, along with unplugged on MTV. A family based group with a moody melancholia - I find it dreary but great numbers didn’t. Some original treatments of famous tracks as well.

Was bored

A Canadian entry! 🇨🇦 The pace of this album was really slow and not really my style, but could be an album to put on at a coffee shop and would be an easy listen.

2 out of 5. I'm more interested in how this album was recorded than the music itself.

on ronfle bien quand même

2.2 I'm sorry but that was insanely dull. The only time I think that should be played is in the background of a bar scene set in in the southern US states where the director wants to direct all the attention to the dialogue and have no one even notice there's music playing. If I liked country I might have given it a pass, but alas, really did nothing for me.

Pretty slow and boring. Feels like music for when I'm really really sad.

Snoozefest

Wasn't really the mood I'd look for, and the whole album just kinda sounded the same downtrodden malaise.

The sound quality of the Trinity church where the recording occurred is very evident. The songs are slow and atmospheric, but as a result a bit boring in my opinion. I was hoping for a bit more to draw me in. Sweet Jane the obvious highlight. A surprise hit back in 1988

Not for me

Generic and boring.

I well remember their cover of Sweet Jane - it was all over alternative radio. Overall the album is sleepy and uninteresting to me.

Bo-Ring!

Not for me

So low and so slow

It’s not bad, but from second one it hits a vibe, a level, and it stays there for the next hour. What you hear immediately from this band is all you’re getting, so if you don’t like it, you’re SOL. Beautiful voice for sure, but I’m not sure how necessary this is. This feels like a hyper specific reference but this is music your cool crunch professor would put on in the background while the class worked on group projects or something.

2.5

This is an insight into the Gen X psyche. They believe that country is the core of all music for some reason

Good but not my style

An album that is, in my opinion, miscategorized on Apple Music. It is not Pop or even Rock, it is clearly one of the early templates of Alt Country and more appropriately Folk Rock when it came out in the 1980s. While the performances and engineering are adequate, the arrangements are so sparse that it becomes dragging and boring pretty quickly. This could have been any quartet fronted by a jazz singer, of which there are many. What makes this one so special? Prefer the "Blue Moon" covers of the Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart song by either The Marcels or Elvis Presley. This version doesn't veer far enough from it to inject it with new life and makes the cover not worth doing in the first place. Same goes for their cover of the Hank Williams song "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". Favorites: "Mining for Gold", even though it is another cover originally by James Gordon, and "Sweet Jane" (almost anyone can sing better than Lou Reed). One of the most enjoyable parts of the album was the chit chat that occurred after the final "Walking After Midnight" concludes. Not one of my personal favorites from the 80s. I was a fan of 80s production ideas that were more forward thinking and took chances on technology and this album avoids all of that and revisits traditionalism from decades before.

Well, the description 'alternative country' didn't bode well...but there didn't seem to be much alternative or country in there. In fact it's all pretty dull stuff. They even seem to make Sweet Jane bland.

Thought it would be more junkies and less cowboys. I was wrong

Very dull. Ok I guess

Not my thing

Not for me.

It was mostly boring to me.

Sweet Jane and Walking After Midnight are absolute killers, rest of the album is a slog

2 stars, didn't hate or like. it's very boring. It's not that I don't like this vibe, as I enjoy alt country a la widowspeak, mojave 3, chris isaak, mitski's "the land is inhospitable and so are we" but this album wasn't clicking for me. I think there was too much 'silence', like between solos and stuff. my favorite was sweet jane but if your best song on an album is a cover....... not a good sign

I don't hate it but I don't like it very much. It just seems so quiet.

Don't even know if I finished the album. Cool that it only cost $250 to make and only one microphone.

Interesting country stuff but nothing stand out

Just a bit dull really.

p593. 1988. 2 stars. Starts off well and descends quickly into a country and western snoozefest. I nearly fell asleep whilst driving listening to this.

Wake me up when it’s over

Not really for me, although the singer had a lovely voice

Not my style but cool

2. interesting but not something I'd choose.

I had wanted to listen to this album for a few years. I saved it back when I listened to a lot of Yo La Tengo and the like. Honestly, it was kind of a let down. I think it all sounded fine, but it was just not very convincing. So many of the songs just sounded like a small band was playing in a bar, and not at all like they meant what they were singing. Like I DONT BELIEVE that you are so lonesome that you could cry, not one bit.

Almost every song sounded like a cover of a better more famous song. The throat sultry singing got old real quick. Her vocals make every song sound the same. Just not my vibe. 3/10

2, olala on va pas s'en faire pour si peu, on est chez les cowboy ici

Man, this album is slow. I'm just not feeling it. The Sweet James was okay I guess, but really nothing jumped out at all.

sounded confessional, like a prayer almost— a cry for salvation. interchangeably gospel music. Lots of yearning, lot of loss, and it was all felt. it’s progressively satisfying. enjoyed it closer and closer to the end.

I hated that cover of Sweet Jane. Just took all the cool right out. Didn't think that was possible. Rest of the album sucked too.

All these songs blend together. Every song is sung the same. The draw might be the covers - but they’re not very inspired. Dunno.

Cowboy Junkies’ The Trinity Session is a slow burn that never quite catches fire. Recorded live with a single microphone in a Toronto church, the album leans hard into a hushed blend of country, folk, and jazz that’s gorgeously sung by Margo Timmins and played with quiet precision by the band—but it’s also relentlessly somnolent. “Blue Moon Revisited” cleverly folds in the classic “Blue Moon,” and their cover of “Sweet Jane” manages to find a little pulse amid the haze, but much of the record drifts by like a late-night whisper. Opening with the a cappella “Mining for Gold” sets a meditative tone that the rest of the album never really shakes.

Im not sure whispery slow shizzle is my rizzle.

this was popular at the time

I just found this boring unfortunately. Great voice, just wasn’t in the mood

Fine but also kind of boring…? Chill country. I get that. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood.

It's wild how they covered so many different kinds of songs and somehow every one of them sounds like the same song

4/10