Tellin’ Stories

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Thu Sep 23 2021

5

I don't know why, but this album actually struck me quite well. Beginning at a high acceleration, the songs sort of lose energy, but in a way that feels almost cathartic. The best way I can express it is the feeling at the tail end of a party, where there is almost too much going on, so then you leave with a van full of people and begin dropping them off, and by the end of the ride it is just you and one other person talking about life together. Really nice.

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Tue Jun 22 2021

4

This is some really good Brit-pop -> in an alternate universe most of these tracks would replace the same timeless status as Oasis' big hits. This is a better band with better songwriting (melodies, dynamics, whocaresaboutlyrics :).....) - the single "One To Another" was immediately recognizable and got some radio play way back in the day - deservedly so. Even though this may not be anything super-complex or groundbreaking, this is a great melodic guitar album that is easy-entry and eminently catchy with fantastic songs. And I was going to give it a solid 3 but as I've found myself listening to it on repeat and am already on my 4th listen - this is a 4 star keeper for me. 7/10 4 stars (One small nitpick is that I'd love to hear a remix; this sounds a little ... cloudy... for my liking.)

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Wed Dec 01 2021

3

Some solid 90s era Britpop/alternative tunes. A tad on the generic side but overall quality album. Favorite Track: Area 51 Relisten: Yes

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Thu Apr 15 2021

2

More gerneric British alt rock. 4/10.

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Wed Aug 11 2021

2

“Tellin’ Stories” by The Charlatans (1997) Here we have more eye-rolling British pop from the last millennium. With super safe lyrics that studiously avoid controversy or offense, these Charlatans give us words around which to wrap music. Sometimes it’s an ill fit. It’s as if they really don’t have anything to say, but they want to say it with style. Tunes are composed with pleasant enough melodies, and the chord structures sometimes go beyond the ordinary, but without a mood to match. It seems random. Even the jazzy experimental compositions “Area 51” and “Rob’s Theme” fall flat. And the Dylanesque “Get On It” is thirty years too late. Are these guys coasting on previous success? The unrelated collection of songs on this album are conventional enough to guarantee popular airplay. They’ve got the fundamentals down. And it’s well produced, but with little dynamic variation. The biggest weakness here is lack of groove or dominant riffs—nothing to grab the listener. Hoping for something special, one comes to the fadeout of the last track asking, “Is that it?” 2/5

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Mon Oct 05 2020

5

Well this was funny as i just finished his book, named the same as this album. While this album is not my favourite Charlatans album - thats probably the debut Some Friendly or the follow up Between 10th and 11th - its still a great album and i cannot give it anything but a 5. The book? You should read it! Some great anecdotes in there. And yeah, Tim Burgess has great music taste and there's a lot of name dropping in there.

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Fri May 21 2021

4

Some blasts from the past fleshed out with some decent tracks I'd never heard. I wish I was more into this stuff first time round.

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Fri Mar 04 2022

3

I try so hard to love the Charlatans as they are everything I want in a band but then again they just aren't. With the exception of a couple of early singles I have always found the band excel at being average. I wouldn't go as far as calling the also rans as they have etched out a reasonably successful and long career, they have just never burnt as bright as some of the contemporaries. So that brings me to this album Tellin' Stories, it came out at a time where Brit Pop was on the wane, big beat had stared to take over, Blur had reinvented themselves etc. Nothing on this albllum is exciting or new. Even 25 years on it feels like a lesser version of other bands. And Tim Burgess, his vocals start to grate by the time the album finally ends. For reasons, I can't even remember, North Country Boy is one of my least favourite songs of the era. I cringe when I hear it. Anyway, not a bad ablum but maybe not that essential either.

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Wed Mar 24 2021

2

Blah blah blah, drone drone drone.

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Mon Jun 13 2022

2

I'm sorry the fothermucker died, condolences to the family, etc, but I still don't like Britpop.

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Fri Jun 18 2021

1

What is the point of this. I can tell this book was edited by an English music reviewer. There's a reason I've never heard of this band. Generic garbage

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Thu Mar 31 2022

1

This is by far the most by-the-numbers record we've listened to from this list. It's insufferably generic with some of the most vanilla guitar tones I've heard on a record. This wave of British rock that made purposefully boring Stones rock is entirely skip-able. It's amazing that this band was around before Oasis, but saw their success with Brit pop and decided to throw their hat in the ring after being overshadowed by the Stone Roses in the early 90s. Just give up if this is all you got. They waited until the outro track "Rob's Theme" to give us an interesting track on this album. Sheeeeeesh Wtf kinda drugs were these folks taking in the 90s anyways? Boring pills? Snooooooze.

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Thu Apr 08 2021

4

Britpop hangover. Best Tracks: North Country Boy, One To Another, How Can You Leave Us

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Mon Apr 19 2021

3

3.5/5. Not the worst alt-rock I've been thrown, but by no means is it amazing. Overall it sounded better than other alt-rock albums I've listened to.

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Sun Mar 05 2023

3

Хороший альбом, позитивный, так сказать :) И вроде не к чему придраться в нём. Классный бритпоп, легко слушается, но не цепляет как-то ничем. Всё как-будто дефолтное какое-то. Слова обычные, голос обычный, супер выдающихся гитарных или ударных соляков не замечено. Разве что можно отметить внезапные вставки соула, которые отсылают нас к Бобу Дилану немножко. Чуваки ещё заявляли хип-хоп, но как-то особо я тут его не услышал особо. Хоть и ждал. Может быть, они имели в виду инструментал Zone 51 как хип-хоп, но что-то как-то не...

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Mon Jul 03 2023

3

I really struggle in rating albums like this. It is inoffensive and not remarkable, but also pleasant enough that it didn't intrude in any unpleasant way. A decent album to put on while I drink my morning coffee and browse the ol' Internet on this Sunday morning, but on the other hand, it lacks a certain spice to make me want to listen to more. It is worse off being kind of boring or being kind of painful on the ears? Settled on 3 stars based on the merit that (morbidly enough) it is a wonder that this album flows as smoothly as it does considering the circumstances behind it's production. It helps that this album does not drag.

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Thu May 27 2021

2

This sounds like a cheerier version of Oasis. This just feels like another random British band that made it because they were relatively popular when the original list was made. I've still only gotten 1 jazz album on this list, but there seems to be an endless supply of late 90s to early 00s British rock bands that I have to slog through to get to good albums. 2/5

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Sun May 02 2021

2

Britpop delontón donde no hay que destacar nada. Suenan como unos Oasis descafeinados. Interesante cuando copian a Dylan, debieran haber tirado por ahí mejor. De fondo.

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Thu Jun 17 2021

2

There's some proper Gallagher pronunciation here innit. What a mess.

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Thu Apr 21 2022

2

This one feels especially inessential. I suppose the one thing in its favour is, were you to ask me to simply imagine a rock album from 1997, the resulting mental composite would sound a lot like 'Tellin' Stories' by the Charlatans. 'One To Another' has a bit of a sting in the tail; 'How High' ain't too bad; and I quite enjoyed the quirky instrumental 'Area 51'. Everything else just sounds safe, conservative, uninspired and boring.

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Wed Aug 02 2023

2

Very bland album from the band that nobody wanted to own up to liking at the time. They were a few years too late, too poppy, a bit whiny and derivative. This album was pretty much what I was expecting, like a poor man's version of all the more accomplished bands around that had already done the same thing a decade or so earlier. The murky production didn't help much and there wasn't anything to stand out, no amazing guitar or exciting compositions, just lots of stuff that sounded a bit like other bands. I was considering a 3-star rating, but I think I'll drop this one to a 2.

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Fri Feb 19 2021

1

bland, boring, and dull

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Sun Mar 21 2021

5

Love this

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Fri Jul 16 2021

5

Interesting

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Sun Aug 15 2021

5

Loved it! Great songwriting and overall vibe. Favorite track is number 10: Get it on. Can’t wait to play this one on high rotation.

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Wed Dec 08 2021

5

Feels like I'm 15 again, loved this album then and listened the hell out of it, so it's great to hear again. Loads of musical layers, brilliant lyrics, it's a big noise. What a band.

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Thu Dec 30 2021

5

So much drive in this album quite rocky in parts

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Thu Feb 03 2022

5

Great band. Great album. 💚 The Charlatans

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Wed Feb 16 2022

5

A delightfully nostalgic listen. My brother used to hammer this album and it took me straight back to the 90s. Don't think I've ever actively sought out Tellin' Stories before, but i loved it!

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Fri Feb 25 2022

5

kinda decent sound but not an enjoyable album by any means

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Sun Jun 05 2022

5

very cool

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Fri Jul 22 2022

5

Love this album, great one to wake up to in a van near Manchester on the way to a festival where Tim Burgess is playing

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Wed Feb 01 2023

5

Just love this album. Key record for 90s Britain.

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Wed Feb 08 2023

5

Poxa, até agora não teve nenhum que eu já tivesse ouvido do tanto desse. Não tem como ser menor que 5. FDS. Aquele show em Recife...perdi umas células auditivas ali.

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Fri Mar 31 2023

5

One of my favourite albums of the 90s the 4 singles are superb. Definitely the high point of their career. One to Another is one ofthe greatest indie disco tunes of all time. 4.5 stars bumped up to a 5.

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Wed Aug 30 2023

5

Awesome. Kinda like oasis

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Wed Sep 06 2023

5

Maybe I’m just on a vacation high but everything sounds so great to me right now. I loved this so much!

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Tue Sep 19 2023

5

It was a very relaxing album that made me feel upbeat. Sounded very similar to the Ocean's soundtrack

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Sun Jan 24 2021

4

Glad I didn’t skip this one.

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Wed Feb 24 2021

4

Pues sí me gustó. Suena muy a muchas cosas de las que sobaban en ese entonces en eso lares, pero tienen su marca personal. Escucharlo es como meterte en Lock Stock and Two smoking barrels.

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Mon Mar 22 2021

4

Sounds like we’ll executed mid-90s Britpop.

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Fri Feb 19 2021

4

Solid, enjoyable Britpop album.

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Wed Feb 17 2021

4

I liked this, but it wasn’t particularly memorable.

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Sun Apr 25 2021

4

Buen pop noventero

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Mon Apr 05 2021

4

Good stuff

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Thu Mar 18 2021

4

Kinda emo

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Fri May 21 2021

4

Ganz nett! Der Hit "the only one I know" ist leider nicht dabei. Oasis lässt grüßen. Macht Lust auf Indiefilme aus UK mit Musikboys in Skinnyjeans.

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Tue May 11 2021

4

Seems very good. Definitely worth another listen.

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Sun Apr 18 2021

4

on dirait un coming of age movie des 2000's de la campagne écossaise. DERRY GIRLS enjoyable oooh nice guitar solo tbh idk if i see myself returning back to it ok one to another is a bop how can you leave us also great how high = <3 so far, it's a 4. un peu funky les solos get on it est très bien ça me semblait ne pas casser trois pâtes à un canard au début mais la fin de l'album est vraiment bien quant à la voix du mec, pas transcendante mais délivre bien les lignes ok c'est quoi cet amour des 90's pour les interludes vous êtes pas Bach, alors on se calme. ouais les 2 interludes sont sympas mais je ne les écouterai pas de moi-même one of them looks like he's got a frog in his mouth yeah a 4. = 80/100 great qualities, not exactly always my style

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Tue Jun 22 2021

4

i really like the sound

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Tue Jun 29 2021

4

Pretty good! Favourite tracks were With No Shoes and Tellin' Stories.

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Tue May 25 2021

4

It's fine. Solid 90s alt rock. It doesn't seem that anything about this album is super special.

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Fri Jun 18 2021

4

One of these stars is due to nostalgia. I like the Charlatans but they don't exactly excite me.

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Sun Jun 06 2021

4

Sounds like Oasis or maybe Oasis sounds like them. Good sound anyways.

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Tue Aug 10 2021

4

Liked the bass line (piano / keyboard) of One to Another a lot. Liked 'Get On It' quite a bit too, great buildup. Didn't love the vocals

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Thu Sep 23 2021

4

A fun listen. If not for these guys, there's no MGMT, Kasabian....

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Thu Oct 07 2021

4

So wait...is this Oasis? No? This is not Oasis? This is Oasis, right? Ok, with that out of the way, it's actually really good. I love the guitar riffs. These are really great pop/rock songs. I mean if it was Oasis...and I'm still not sure it's not...this would be one of the good Oasis records.

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Fri Oct 08 2021

4

Anche in questo caso è la prima volta che sento i The Charlatans. Questo disco è stato un ascolto davvero divertente! Nonostante fossi distratto mi sono fermato più volte a sentire o a guardare quale pezzo fosse. In questo gruppo si sente la parte che mi piace dello stile inglese, quell'influenza punk vera che unita al rock un po' alternativo crea un mix davvero sfizioso e non autoreferenziale. La produzione mi è sembrata un po' amatoriale ma sto sentendo anche con delle cuffie di merda quindi lascio passare. Bravi The Charlatans, non vi dimenticherò. 4 abbastanza giusto.

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Fri Jul 09 2021

4

Britpop meets Madchester grooves.

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Fri Oct 22 2021

4

It has a nice oasis vibe to it. Will definitely listen to more

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Wed Oct 27 2021

4

what is it about brit pop where you just know it's brit? idk but this was fun drivey soundtrack music

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Sat Nov 13 2021

4

Great album, brought back memories of growing up in the 90s.

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Thu Dec 16 2021

4

Proper britpop

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Thu Jan 06 2022

4

An album from my university days! I loved listening to this again! It seemed so familiar, yet it is old. I can’t help but think it is timeless in its melodies and smart lyrics.

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Thu Jan 06 2022

4

very listenable pop music

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Mon Jan 24 2022

4

Wow that was a 90s band for sure. I thought it was good but not terribly distinguishable from other core 90s bands. I felt I was hearing a sound like Foo Fighters and Filter when I was listening to them. Solid and well done but not 5/5.

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Fri Jan 28 2022

4

Sunny slice of 90s indie... nice

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Sun Jan 30 2022

4

Cool and edgy still

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Thu Feb 03 2022

4

Wish.com version of oasis/blur. Very good though

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Wed Feb 16 2022

4

Aww yeah pour that BritPop on me!

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Thu Mar 10 2022

4

Wat standaard alternative rock. Goed album, maar springt er niet persé uit

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Wed Mar 16 2022

4

One of the Best by the Charlatans. One of the Best from the UK indie dance rock era in the 90’s.

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Sat Mar 19 2022

4

Solid, enjoyable Britpop album. Great, catchy songs with a mostly low key vibe that is hitting me just right today. This is an album I think I'll be coming back to. Fave Songs: Get on It, Only Teething, How Can You Leave Us, Tellin' Stories, You're a Big Girl Now, North Country Boy, How High

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Mon Mar 21 2022

4

I wasn't sure if I was familiar with the band until I saw them listed as The Charlatans UK. All of the music on Tellin' Stories was new to me, and I couldn't say if I've heard anything from this band before. The Charlatans seemed like they would fit in with Blur, James, Oasis, and the Verve. "One to Another", "Area 51" and "Only Teethin'" were saved to my personal playlist. I'd be interested in hearing more from this band.

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Thu Mar 24 2022

4

4/5. Psychedelic oasis Radiohead Brit-pop pretty good except for Big Girl song

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Thu Apr 21 2022

4

Bold and brash, full of ego. The vocals hover a little around Liam territory - not surprising given the Britpop territory at the time. This reminds me of listening to The Evening Session every night. The Charlatans always seemed to have a single out - a bit like The Smiths a decade earlier. North Country Boy bit of an anthem; there's a killer bass on One to Another. This was the start of the more thoughtful songwriting from the band. Tremendous stuff.

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Fri Apr 22 2022

4

I certainly get the Oasis vibe with this one, but don't hold it against them and thought the whole album had a nice groove to it.

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Thu Jun 16 2022

4

This is how English rock singers and indie rock bands were supposed to sound, circa 1992 – just the slightest sneering to the singing and the loosest . So call it state-of-the-art. This band is in one’s sweet spot, both temporally (i.e., era) and stylistically (i.e., a phile of Britpop in all its forms). But the operative question here is how well it holds up, and the answer is, very well.

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Thu Jul 21 2022

4

This is a solid brit-pop brit-rock album. These guys were definitely up there with Oasis. I like, but don't LOVE brit-pop, but even so - this album is pretty darn good, and there's a few songs I have taken from it (With No Shoes and One to Another)

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Tue Sep 06 2022

4

Really chill Brit-Pop album, really good sounds, singer left something to be desired, but that's honestly just my personal preference for vocals

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Fri Sep 09 2022

4

Loved this. Hints of Dylan, Jeff Buckley, smashing pumpkins. Good melodic rock

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Fri Sep 09 2022

4

Wasnt to sure about it from first few tracks. But 'one to another' onwards was completely on board. Madchester innit

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Mon Sep 12 2022

4

Really really good, but not quite brilliant - so I guess it'll be 4 🌟! The big hits and that title track are the most immediate, but it's all pretty solid - just missing a bit of spark in my opinion

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Thu Sep 15 2022

4

some oasis-a-like but good

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Fri Sep 30 2022

4

Lovely album with some great tunes

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Fri Nov 04 2022

4

oasis

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Wed Nov 16 2022

4

Pretty good album

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Sun Jan 01 2023

4

Enjoyed the album, good riffs, good singing

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Wed Jan 04 2023

4

I never understood why these guys weren't bigger. They had all the bits of Britpop I liked, just with better guitar (and everything else) tones.

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Thu Jan 05 2023

4

Surprised at how strong this was, however, it sounds like how a YouTube video looks when it's not properly loaded and you need to pause for it to figure it all out. A great record.

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Wed Jan 11 2023

4

Good

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Wed Jan 18 2023

4

Even though it’s a bit too similar to oasis, this album started out super strong with the first 3-4 songs being great. I got somewhat tired of it by the end though so it’s a low 4. One to to another or north country boy are probably my favs.

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Thu Jan 19 2023

4

Sounds liked they're trying to be someone else, 'get on it' just sounds like their big rolling stones number. Enjoyed the listen though, might listen to again.

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Fri Feb 10 2023

4

Easy listen, good album. Never listened to them before but enjoyed this

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Wed Feb 15 2023

4

I had pretty low expectations going into this album, but it was really fun, and I enjoyed it. When it popped up for me today, my first thought was "hooray, another album by Great Value Oasis." I'm glad that I was wrong. I loved that that the songs here had such a wide variance in sounds, especially the blues-ier songs like "How High." I love good keyboard parts, and this album definitely delivered on that, especially with "Get On It" and "Only Teething," both of which reminded me of Primal Scream (after reading about the album on Wikipedia, I was blown away to learn that Primal Scream's keyboardist helped finish the album after the original keyboardist died in a car accident. Sometimes my ears surprise me with what they can pick up). I loved "With No Shoes" and "Tellin' Stories" as well. The instrumentation and vocals on this album were really great, and while the sound here definitely has the 90's BritPop feel, this album manages to remain unique. I will definitely listen to this album again.

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Sun Feb 26 2023

4

It's like Oasis but I like it

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Wed Mar 22 2023

4

Reminded me of Oasis. 4 stars.

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Thu Mar 23 2023

4

I'm not a fan of britpop in general, which is why I didn't expect to enjoy this album. Sometimes it's nice to be mistaken. While I did find the vocals a bit annoying at times, it's the instrumentation that makes this album actually interesting and gives it a lot of variety.

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Fri Mar 31 2023

4

Been a while since I listened to it. Lots of brilliant songs and a bit of filler. High 4 is probably fair.

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Wed Apr 05 2023

4

peak charlatans - still a bit of filler, but all fine

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