Reviews (page 2 of 7)
This is pretty generic early 2000s dance music but not that exciting, overall. It's fine.
Initial impression was this is harshly rated. Couple of good singles, and whilst the style hasn't aged that well, it's a good example of it. Then it goes on. And on. And on some more. There's a decent 48 minute album in there, but it's about 25 minutes too long, which dilutes the highlights and makes it too repetitive.
Surprised I recognized at least one track here. Listening to this album is like being a very G-rated club from a simpler time.
No thanks. Not for me. It didn't make me want to put a fork into my ears like the Brazilian heavy metal, but still
Boring. And way too long. I suffered.
Sincere borrows and reworks RnB and disco, combining it with Drum and Bass to make a new chilled out jazzy sound that moves away from the intense 4 on the floor dance music for something more laid back. This is a solid represtantive for a major and influential genre (UK garage) that has had a big inpact on neo-soul and pop production. It's not bad to put on and zone out with, but it's pretty boring after a bit and suffers from by association from being the soundtrack of douchey bars with uncomfortable plastic furniture and expensive redbull drinks that call themselves lounges.
I have a personal problem with the late 90s-early 2000s era of albums. Since the technology allowed artists to record longer albums within the same formats, there was a trend of 60-75-minute-long albums. This is one of the albums from that era which I think drags for waaaay too long.
I’m just not into dance music, at all.
I did not enjoy this. Way too repetitive.
Albumi #143, 10.02.2025 UK garagehousea. Ei nappaa.
Couldn’t finish this album.
Gucci muzak vibes
I cannot understand why anyone thought this was worthy of being on this list. Dated, forgettable EDM.
You're at the barbers in the waiting area, sitting uncomfortably; seven people in front of you; tinny speakers playing this too loudly.
Look, no.
This doesn't really do much for me. Blah blah blah boring and loooong. 2 stars.
It reminds me of kurupt fm but not hilarious, just useless.
I admit I did not listen to the whole album, but it was so uninetresting. Melody was okay I guess.
Awful and almost entirely pointless.
Okay but sincerely, wtf is this
"Everyone's gonna love this!" -MJ Cole, probably
This album is a two pack of ass
At first I thought that I was going to buck the trend and actually enjoy this album because I do have a soft spot for the UK Garage sound. Unfortunately, as much as I might have enjoyed the odd track as a throwback, as a whole album this is almost intolerable. I like electronic music but I find the beats in this are just too simple and repetitive and fail to build to anything interesting. Once you have heard the first few bars of a track you have heard it all and have to sit through another three minutes. The vocal samples are also basic, repetitive, and often just intensely irritating. I have previously given two stars for albums I haven't enjoyed but that I feel have an enduring influence to popular music. I don't hear that with this album and I am genuinely surprised to see it on this list. I don't see how anyone can claim you must hear this before you die and I don't think it was especially influential at the time or since.
This is like Dance Dance Revolution, the 2 hour soundtrack. It's so generic. How is this on the list? I don't need to hear this before I die. I walked into coffee shops with no imagination anytime between 2000 and 2010, so I'm sure I've already heard this.
Where did they find that MC? The job centre?
They call it House but I think it's Trash!
Not my thing.
In the words of Bob Hoon (you know if you know), this album is 'A sheep-eyed arse tumour.' Way too long and Way too shit. What a rubbish start to the new year.
As I tell my kids, repeating something over and over doesn't make it right.
Not going to lie…..did not make it through the two discs. This is music you hear at a club - in the background. Too repetitive. Not my thing.
Why???
I don't get it. Sounds pretty generic to me.
very very mediocre, if not downright unmemorable. As a lifelong fan of electronic, and a recent covert of intelligent/ambient DnB / garage, I was expecting a lot from this album, else why would it be listed on the 1001 albums... Not worth a listen honestly, very generic. 1.5/5.
Here we go again. UK musician who topped at 14 on album charts and is in the list. Not just a fact, but what the wiki thing above says. Just because an album is in the top 20 on its release doesn’t justify it being on this list gov. Especially when it isn’t even on Apple Music.
Yet another ex-1001 album! http://1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.wikidot.com/album-artists-a-z-ex I didn't care much for this album.
Sleazy, soulless and boring. I feel like this made the list purely on the merits of the two singles (title track and Crazy Love), and there are better UK garage albums *and* better garage/house crossover hit single albums that could have made the list instead.
20mins in to this I decided I owe it to myself to stop listening. Shite.
Possibly one of the blandest albums I've ever heard.
If this album has a redeeming quality I could not find it.. Disappointing to have to suffer through not one but two disks.
Just a boring listen. Nothing stood out, no particular feature was amazing, reminded me of the music companys play for you while on hold. Not sure why this albums on the list, I’ve heard WAY better electronic production.
Be sincere, be sincere, be sincere...OK what exactly are you trying to say to me? Do you even know? I found this monotonous and grating on my nerves. I read that so many people just love this! We are all so different and everyone is entitled to be moved by whatever it is that moves them. However, this does not move me in a positive way at all. I just want to turn it off.
Another album that really makes me wonder what drugs the Authors of 1001 were on when they included this Yeah I get that it ushered in the Brit Garage genre, but thank Gawd that execrable genre had a relatively short life. This is a boring album.
This is elevator music hell. Do people actually like this crap? It's boring enough to put you to sleep, but just irritating enough to keep you awake. This actually scores zero stars.
Take a music style I'm not that interested in in the first place (electronic) and cross it with 90s era sounds R&B which I also don't like. And then make it worse, for most songs only record 30 seconds and then just loop it for 5 minutes. It's bullshit.
This feels like royalty free music
I'm sorry, man, no I'm fucking not, fuck you! Five flat.
Wow! Never heard of this! Great dj electronic jams that seem ahead of the times.
Great album
Smooth all the way around. Perfect for getting things done
90's rhythm club beats, go give it another listen
Wonderfully eccentric and eclectic, but always full of dancefloor energy. Moody, vibey while effortlessly moving between garage and 2 step, gospel harmonies and classical movements, dry synth sounds and acoustic instrumentation, sparse/stripped-down beats and lush arrangements. Sounds fresh and relevant though being almost a quarter of a century old.
Great introduction
El album empezo muyyy bienn, esperaba que el disco fuera justamente como sono la introducción. No miento cuando digo que el escucharlo se te vuelve un poquito tedioso escucharlo por lo predecible que puede ser pero aun asi me gusto demasiado y realmente le preste atención
Banging garage album
Kannte ich gar nicht!
this was a vibeeeeee
Ok wow!! Hooked from the first track. What an album!!
Virkelig godt album. Tog UK-garage scenen og lavede et sammenhængende album i modsætning til at scenen bestod af en masse "singler" og tracks seperat indtil da. Det har lidt forskelligt, det er både lidt jazzet og lidt soulet nogle gange og andre gange bliver der rappet indover (som jeg forbinder med UK garage/jungle), så det var befriende at høre man kan gøre det på mange måder. Det har sådan en lidt introspektiv følelse til sig men er også festligt nogle gange. Synes det var en super lytteoplevelse og helt sikkert over 4 så jeg tror jeg giver det 5. Det er ikke 10/10, men jeg synes det er rigtig godt og værd at vende tilbage til.
Peak turn of the Millenium energy here. This is hitting all the right vibes and notes for me. This one harks back to my formative years in the late 90s and early 2000s when this sound was all the rage. Soulful UK garage and 2-step on the R&B tip. Goldie’s ‘Timeless’, Roni Size’s ‘New Forms’, these were all mind-blowing sounds to my teenage and young adult brain, and ‘Sincere’ by MJ Cole is no exception. That this sits in the bottom 20 rated albums of this list is criminal. ‘Sincere’ is a wonderful album. It blends skippy garage rhythms with lush orchestration, jazzy chords, and live instrumentation, giving it a timeless quality. A perfect late-night record, (but also equally at home pouring out of my speakers on this sunny Melbourne November Spring morning), sophisticated yet still deeply rooted in club culture. Takes me back to a simpler and happier, more joyful time in my life full of promise and hope.
Classic
Let me set the scene: I woke up to the sound of rain, took a walk by the beach with heavy gloom 10/10
Love it. Surprised at the lack of coverage on Wikipedia, given MJ Cole's apparent influence on tons of dance and pop music (as evidenced by a few listens). I'll keep this one around.
Much better than the low ratings would imply. I've been enjoying electronic music lately so this fits in. If you're in the mood for some electronica that's easy to listen to, this is probably it.
I had so much fun listening to this record. I ran through it like twice, I was dancing for nearly 3 hours straight. I can't necessarily spot the influence over some of it's other contemporaries, but it sure as hell was fun.
Really, really not my type of music but the musicians are talented. 90s vibes.
cool
what the fuck is this
Liked it!
Reminds me of Ryan. Highlights include: Crazy Love, Free My Mind, Sanctuary.
Nice
Like listen is the vibe great. Yes. Does it feel mad repetitive after an hour, also yes. But hey the shit sounds like baseline junkie so I cannae be hating too much
This is the closest we’re getting to J Cole on this list I just know it
Interesting ? Good background I believe
Unsure why this is here. But I grew up listening to garage so I'm not moaning.
I had no idea what to expect with this because I've never heard of him and the Wiki description gave nothing. So it was a vibey dancy surprise, and I quite enjoyed it!
Балдежный балдеж, из-за попадания в вайб 4/5
Initial response to opening... yes please! Quite like this - popped it on repeat, nice in the background, nice in the car... not setting the world alight, but a nice little vibe.
fun. i really liked degrees and attitude
I love me some house. Shout out to Barbie Fashion Show for having a track that sounds like it would fit right in with this album. I couldn't think of anything more I would want to scribble out fashion design templates to. Yes, that's all I could think about while listening. Favorite tracks: I See, Strung Out (Edit), Hold On To Me.
This gives the perfect 2000s vibes. I think it would be great for setting a cool and relaxing vibe.
Love me some UK Garage!
I liked this one!
I thought this was gonna be a wild one when the spotify streams were in the 5 digits. This is a chill, ambient mix. Samples are used to make solid grooves that don't scream for your attention, but are nonetheless good. It's hard not to bounce or bob a little when listnening, and that's the value of this music. That's why it's a double album. It's somehting to have on while working, something to compliment, but not compete. It's not deeply profound, but it's fun to listen to. I do think the album loses steam near the end for sure; less creative sampling, more repetitive beats, but the neat part of double albums is that you can simply choose not to listen to the 2nd half. All the good stuff is in the first half for that option :~)
Crazyyyy looove What a nostalgic trip this album is!
Nice
Its an electronic album with a lot of other stiff going on which made it unique and made it a very interesting listen. Loved the more repetitive house type songs but overall the album was quite nice. 7/10, Favorite Song: You're Mine
gek maar leuk!!
The album itself is pretty okay with some good songs; ofc Crazy Love is a classic hit for garage/the early 2000s dance scene. While this album is a little slow and sort of boring (to be honest) I can hear a lot of the early sounds being used the the underground uk music scene. Elisabeth Troys vocals are worth the listen tbh. I think artists like Sophie, Shygirl, Rose Gray and Lynks are great examples of the influence of these earlier experimentations. Sophie specifically hits that industrial garage feel, while Lynks is a harder sound. Shygirl has an RnB flair, and Rose Grey is the closest to the sound of this album if it was more mature.
Really vibey and cool to put on in the background. And a good introduction to the UK Garage sound
Sounds a bit dated but I hear the genius in there
BEAST!
Of it's time but fun to listen to.
Be sincere
This was surprisingly good. Not usually an electronic music fan but this tickled me. Was upbeat and some lovely vocals throughout
I have to be in the mood for this kind of drum track. On this occasion I caught a VIBE.
Was never a lover of UK Garage but enjoyed this
I was not familiar with this artist, the name sounded kind of familiar, but I would’ve never guessed this was the type of music. I had a vibe. I liked it.
INPUT = {"artist": "Mj Cole", "album": "Sincere"} LINEUP = {"men": 1, "women": 0} FEATURED_ARTISTS = {"men": 5, "women": 2} TOTAL_MEN = 6 TOTAL_WOMEN = 2 WOMEN_PERCENTAGE = 16 OUTPUT = "Score adjusted accordingly. 4/5"
This album walked, and at some points, crawled, so that other albums that I truly love could run. Listening to this I hear a lot of inspiration for producers like Kaytranada, Louis Futon, and other artists who would use this ethereal club sound. I know this one isn't going to be for everyone, but I can really appreciate hearing a predecessor to one of my favorite genres today.
Great loops, great beats, I enjoyed it most when I had it in the background doing something else.
Good grooves, drum and bass but not so frenetic, cool vocals
Yes!! Welcome change of pace from Anthrax yesterday. As much as I enjoyed the aggressive thrash, this garage throwback is more like it and just awesome.
Très très cool à mettre en fond j'ai bien aimé.
Bonne découverte j'aime bien
Bah jsp c'est super l'électro
Bottom 20 of all time? We're haters here, I see! I really liked this. It's a strong 7. Gut says give it 3 stars, but I want to boost its global standing more (and it is quite good). 3.5/5
This banged and I will be listening again
Very chill. Dreamy and atmospheric, this was a good listen.
Excellent
Perfect vibes, though too long as an album. 4.
Nice one from 2000
Some classic garage vibes late 90s
Like this, nostalgic sound of radio from my youth.
I wasn't exactly excited to listen to this...well, surprise, I really liked this music. Much more than expected. Thanks for the awakening.
bumping.
Interesting! I'd never heard of MJ Cole before, and we ended up having a bit of a dance party because of this album!
This is a great album, full of London Nightlife classics and clearly influential. Will listen to again.
Woah. Think this is UK garage. Is this an important UK garage record? I'd have no idea because it's not something I know anything about, and also this list has a tendency of putting things that weren't very important to listen to past the late '90s mark. But I was into it and I'll probably come back to it and explore the genre as a whole more.
This album definitely takes me back to the early 2000s because I was a huge fan of UK 2-step garage. MJ Cole had a more sophisticated, smoother, and jazzier edge to his style, along with soulful vocals and lush string arrangements. This album features intricate 2-step rhythms with syncopated snares and swung hi hats, which were classic traits of garage at the time. And you can’t forget those deep, rounded basslines that never overwhelm, but instead blend smoothly with the rest of the music and vocals. This will always stand out as a landmark album from the UK garage movement, and one that brings back so many memories for me.
Stripped back house/dance with acoustic instruments and soulful vocals Like the piano on Introduction Nice easy listening throughout Strung Out reminds me of Thinking it Over by Liberty X 2 years later... Some bits are more experimental (Rough Out Here) Disk 2 is just remixes Best track - You're Mine/Introduction/Sincere/Slum King 4 stars for general mood
A vibe
приятно, местами напомнило Сила. есть норм треки для Zara)
Apparently I enjoy the house music/UK garage genre. Even with and overload of drum and bass and dance albums on the list, this one felt fresh and different. Listened to this one twice, including the deluxe edition on accident the first time through, and I was vibing the whole time. Pleasantly surprised by this album and hope to move away from the DnB albums into more house music. I’m so tempted to give this album a five, but I’m more at a 9 out of 10 that will get rounded down.
I could see this album being quite marmite. If you don't like UK Garage, and particularly MJ Cole's not-so-grimey slightly twinkley brand of garage, then this album is probably a chore. The beats are repetitive, at least in terms of percussion, and generally the songs follow a pretty similar formula. If you do like that formula, then this is a rather great album, with lots of really solid garage bangers. I was surprised to hear Bandelero Desperado - I knew the Azealia Banks version, but didn't realise it was essentially a remix of this MJ Cole track. Fave Tracks: Bandelero Desperado, Crazy Love 3.8/5
Nice mix of garage styles, remains cohesive and varied in a way few producer-led albums manage to by bringing in consistent guest vocalists
I was completely surprised by how much I loved this!
Good background music i suppose
I had never heard of the performer Come out I had never heard this album; I played it three times in a row today.
this is the best album we've heard for stimming with 4-5 simultaneous visualizers.
I love this it's so nice and feels like i'm chilling the fuck out not giving a fuck. What I want when I enter the world of the vibes universe instead of getting sentenced to the asbestos mines. Feels a bit longer then it needs to be near the end but still enjoyable. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- listened to this in the wrong order on stream and i think the lockheed martin video might be core. (Though fuck the military industrial complex, only thing they should make are weird shitty 3d renders). In order it makes more sense but I liked the feeling of the random order I had listned to it initially. It was a nice less coherence that made me feel as if i was experiencing it in a location instead of a compact disc in my room with the light of the stars on the ceiling and moon in the sky, thinking of the days I would try to avoid paying bus fare, not because i lacked the funds, but because half the times my card wouldn't work and i feared disappointing the bus driver and getting let on the bus like so many others in the same situation, though the bus drivers were never upset by it, that was all projection on my end.
HET IS EEN ELEKTRONISCH ALBUM, GOD ZIJ DANK!!! Wel een album dat fucking 2 uur !?!?!?!??! duurt... Ik sla disc 2 in eerste instantie over, maar sorry een album kan gewoon bijna niet 2 uur lang goed genoeg zijn. UK Garage album? Niet een genre dat ik snel hier had verwacht, maar ga niet liegen, ik vibe het best wel! Alleen sorry hoor, maar 2 uur? Het is echt bizar... Het album zelf is verder echt heel fijn, een soort relaxte UK garage en GOD wat ben ik blij dat het niet het zoveelste Britpop/rock album is. Het is absoluut niet het beste album ooit gemaakt voor mij, maar ik snap wel dat het baanbrekend was toen het uitkwam. Het kakt hard in, en dan komt rough out here als een soort vibey soul disco plaat! Jammer dat het album gewoon te lang is, want ik heb me echt heel erg goed vermaakt met heel veel nummers op dit album! (grootste compliment is dat ik uiteindelijk toch disc 2 geluisterd heb, zat er toch wel erg lekker in) FAVO: Crazy Love, Sanctuary, Sincere, Rough out here, Slum King, Hold on to me, Degrees
4/5 MJ Cole is clearly a talented producer, and beats like Tired Games, Crazy Love, Sanctuary and Slum King show his skill, but the songwriting and performances can be limited, and there is a shortage of memorable tracks. A lot of this album is, yeah it's great for sure, but definitely not exceptional. Elisabeth Troy and Danny Vicious are neither particularly good or bad additions to the ensemble, but Guy S'Mone makes You're Mine a fantastic track, and Free My Mind a great closer, and Concept Noir are brilliant on Rough Out Here. Shout out to Strung Out as well, an amazingly chill instrumental. Introduction 4/5 Tired Games 4.5/5 Attitude 3/5 (LEAST FAV) Bandelero Desperado 3/5 MJ FM Interlude 4/5 Crazy Love 4.5/5 You're Mine 5/5 Sanctuary 4.5/5 I See 3.5/5 Sincere (Re-Cue'd) 3/5 Strung Out 5/5 Rough Out Here 5/5 (FAV) Slum King 4.5/5 Hold On To Me 3.5/5 Free My Mind 4.5/5
I listened to about half of this and was really enjoying it! It’s helping me focus on my work for sure and I like the incorporation of real instrumental sounds (even if they were fake, they’re at least emulating real instruments) in club tracks. I only stopped because I’m falling way behind on the albums I was supposed to listen to the last week and I do feel like I got the gist of this from the first half. But I’ll definitely return to this while I’m cooking, or to put on in the background when I’m hosting people for a dinner party or something.
I loved "Crazy Love" back in the day so it was great to revisit the 2000s, the heyday of UK garage. The album is a tad too long though and gets repetitive.
unts unts unts unts.. a- unts a- unts a- unts a- unts a- its crazy man its crazy.. unts unts unts unts a a a unts unts unts unts a a a.... uskomaton untsuntsesque conceptalbumi. OMG TOISTOA... OMG TOISTO HIRVEYS.. nyt menen kuuntelemaan A B A B B laulu jossa laulun nimi toistetaan kohdassa B neljästä kymmeneen kertaan.. mahtavaa... mahtava songwriter genious... mutta EIEIEIEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII EIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII SAMA RUMPU EIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII GARAGE INDIE BÄNDI ROSKA RUMPU BIITTI ON OK MUTTA EIIIIII ELEKTRONIK BEAT OMG TOISTUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU EIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII.. -terv. sinä..... sinä kuulostat tuolta ........prkl sincere
I was Strung Out until I listened to this album. It’s Rough Out Here, but this one put me in the right Attitude.
repetitive beats 4/5
Very cool album
my dad would love this album. i like probably for that reason alone, it reminds me of him.
Goed album, lekker ontspannen, maar wel interessant genoeg. Prima beats.
I rather enjoyed this! I will say at points, it felt like it would be better at a venue hearing it, as the repetition got a bit much at times, but good stuff! Would listen again.
UK Garage is very dear to me, it brings me back to a simpler time, where Pokemon was taking the world by storm and a big dome along with a big wheel was being built in London, my childhood was spent listening to a CD of remixed singles by The Artful Dodger every morning before going to primary school. That said, it's difficult to represent a "UK garage" album in this list because the genre was made for singles from various artists to be mixed together, (Garage overlaps with House so often you'd get mixes with stuff like Closer Than Close by Rosie Gaines) an album from one artist doesn't capture the surprise and diversity the genre typically offers. MJ Coles stuff, in particular, is more on the mellow side. For a better Garage experience I recommend looking into stuff like DJ Spoony's mixes on youtube.
Oh, had never heard of this guy and went in with low expectations, but really enjoyed it.
фантастика
Liked it a lot more than I thought it would - good vibes
I enjoyed this album, but I like a bit of dance music.
I had no idea what i was walking into here. Turns out it was a treat. The deluxe version is too long though. nobody needs 2 hour albums.
Great beats and great singing. 7/10
I really like the beats. Very unique and intriguing without being grating. Almost sounds like an early predecessor to breakcore. They do a good job of making each track sound unique. I could do without all the bonus tracks, but overall it was very enjoyable. It feels ripe for a vaporwave remix.
De zangeres is op sommige tracks iets te aanwezig, maar de muziek zelf vind ik wel lekker eigenlijk. Volgens de reviews hier zou het amateuristisch klinken maar dat vind ik wel meevallen. Sample-based muziek wordt natuurlijk als onwaardig gezien door de snobs. Een UK garage/2-step album met vanzelfsprekend wat dingen die je doen denken aan drum & bass, jungle, dubstep en grime. Een klein beetje gedateerd, maar dat is denk ik omdat je dit genre sinds de hoogtijdagen van Craig David en Daniel Beddingfield (pak 'm beet 2003) niet meer hebt gehoord aan deze kant van de Noordzee. Binnenkort zal het wel weer terug komen. Over dubstep gesproken: 'Sincere' kende ik van de heerlijke Nero remix. Verder kan ik niet zeggen dat iets van dit album me bekend voor kwam. Ik vermaak me hier wel mee. Niet kapot-analyseren en gewoon lekker laten draaien. De 4 sterren haalt ie op luisterplezier.
Released in 2000, M.J. Cole's debut album, "Sincere," became a landmark in the burgeoning UK garage scene. This review delves into the intricate soundscapes, introspective lyrics, and the album's lasting influence, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses. Musical Nuance and Production Prowess: Cole's mastery lies in the meticulously crafted soundscapes. Two-step rhythms form the foundation, with sparse yet infectious drum programming driving the energy. Tracks like "Tired Games" showcase his ability to weave in jazzy piano chords and layered percussion, creating a sophisticated soundscape. However, some argue this approach can feel sterile at times. While tracks like "Bandelero Desperado" experiment with sultry vocals and vocoder effects, a touch of raw energy might be missed by those seeking the unbridled spirit of early UK garage. Lyricism: Introspection and Vulnerability Cole's lyrical focus is a double-edged sword. Tracks like "Crazy Love" and "Hold On To Me" explore themes of love, longing, and vulnerability with poignant honesty. Lines like "Maybe love's a twisted game, where hearts get bruised and feelings maimed" ("Crazy Love") reveal a depth of emotion uncommon in dance music. However, this introspective approach can occasionally meander into melodramatic territory. Tracks like "Sincere (Re-Cue'd)" rely heavily on the title word, lacking the lyrical punch present elsewhere. Production: A Balancing Act Cole's production choices are noteworthy. He adopts a "less is more" philosophy, allowing space for each instrument to breathe. This approach is evident in "Sanctuary," where the melancholy piano melody takes center stage, complemented by subtle bass and percussion. While this creates a certain elegance, some might find the overall sound lacking in the gritty basslines and in-your-face energy that defined early UK garage. Themes: A Tapestry of Emotions "Sincere" paints a multifaceted picture. Tracks like "Attitude" explore themes of confidence and self-belief, while "Rough Out Here" delves into the harsh realities of urban life. This juxtaposition keeps the album engaging, showcasing Cole's ability to navigate various emotional landscapes. However, the album's focus on introspection can overshadow the celebratory and carefree spirit often associated with dance music. Influence: A Lasting Legacy "Sincere" undeniably left its mark. It garnered critical acclaim, receiving a Mercury Prize nomination. Cole's sound influenced a generation of producers, paving the way for a more sophisticated and soulful take on UK garage. Tracks like "Crazy Love" remain anthems, cementing the album's place in dance music history. Pros: Groundbreaking production: Cole's meticulous sound design and use of space were innovative. Emotionally resonant lyrics: The album explores themes of love, vulnerability, and social issues with depth. Lasting influence: "Sincere" helped shape the sound of UK garage and continues to inspire producers. Cons: Limited sonic palette: The focus on a polished sound can feel sterile at times, lacking the raw energy of early UK garage. Occasional lyrical melodrama: Some tracks rely heavily on repetition, diminishing their impact. Word count: 498 Concise Conclusion: M.J. Cole's "Sincere" stands as a significant achievement in UK garage. While its polished production and introspective lyrics might not resonate with everyone, the album's undeniable influence and enduring tracks solidify its place as a genre-defining work.
I thought this was interesting and merits further listening.
Good vibey dj music from the early 90s
Very enjoyable and catchy. I enjoy this music a lot when I'm trying to focus on something. I won 12 games in a row in Tekken while bumping this, so it has to be a certified banger.
At first I didn't think I was going to like this one very much, since it didn't seem like a genre I was really into -- very dub. But as the music progressed, I couldn't _not_ be impressed by the melodies and the performances -- especially the female vocalist, but also the male vocalist on Rough Out Here. The bass lines are super punchy and tight, the orchestration and drum grooves are just awesome, and everything is just perfectly done, even if not all of it was my normal arena. I see why this album is on this list! Four stars.
Very early techno. Lacks the layers and sounds of the more developed current electronic music. I enjoyed the songs with lyrics. The beat was redundantly repetitive
Not usually my thing but I enjoyed it
Good stuff!!!
Never heard this before but I really liked !
This is a long album, so I had to listen over multiple sessions. Overall, I felt that the album was quite good, with dreamy beats and a slick sound. Some of the remixes are not quite as enjoyable, so I would take off half a star for that (but I can't, so I'll round up). Favorite track: "Crazy Love."
Pretty good disco beat good dance music
Wow, that was fun. 4/5
7/10 there’s some pretty good stuff here but nothing that really stood out as very special
Nostalgic house
I really enjoyed this one. Cool vibe that felt like a grimy 90s party, but in a good way lol.
Bit of quality UK garage. A joy to listen to.
Classic club vibes
Some pretty banging UK garage to reminisce to... I can imagine some of the shade being thrown on this in the reviews but as a child of the 90s/00s garage was right up my street. This probably isn't the finest exponent of the genre but it's decent enough for me
I really love this album. I don't think I'd ever heard it before. It definitely feels a bit dated, coming out in 2000, but in all the ways I love.
I really like this. Its a chill dub record with a lot of soul.
Amazingky. I liked it. R&b with drum machine beats but also some decent hooks and tunes.
Quand j’ai vu l’étiquette « Dance » sur iTunes, je me suis méfiée; mais finalement j’ai trouvé ça entraînant, joyeux, réussi, en grande partie grâce aux chanteurs et chanteuses, en grande forme
So good
I felt like I was watching a British movie made between '92 and 2003. Everything is seen through a blue or green filter. Tyrone?
I hadn't heard this before and was surprised at that. I really enjoyed it and wanted to learn a little more about the UK Garage scene. Nice mix of soul vocals, smooth basslines and dance beats.
House. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
House. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
Demasiado largo. Pero bueno, le voy a dar un 4. Está bien.
At the time, I was much more into the harder end of garage, but actually, these fairly detailed and lush garage tracks that still manage to slap are pretty great. I enjoyed it far more than I expected and was 2 stepping found the house all day!
I really liked this I will try to listen to it again in full
Really liked this
New Most dancable album. Glorious.
Dig it. The deluxe album has quite the remix selection. 2hrs. whew.
Nice dancey album, good grooves. 4 stars.
Dated in some ways but very good dance/electronic of the era
Not really my style if I'm honest. Tbh I don't really like it
Odma da komentiram da je cover čisto sranje, fucking 'ell. This albums fucks tho, mislim da kad bi se ovako pustio bilo gdje, pasao bi, pogotovo onak negdje u beach baru il šta ja znam, na otvorenom, lagano đuskanje. Sviđa mi se.
I really liked this.
Enjoyed this a lot.
This was real nice.
I understand why it is called garage music. Is good to listen to though
4.5 if I could, like it a lot!
I enjoyed this relaxing soul electronic trip hop album. Love the hypnotic drumming beat with calm balanced voices that makes today autotuned albums seem pointless. Easy to listen and keeps you hooked during the whole album session. Definitely will give this another go. Probably more.Tip. The deluxe album more tracks (clubbing sounding remixes) . There are avoidable if you need the time.
I would never normally listen to this but it was exactly what I needed today. Weirdly it really helped me concentrate on work.
One of my favorite new finds so far. Some really dynamic sampling and amazing vocal performances throughout.
Pretty cool house album.
Demasiado largo. Pero bueno, le voy a dar un 4. Está bien.
Would listen to this again. Bit eclectic but I enjoyed it quite a bit
Could not stop banging my head. This is a great album to code to. Great vibes, great beats, great melodies, but it wasn't anything that makes me go "10/10 album!". 4
MJ Cole. Great find. His latest music is really chill. 4.5/5
R&B / Electronica
I like garage but I wouldn't be an active listener. Musically the album was interesting.
Relatively enjoyable if not a lottle repetitive. I agree that it’s odd to find it on this list - although it isn’t the first within this subcategory.
At some point it was a 4 and then in became a 3 again
Bon déjà electro-lounge, on part avec un handicap. Mais j'ai pas détesté absolument. En chillant dans la maison un dimanche ça passait bien. Les petites loops de piano sont smooth et il n'y a rien d'agressant ici, contrairement à beaucoup de choses électroniques.
Moins pire que je m'attendais! Je me disais bon encore de l'osti d'électro british comme on en a eu plein de mauvais, MERCI monsieur Dimery! Mais bon, j'ai quand même aimé. Plus soul, musique de lounge. Ça se joue bien en background!
I gave it an honest listen. Genuinely.
mehh
노래가 꽤 신나고 좋았다. 앨범에 수록곡이 생각보다 많아서 놀랐다. The song was quite exciting and good. I was surprised that there were more songs on the album than I expected.
Long album listen to, but I reallly liked it - good beats - obviously “Sincere” a great track with different mixes - will listen again
Largely unobtrusive, I didn’t mind having this on in the background for the day. Buy as someone who was pretty into electronic house music at the time this album came out, I can’t say I had ever heard of this musician or that this album holds a candle to many of its contemporaries. So I guess nice to hear a new-to-me artist that works in a genre I appreciate. But I couldn’t help thinking that there are at least 20 odd similar albums that would have made for better listening.
I don't know. I felt like a really cool city girl listening to this. Like, one of those girls that I once read about in Cosmo who needs the versatility of a work outfit that can transform into a "night life" outfit so no time is wasted. Not bad background music at all. There's this one singer in one of the songs that sounds like Titus Andromedon from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmit. That's all I got.
some good brit deep house
Not bad, for dance music.
I hate albums that are so unnecessarily long for no reason. I did actually kinda like the chill & at the same time upbeat vibe of this. it's giving dimly lit restaurant late at night with every table booked and drunk chattering and that's an amazing vibe to me. sorry but I could not stop bopping!! still just too long and a bit repetitive but sir mj cole you're not horrible and I see you be sincere .♪..♫
4/30 Was okay
6/10 Not a bad album, but nothing here really blows me away, I guess this was the first time I heard the original sample for Desperado by Azealia Banks.
Same people who call this "repetitive" and "boring" give Pink Floyd instant fives and glaze them for stretching a perfectly normal track to 7 minutes by doing some wanky guitar shit. You can really tell how pretentious the users on this website are from the reviews on this. Sure, it might not be eye-opening but it's a nice album! I really liked the sampling on this record and it kept me interested for the whole two hours. I'd much rather hear this on the radio than the new Sabrina Carpenter or Sam Smith. Favourite tracks: Tired Games, Slum King, Hold On To Me - Vocal Dub 3/5
I don’t know why this is on the list but I liked it well enough.
This isn't really my genre, but i liked it fine. seemed more orchestral than a lot of house style music
This is cool - definitely had not gotten too much into the scene this came from but can heard echoes of this in other places that I encountered UK garage/2-step, like Burial. The piano line in the first song is awesome and some neat little jazzy flourishes throughout. It is sort of long and can start to sound sort of same-y which is probably my knock on it. It does add some interest when the hip-hop/grime influences come in like Desperado. Crazy Love is a fun song with the plucked string part, title track is good. Probably good background/working music, I liked it in parts.
This was meh to me. It just reminded me of a lot of the same electronic music from around that era. It didn't really stand out to me in any way - just pretty average.
I don't quite know what to do with this album. My suspicion is that it works really well as a low-fi background. It was good without being great, the repition didn't bother me as much as some reviewers.
Esta bueno pero muy repetitivo, el mejor tema es introduction, ademas es muy largo, aunque se pasa bastante bien.
The most unfortunate thing about this album is it sounds like a compilation album from different bands of the same genre. There isn't much tying the album together Having said that there are some good tunes
Al principio me costó escucharlo, pero después se pudo interesante.
This is cool. Chill lay back stuff.
Cool. Bit repetitive
I liked it
I thought this was fine. There weren't any songs that I absolutely loved, but I didn't hate any of them either.
It's okay. A lot of the songs sound so similar.
There’s no way this is the worst user reviewed album we’ve gotten so far Maybe it’s because I was scarred by White Light/White Heat but this one was pretty nice. It’s very non offensive, where the singing is actually solid, 90% of the beats are pleasant to listen to, and no track really overstays its welcome by more than a minute. I’m used to house music being a lot more just random sounds and less music so I was pleasantly surprised. The variety is actually pretty good, from more instrumental tracks, to poppier more melody heavy songs, to rap focused songs (though I honestly dont think British People should rap). This albums on the generic side for sure, and I agree with the sentiment that it really doesn’t feel all that influential in the grand scheme of things so it’s fair to question its placement on this list. I think the length is ok if you don’t listen to the second side but there’s definitely some fat to be trimmed there. I did end up listening to the whole thing since I was locked in and I definitely got exhausted by the end. I don’t think this album was special or transformative, but it’s very listenable. I would listen to this album 5 times in a row rather than having to listen to something boring like Happy Sad or something ear grating like White Light/White Heat. Here’s to hoping the remaining 15 albums that are worse than this one are actually worse
When I first saw 2 discs and 2 hours of playtime, I groaned. But I set it as background music and went at it with an open mind... Not bad, actually. Not great, but not terrible. Interesting rhythms and songs, decent R&B for being 25+ years old. Nothing stands out, but listenable overall.
Probably a 3.5. Reminds me a bit of gorillaz. Cool production. Got a little samey 2/3rds of the way through. But really enjoyed overall.
Never heard of this Cat. Not bad. Not bad at all.
Totally fine
Listened in the car and at home. I couldn't find the proper version on YouTube Music and the YouTube video playlist is wonky. Does this list have a clear British bias? Sure. Is that the only reason this album make the list? Maybe. Is it good? Sure it is! It's pleasant, has nice harmonies and the vocal features are great. A bit repetitive but that comes with the territory. Enjoyed it.
Was dreading listening to this but found myself liking it. It's nothing spectacular, barely even special tbh, but it's a solid collection of DJ tracks. It's not really an "album" album but the function of it is to spin around in a player while you're dancing and high. It's good for that and I thought it was a fine listen on its own.
I think a lot of this would be nice in the right context but sitting down and listening to over an hour of this is not particularly exciting. That said it's not unenjoyable Fav tracks: Crazy Love, Free My Mind
70
Pretty long, but alright.
I would like this album a lot more if it weren't 2 hours long.
Nice enough and it didn’t bother me, but UK garage is not my cup of tea. I only have room for so much boots and cats in my heart. I’ll be generous with my rating because I did enjoy it more than I expected I would. (If I listened to all two hours of the deluxe edition this would probably be a different story.)
Mostly just fine. I think that these songs live and die based on who's featured on them, and so when it works it works, but sometimes it gets pretty abysmal. I actually found the songs that are instrumental to be my favorites on here.
I don't know anything about UK garage, but I was a little hesitant about this, given earlier in the week I was subjected to another UK electronica album that was also quite long, and it was completely mind numbing. Thankfully, this was a little bit better than that. I did enjoy the inclusion of non electronic instruments as part of this, as it helped make it a bit more interesting, but all the guest vocalists did nothing for me. I wasn't blown away. Just a nice record.
I remember hearing this album when it came out. The 2 step garage style was notably different for the time. But even then, I found myself getting a bit bored after a while. I'm not sure what it is but maybe it just feels too sparse, too soulless, too repetitive. There's something novel and good about it but it just kind of feels like an incomplete thought. Like it desperately needs some extra element to hold it altogether. A synth, some layered vocals, something. It gets closer with "Bandelero Desperado" which contrasts 2 step beats with an interesting rap style. But a lot of the album is unfortunately kind of underdeveloped and forgettable.
Highlights: Tired Games, MJ FM Interlude, Crazy Love, You're Mine, Sincere, Strung Out, Rough Out Here, Slum King, Hold On To Me, Free My Mind Decent house record (apparently correctly labeled as UK garage). Wasn't all that surprised by how it sounded in general, but I liked it nonetheless. What was interesting was that it had a song like Rough Out Here - it's kinda out of place but at the same time right at home. I guess that is so because it's a cover. Slum King beat began exactly like something off of Dizzie Rascal's debut, and just like something from Jet Set Radio. I liked the closing half a fair bit more than the opening one.
Enjoyed it more than I expected while working.
Smooth listening
Well, that’s decent dance music. I enjoyed running with those beats in my ears. However, I don’t take this kind of music seriously and can’t imagine listening to it in any other occasion rather than gym.
Too long and repetitive. Maybe not as repetitive as other electronica albums on here though. So that saves it from 1 and even 2 stars.
Enjoyed the smoothness.
Very Y2K, almost Frutiger Aero. Chill listen, but a bit dated and repetitive. Faves: MJ FM Interlude, I See, Sincere - Re-Cue'D,
This was good background music to work with. It's not my go-to genre but I don't mind this kind of electronica every now & then.
If I was ranking these songs individually, most would get a 3 out of 5. They're fine. Some are better than others, but none are incredible. Listening to all of them as an album bored me though. It's getting a 3, but it's a low one.
This album was too long but I’m glad I listened to it! This is one of those albums that makes me like doing this challenge.
House music isn't really my bag, but this was decent. I especially liked the songs featuring soul singers. Favorite song: Free My Mind (featuring Guy S'Mone)
This is the kind of thing I was excited for this site to throw up. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to a garage record in full, despite it being a huge part of British music culture. This album has some hard hitting tunes, feels like I jumped back in time to the 90s. Garage does fall into the trap that a lot of dance music suffers from which is very repetitive building blocks for each track.
Dacht dat ik de man kende, blijkbaar is dat J. Cole. Goeie muziek, beetje repetitief na 2u. Favouriet: crazy love
I didn't pay too much attention, I was working, but it played in the background and it was fine. Listen, these can't always be informative.
Chillout electronic for being comatose the right way. Three sources gave me three different track listings, positively tubular, so I just listened to what seemed right Not groundbreaking, just comfortable, got a little more engaging through the second half
Random thoughts: * I was surprised I'd never heard of this artist before. It does seem he is more British than American though. * It was kind of frenetic sounding and busy but in a good and interesting way. * It sounded like late 80s R&B over house music. * I definitely wouldn't particularly choose this music but if it was playing somewhere where I was having drinks on a warm deck, this would feel appropriate.
British folk really enjoy the weirdest shit musically. This one isn't weird by any stretch, but it's just 90's-like bland techno with some singing. Nothing worth a mention on the list
Way too long, disc 2 could have been an email. Did enjoy some of disc 1 though, felt like a fairly meat and potatoes approach to Garage, would be interested to hear more of the genre if it comes up
It's ok. Feels like I'm on LUX's first floor and I'm going outside for a smoke. Electronic music is not my usual go-to, but it's a good album.
Better than Coldplay
Has a real drum and bass feel, though wikipedia classifies it as UK garage or house. Anyway, like garage, it's heavy on the R&B vocals. Overall it's decent background music but I'm not sure I'd go back to this. There are some solid tracks I'd mine for playlists though. Slum King is a good one. 3/5
If this album had 80 minutes shaved off, I'd give it 4 stars... Not bad, but waaay too long.
This was ok. It had some good grooves at times but electronic and house music is usually not my go to. This made good background music to do my work to.
Fishnchip
A problem with the list is its attempt to cover many different genres without using compilations. Uk garage, represented in the list solely by this album, is not a genre that has produced many albums and fewer good ones. It’s a singles genre and there are an abundance of great compilations out there that would be a better fit than Sincere. Anyway, I like this. It takes me back to my school days.
Debut album. UK Garage. Some catchy beats and couldn't help bopping along. Is this a ground breaking album worthy of deep takes and discussion. No, but it doesn't want to be. It's a bit of fun, well produced and an uplifting tempo.
Sounded good, I like this style of music generally. But I have to confess: I may not have listened to the entire thing. I got the gist. Gist is fine when the music is this consistent. 3.5
Overall great album with good mix of genre house, jazz Songs I like: Crazy Love, you’re mine, hold on to me re hub.
Against my will, this list has made me a veritable connoisseur of British electronic/club music from the 90s. This is a middling example.
Kann super im Hintergrund laufen. Gefühlt ist es fast immer der gleiche Beat, die Tracks sind meist zu lang. Gefällt mir aber grundsätzlich.
It’s ok but I don’t know what it’s doing on this list
Music is subjective right. If this was my list everyone would be listening to all three Harvey Danger albums as well as the b sides compilation. But like, thinking about a list I’m saying is the list for everyone to listen to before they die I think I would recognize that those albums maybe don’t belong. This album and many others are that for the author. You like this album but can we think for two seconds if it’s really an album everyone should listen to before they die? Seems obvious it’s not and it’s just mid.
5.5/10
Never heard of MJ Cole, so wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this one. Veeeeeeeeery long, repetitive album. Considering my low tolerance for repetitive music, I was surprised that I was able to listen to as much of this as I did. I suppose it made me feel like I was at a club or cocktail lounge, which probably allowed it to slip into the background of my consciousness and wasn’t as grating as it could have been. Some good beats, but not the kind not music I would ordinarily listen to other than to have as background music to focus on work. Surprised this made the list though as it doesn’t feel like anything special. (3)
Evocative of its time
Dancey as hell. I liked this one. Electro dance beats with varied vocals.
It was fine, nothing too noteable. Introduction ★★★☆☆ Tired Games ★★★☆☆ Attitude ★★★☆☆ Bandelero Desperado ★★★☆☆ MJ FM Interlude ★★★☆☆ Crazy Love ★★★☆☆ You're Mine ★★★☆☆ Sanctuary ★★★☆☆ I See ★★★☆☆ Strung Out ★★★☆☆ Rough Out Here ★★★☆☆ Slum King ★★★☆☆ Radio Interlude ★☆☆☆☆ Hold on to Me ★★★☆☆ Average Album Rating 2.5/5.0
Good rhythms
Hopefully this is the last of these but at least it had some fun vocals. My favorite track was “Rough Out Here”. It would be fun to dance to.
Feels like I'm in the lobby of a 2000s racing game. Honestly some good vibes here.
This music sounds like The Streets and Roni Size. Good stuff. I've never heard of this artist. I like the same sample as 311 used for All Mixed Up on Bandelero Desperado. This had great music. May be too many songs, though. I'll give this a 3.
It's way too long. But I s2g some people want every album to be Bob Dylan. This was fine! It was fun! Everyone is complaining that it's repetitive as if the second disc isn't all remixes? Like, duh!
I kinda like this type of dated dance music. This would be a 4 star review if the album were about half the length.
That was long. And tecno. But easy.
Shrug. High 2? Not my thing and a long album. Not necessarily bad but not really enjoyable to me
Honestly didn’t hate the music but 2 hours is too long.
Construction of the music is interesting. Lyrics are lacking overall.
I mean, it didn’t suck, had some good grooves
J’aimais bien au début le mix R&B/Drum and Bass, mais je m’en suis lassé bien assez vite
At first glance I thought that the cover for this album was a pop up ad, or maybe a tribute to Sheffield’s much missed Cole Brothers department store (as name checked on Richard Hawley’s Cole’s Corner elsewhere on this list). Anyhoo, it turns out to be an interesting mix of danceable drum and bass beats and smooth vocals, with jazzy interludes from classically trained artist MJ Cole. I particularly enjoyed the tracks with vocals from Elizabeth Troy, but the whole album flows nicely and is a good accompaniment to a rainy Monday morning.
Better than expected but still didn’t love it
Electronic dance music. It bad, mostly not for me for some reason. I think it’s a little more dance-pop than I like. Notable tracks include Bandelero Desperado, Crazy Love, You’re Mine, Slum King.
I'm pleased to discover this and to see some UK garage on the list. There are some great garage tracks on here, with irresistible 2-step beats, upbeat energy, and a clean sound. "Bandelero Desperado" and "Slum King" both feature Danny Vicious, aka Fallacy, and are basically worth the cost of admission (anyone who likes these tracks should check out Part 2, Live from the Breadline, which also has Fallacy on two tracks). Unfortunately, the crispy garage joints are way too few and far between. I don't really like the soulful house-leaning tracks much. Then there are tracks like "Rough Out Here" that go all the way into soul/R&B. The album ends up sounding a bit miscellaneous and unfocused, with not enough of the UK garage bits. 3*
Definitely hit or miss. An interesting blend of trip-hop, hip-hop, downtempo and soul. On the surface, that sounds like I would love it but I only liked about half the songs.