So Much For The City

This album was very sleepy and lost my interest pretty quickly. The lead singer uses that strained, breathy delivery that he tries to make sound effortless, but it feels unnatural and nasally. The songs are very repetitive and it feels like they’re trying to imitate US acts that they love without the cultural capital to actually do so. I don’t think I’ll be back to this one.

Never heard of this group and cannot understand why we burned a spot on this album. Not horrible but nothing I want to return to. If I want to listen to this, The Flaming Lips did it all much better and much more memorably.

Distinct lack of thrills here, in spite of the name. Reading up on The Thrills, it seems like their inclusion here was more based on hype than anything; they showed up in the original 2005 version of the book on the back of a huge amount of success with this album and were not included in any subsequent editions. Kinda reminds me of 2012 when we all thought Gotye was the next big thing. I'm not going to call it great and I still don't like this dude's voice, but I can settle in on "okay." Basically, I wouldn't be mad at you for playing it in the car but I'm not going to put it on myself. There's just too many other places I can get a better version of the same thing.

Not great

"So Much For The City" is a solid, albeit slightly derivative, three-star listen. The Thrills showcase a knack for sun-drenched harmonies and West Coast nostalgia, but much of the album leans heavily on well-worn influences. While their sound is more classic pop, the ambitious, sweeping sonic landscape occasionally hints at the layered, atmospheric production one might associate with bands like The Flaming Lips. It’s an enjoyable, if not groundbreaking, debut.

7/10 - Some crackers on this album but the sound kind of drags towards the end. The first 3 songs are amazing though, end of High School memories

kinda samey over all -

Very viby, i quite enjoyed it. Fit my style

A series of songs about California that deliberately evoke popular American pop music styles of the 60s and early 70s. It's Beach Boys one minute and Neil Young the next. The lyrics artfully avoid saying a single thing.

Day 86 Surprised to see this on the list, it’s fine but absolutely nothing special 4/10 Highlights Big Sur Don’t steal our sun.

Somber but fun, couldn't get into the voice initially, but it before the tone well

Not very thrilling for a band called The Thrills. With 643 albums rated, I just can’t abide an album being this boring. 2.5 stars.

This was woeful. Desperately trying to sound “retro”, but instead sounding like a cruddy sixth form band. Vacuous and uninspiring. Definitely not an album that anyone needs to hear before they die. It’s been a tough week, made worse by this.

Another singer that uses his inside voice. I think it’s really funny that they have this folk southern twang thing going but are Irish. So like they speak with Irish accents but song with Texan accents? Very well produced and for the most part there is a wide array of unique songs that all stay within the same genre. The Sea and Cake did this style of singing/music better but this isn’t bad either. 7/10

Nice West Coast sound, easy listening, but unlikely to reach for this too often

Loved it. Kind of reminds me of Fountains of Wayne

Overall: 6/10 The songs here are incredibly catchy and I love the harmonies. I love that the songs had a bit of a country feel at times. I don't think I'll be coming back to it very often, but I enjoyed it. Fav Song: One Horse Town

Was a fun album to listen to, but it's nothing special. But liked the vocal alot.

is there anything more embarrassing to bear witness to than european americaboos? except for maybe european californiaboos? but there’s also something to be said for committing SO hard to pastiche that that almost becomes a performance in and of itself. like camp for boring straight people who have no other cultural references. this is very kitschy and very 2003 and very inoffensive, and not very good.

I had this, Byrds, Beach boys, Pavement Santa cruz Deck chairs and cigarettes Say it ain't so

Nice

Interesting piece. A bit too generic for my taste, but that's not necessarily that bad. The lyrics were hit or miss.

This is the power of nostalgia in how we rate albums. I'd never heard of this band or any of these songs. It was released my freshman year of college, and I'd likely have loved it had I heard it then, in which case I'd be inclined to give this a high rating. Listening to it without that lens, it's good not great generic indie-rock sounding like so many other bands. And so while I liked it, it's only just ok.

Sounds 30 years older than it is

It's an OK album. The only song I knew is "Big Sur" (though, amusingly, I had assumed the lyrics were: "Just don't go back to Pittsburgh"). After a few listens, that's still the one standout song.

The Wiki says they made this album to cheer themselves up, and there's not anything wrong with that conceptually. But the singer's vocal style is so cloying that it feels like he's singing to cheer up Kindergarteners.

Weird how I can enjoy Wayne Coyne without qualm, but this guy is just utterly annoying. There was just something overly twee about everything these guys did while Flaming Lips is so out there that Coyne's vocals just add to that impression. Unlike the Flaming Lips, this was not enjoyable at all.

Quite a good album overall. Not really my standout moments but just overall very consistent and chill. Enjoyed it quite a bit.

Can't believe this is over 20 years old. I really like this album. Saw them support Bob Dylan in Belfast years ago. A really good live band.

Didn’t expect to see this one pop up on the list. I remember it well and always thought The Thrills were West Coast kids. But no, they were Dubliners weaving Irish melancholy into Laurel Canyon daydreams. Smooth listening that still works with its half sunshine, half homesickness.

Not for me. Sounded like an upbeat generic Elliott Smith knock off.

I'll always have a soft spot for this one. Did NOT know they were Irish.

It’s probably prettt good. Very musical. Just not really me.

Sometimes you just know that an album is going to stink, I'm not sure why I bothered playing this.

This album produced some catchy moments, but the songs didn't click for me.

That soft hipster sound combined with a country twang and trap.

Did I miss something here? Thought it was pretty standard and mediocre on first run, enjoyed a couple tracks enough and I’m usually on board for an alt country record. On second listen I became agitated and decided I actually kinda hate this. Just fell flat for me and now I’m confused what it’s even doing here on this list. I imagine it will be bumped for some MJ Lenderman in the years to come because this absolutely does not need to be heard but Boat Songs absolutely does, so give that a listen instead of this souless nothing-burger of an album. 2 stars

Belanglos ist noch geprahlt.

-very chill -3.5 but ima round down to 3 cuz idk if i would listen again

Pretty bland honestly. It reminded me of a strange mix of Bright Eyes, Wilco, Billy Bragg, and the Flaming Lips. So basically pretty typical indie rock plus some Irish folk and FL (mostly because of the singer). I don't care for two of those bands/artists, and the other two are on the outer edge of my likes. Needless to say, this wasn't really for me. It's not necessarily a bad album, but I don't see much here that makes me think it's anything that good. Instead, I found it pretty forgettable. I doubt it is something I needed to hear before I die. Overall: 1.8/5

Not bad

Reminds me of late 90’s/early 00’s Wilco. Lead singer sounds a bit like Jeff Tweedy mixed with J Mascis - soft, airy vocal delivery. Enjoyable album. Indie rock with a lot of folk rock/country rock influence. Favorite songs include Santa Cruz, Deckchairs and Cigarettes, One Horse Town, Old Friends New Lovers, Say It Ain’t So, Just Traveling Through. Honestly every song is good.

I used to really like big sur when I was a teenager but that album was painful

Oh, no wonder I don’t remember this from 2003!

3.5. Breezy guitar pop

Thrills? With a name like that you better bring it. This was nothing new or exciting.

Not bad, It reminds me to Flaming Lips, but worse. Dull.

Reminded be of Coldplay, its bland as white bread and just kind of waffles on till it abruptly ends. Its there....but I no clue why I needed to hear this before I died

Deeply forgettable indie twee mush, though kudos for being good imitators of such a sound.

At first, I thought this was going to be a pretty middle of the road, mediocre album, but as it went on, it actually sucked me in. It had that early 2000s indie pop sound, but with a heavy influence of 60s pop nostalgia. You get all the fun Mellotron style keyboards and jangly guitars, plus a nice element of that 60s surf rock twang that really added some extra color and texture to the album. It ended up being better than I expected.

Nothing compels here. Awards mean nothing. Look at the list of people who never won a Grammy. So album of the year in 2003 and nothing since doesn’t impress. Neither do the songs. Dull. Kind of predictable. Apart from being Irish there’s nothing here that makes them standout from at least another albums that really are doubtful placements on this list. I’m giving it two because I feel bad for being harsh but it’s not interesting enough to be a travesty. But when you look at the great Irish rock bands - thin Lizzy, Them, Boomtown Rats, early to mid U2, Cranberries, The Blades, and a few others - these guys just don’t stack up. Where’s Tonic for the Troops by the Boomtown Rats? The rest of the bands are represented (except maybe not Them, or the blades though Van Morrison is). Tonic is a far superior album. This is a must miss. 2/5. Not interesting enough for a 1.

Howard Molson has a new shovel. Spear and Jackson No.3.

"The Thrills" is a terrible name for this band. Maybe "The Laid Backs" would be more appropriate? Frankly, this could almost be a Blue Jean Committee tribute act. The Thrills' genre pilfering is generally competent performed, even if occasionally bordering on plagiarism. They wear the influences proudly like badges, but this is a genre exercise and a pretty pale imitation of many much better albums. (I will leave the exact list of those influences and sources as an exercise for the reader) I initially thought this was Jason Lytle of Granddaddy singing, so closely does the vocal styling and accent copy his. I'll bet anything the Irish singer of The Thrills doesn't _speak_ with that accent The California place-name dropping in seemingly every song is shorthand for 'sunny pop', which feels lazy and unearned. Did I mention that they are Irish? It's not a _bad_ album per se, but why was this slight concoction ever even considered for this list? Oh, it was nominated for the fucking Mercury Prize you say? Well, that explains everything! There is no better indicator of over-praised yet insubstantial rubbish than a Mercury Prize nom.

If you look up mediocre in the dictionary, this album would come up as its description.

I liked this more than I wanted to ...

This album came out about 35 years late.

***An ok, easy listening album

I really enjoyed this.

Say It Ain't So? Like Weezer? THEY THINK THEY'RE BETTER THAN WEEZER?!?!?!

Typical indie pop rock from the 2000s. A lot of songs about California. Started good and then petered out

Fun weird country ish album

Somehow sing-songy and pretentious at the same time.

The only thing with less edge than this album is a sphere.

2003 I'm not thrilled. There are seven, SEVEN in the band, why?! Irish, twinkly indie, Americana if that's a thing. It's nice mum rock. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Landfill★★★☆☆ (5/10)

Low energy singing over nursery rhyme rock. Repetitive lyrics about wistful dream of west coast cities.

smells like dry grass something to play in a coffee shop and not absorb in any meaningful way

This was kinda lame but the second song, Big Sur, was definitely on The OC which unlocked a whole lot of memories of me climbing through vibrator Ashley’s bedroom window Dawson’s Creek style to watch her OC dvd box sets and I was obsesssseddd with Seth Cohen wow he was so cute. Man, I wanted to be rich and live in California.

Hadn't heard of this band or any of these songs and found them pretty cheesy and boring. Deckchairs and Cigarettes really made me cringe, such self-conscious music with actually so little to say. I guess the music was technically good? Really did not enjoy the singer's voice though.

по тем полутора песням что знала - так примерно и представляла альбом/звук. больше удивило сколько их на обложке и что они из глубокой Ирландии

Fine but completely unremarkable.

We get it, your from a California.

eh

My goodness, this record is a drag. It is meant to be an attempt at the ´Sunny California´ records from the sixties. But it falls well short of achieving that, just like it falls short of accomplishing anything else. How on earth did this album end up on this list? There is really nothing standing out on this album. A well-deserved 1/5

As someone who lives in California it is odd to hear a 2003 band from Ireland singing about Santa Cruz, Big Sur and UCLA beaches. The nods to The Monkeys and the Beach Boys are there and the songs are a refreshingly upbeat addition to my day. Glad we put a smile on your face. A good time was had listening here. Unfortunately not part of the top 250 Albums Ever Made, but glad they got this recognition.

another cup of instant coffee another plastic spoon another table routine. another 2000s indie rock album. this time with a substantial amount of 60s California country rock flavor. that's like. this list's two favorite things. and they're Irish and have noticeably unamerican accents. not a fan. dull and bland. deserves to be one of the 1001? no. but Whitehouse should have one

Sort of blank and vapid cutesy aspirations to the Mamas and the Papas and the Monkees (whom they name check, of course). Sweet for the first half of the first song and cloying all the rest of the way.

I was skeptical, but this lovely collection of songs won me over. I enjoyed their retro, sun washed, melancholy sound. There are some real songwriting chops in evidence.

Musically it was good and I really liked the last song, but the singers voice just grates me so badly

Favorite: 'Til the Tide Creeps In (Contains Hidden Track 'Plans')

it's ok

Oh this OC crap.

Some nice harmonies, but I couldn't get past the lead singer's drawl.

Not exactly as thrilling as I was expecting. But not awful either.

My problem with this Irish band appropriating an American sound is that it’s so mundane and poorly chosen, from the breathy vocals to the Appalachian sound while calling out west coast cities.

Their retro thing doesn't tickle my fancy. The singer's competent, but I still find him annoying. 2.5* rounding up.

Sweet, sentimental indie rock 3.5

Not too many knows that The Thrills are actually an Irish Indie band,and i am not really into Indie at least not this one. Too much of an American accent for me at times and too much of a badjo for me at times and too much jetlag from the visiting all those places. Memorable mention to: Don't steal our sun,deckchairs and cigarettes,one horse town.

That one review saying this sounds like sober Flaming Lips is so right 😭

Not bad, competently played, but lacking in originality 3.1

Decent - sounded like mix of different bits from different years and genres

2-3

Very classic for a 2003 album. While the lyrics are repetitive I found them profound in meaning, so I suppose I can forgive the repetition.

Reminds me of Grandaddy, only not as good.

OK, but not exciting

nah

It really is the unimaginative lips

Fun album. 72/100.

Fun. 67 / 100.

A little too twangy and old western sounding instrumentation for my taste.

Should not be on the list. Completely soulless. There are a few omissions from this list of albums that are actually quite defining in their own genres, and then you get something like this which just feels like a rip off of other music at the time.

what a waste

Tosi kivoja sointuja ja muutenki mukava hyvän mielen albumi. Alusta asti tykkäsin tästä tosi paljon.

Wow! "The Thrills" doesn't quite capture the glory that is this! I think a more appropriate designation would be "AIreland". 2003?! I'm seriously impressed the Irish were already implementing some fairly advanced AI techniques way back then! The music, the vocals, Hell - even the album cover! If I didn't know any better, I'd have totally believed those were real people on there! And how about those lyrics?! Repetitive? Check. Vapid? Check. Repetitive? Check. Amazing!

What the fuck

Sköna melodier. Nice gitarrpop. Fyra

Dope

Wow, I found this to be some boring, lame shit. I like this website but I feel like there’s a fair amount of awful chill indie shit on here. I love some indie but this ain’t it. To me all the songs are boring and sound the same, and the guys breathy falsetto voice isn’t my thing at all. Yuck.

Decent vibes here. Kind of simultaneously uplifting and melancholy.

Once you accept what they sound like, you move on with your life and never listen again.

Not poppy enough to be pop, not edgy enough to be rock, not folky enough to be folk. Aggressively mid, with maybe one song worth coming back to.

Kinda cool, I dug it

At first, I thought this was going to be a pretty middle of the road, mediocre album, but as it went on, it actually sucked me in. It had that early 2000s indie pop sound, but with a heavy influence of 60s pop nostalgia. You get all the fun Mellotron style keyboards and jangly guitars, plus a nice element of that 60s surf rock twang that really added some extra color and texture to the album. It ended up being better than I expected.

An under-appreciated incarnation of the indierock zeitgeist. The crazy thing is I always thought this was an archetypical 'rich indie kids from California with too much freedom' project (with some self-awareness; this was part of the charm). I'm finding out now they're fucking Irish! And you know what? Paradoxically, the imitation (satirization?) of that sound makes the record feel more geniune, somehow. Regardless, I just love the thematic hook that repeats throughout the album: so much for the city. It feels true. Nostalgic banger. Big Sur and One Horse Town are my favorites.

A sound so sugary it damn well may have given me diabetes. A cringe inducing listen. Bewildered at its inclusion. 💫

Pretty meh… I can see how it may have been influential but if it came out in 2003 or whatever I would think it’s beyond that point and was influenced, not influential. Pretty boring.

Loved the harmonica in this album and the western vibe. It's like a new-age western sound, not quite pop country, but not quite honkey tonk. I enjoyed this album a lot

Not bad. Catchy but nothing stood out to me.

For an Irish band, the sure write alot of songs about California. This is one of those albums that would be awesome if you didn't know English. Decent folk pop instrumentals and the singer has an interesting vocal style. Unfortunately I find the lyrics so bland and unoriginal.

For an Indie album from 2003, this is above average, which is saying a lot considering the sub-par quality of many other Indie albums of that era. 3.5/5

Favorites (the whole album): Santa Cruz Big Sur Don't Steal Our Sun Deckchairs and Cigarettes One Horse Town Old Friends, New Lovers Say It Ain't So Hollywood Kids Just Travelling Through Your Love Is Like Las Vegas 'Til the Tide Creeps In Found an album released on my birthday! 'Sunny ' is a great way to describe this record. Feels like dreamin' of California.

Really liked this one. Felt like a mid afternoon/early evening drive out of the city seeing the urban landscape turn into beautiful woods. Feels like a coming of age soundtrack. Vocals are soothing. Gives an 80s country vibe but with a modern fit

That was pretty fun, I'm surprised they are in the 2000's, they feel like a much older era.

I found this album to be completely unremarkable in every way. Like I just listened to it and I couldn't really tell you much about it. Plus the vocals were grating. Like a severe annoying version of Wayne Coyne.

this sounds like something that Nate had on at the chateau during the 2005 era. i don't hate it and don't particularly like it.

Didn't mind this at all, sort of dig the sunny 60s Laurel Canyon sound and harmonies. Does feel like a bit of an artifact of its time, although this predated things like the Kooks that sort of followed the template here and got way bigger. I can see why some find his voice grating but it added a little charm and something unique. Seems like good music to put on hanging outside by some water, not bad at all but not mind-blowing.

Huh. Who knew AI was generating music 20+ years ago. Pedestrian and forgettable. In some alternate universe, Ben Folds lost all his talent, managed a Hollister, and wrote this album while never visiting California.

I knew right off the bat with Santa Cruz that this was going to be a grind, how repetitive can a song be my god. Dump whoever the songwriter is and this album has 4-star potential. I think the break between the final song and the hidden track was my favorite part.

This feels pretty unoriginal. Like an set of tracks from movie starring Michael Cera, it checks all of the boxes of 2000s indie vibes, but feels quite a bit more empty. Santa Cruz and Big Sur are okay. And I kinda like you're love is like Las Vegas, but mostly I found this forgettable, and I suspect I'll never return to the album. 2.5, rounding down.

This album has plenty of retro call-backs to the 1960s wave of California coastal infused rock, which gives it a bit of charm. I'm not sure how much though of their summer in Santa Cruz actually rubbed off on these Irish artists though. For a self-proclaimed summer album, this sounds more like a winter one. Less sunny June in Santa Cruz, and more late November and December rainy season in coastal Northern California. It's an easy listen, but it's a quieter one, and so may miss what The Thrills were trying to accomplish with it. 3.5 stars, rounding down.

This was a fair album. Vanilla.

Failed to Thrill me

Listenable to, and all perfectly fine without being really outstanding in any way. Not something I'd listened to previously, or even heard of, and probably fairly generic early-20th century indie pop/rock, but that's fine by me and I listened twice. One Horse Town is catchy as heck, but otherwise not much really stood out. All fine. But it's a 3.5, rounded down to a 3 because I give too many 4s.

I really wanted to like this more. The music is fine, but the lead singer sounded like a breathy, wimpy Neil Young. Not a fan of that. Actually by the end, I realized he sounded like The Flaming Lips’ singer more. I like The Flaming Lips more.

Catchy, but nothing stayed with me. No change to when checking it out the first time upon release.

I don't remember u 1 star

I was really happy—and a little surprised—to see So Much For The City by The Thrills included on this list. I loved this album when it first came out, and I can’t believe it’s now 23 years old. It made me wonder: where are The Thrills now? At its heart, this record feels like a whimsical trip to California, remembered fondly from a cold winter’s day. It’s sweet, nostalgic, and very of its time. Musically, it’s good, easygoing indie—nice to listen to, but perhaps not groundbreaking. That said, the opening run of tracks is fantastic. “Santa Cruz,” “Big Sur,” and “Don’t Steal Our Sun” make for a strong start, and “One Horse Town” is another highlight. Toward the end, though, my excitement began to fade. Slower songs like “Plans” and “Till The Tide Creeps In” felt weaker and lost some of the early momentum. Favourite track: “Santa Cruz,” “Big Sur,” “Don’t Steal Our Sun,” and “One Horse Town” Least favourite track: “Plans” and “Till The Tide Creeps In” Album artwork: A really cool cover that captures the spirit of the album.

Didn’t do much for me

Just didn't enjoy the California pop rock vibe that much. Don't think I need to dig any deeper in the Thrills catalogue.

Never heard of this band before....from the cover photo -- they all look insufferable in their own way. Lead singer is waaaay tooo "breathy" for me. The music is fine but forgettable.

decent songwriting with a lead vocalist who sounds like he's getting kicked in the dick for 46 minutes and 24 seconds.

Some rather vapid soft rock. Heavy use of piano interspersed with some guitar and organ. Nothing here really feels that good or interesting, it's just meh.

This was not great. Not sure what the singer is trying to do.

Barely listened because busy. Seemed derivative

Bit dull

I was at a theater that was in a building I used to work in that didn't have a theater. The employees faces looked familiar. I got there late and the only movie available was a Star Wars side movie. As soon as I sat down it was intermission and I wanted a pretzel but they said they only served pretzels at night. I got a Caesars Salad and was waiting on a chef salad but they never brought it to me. I went back to my seat and Paulie Gualtieri was upset the Knicks didn't have a path forward to the playoffs. I got back up and everyone had pretzels but they were all gone and I got a plate of bread

I dig it

Fun album. Never heard any of it before and probably not influential enough to be on this list but I find that to be true for a lot of albums on this list. Really enjoyed it.

Don’t tell the 20 years ago me but this kind of indie all sounds the same. This album has a good opening but it feels like it had the fate of everything sounding formulaic.

Nice surprise.

Wasnt a big fan of this one - felt like a dude was just whining in a mic for an hour.

Today is just one of those days that feels all sad, rainy, and pointless so I know any other day this album would have not been as good to me as it is today.

Sucked

Band chronicles the summer they spent in California. It’s cute but hollow. The singers style grates. No need to hear again. 2/5.

This sounds like a countrified Flaming Lips.

Rock/country/pop with pretty unique vocals and sound. Decent

I could have died and not listened to this album.

Very meh for me. Indie to a fault and doesn’t do anything particularly interesting but fine to listen to

New to me. Liked some songs quite a bit. The album cover reminds me of Letterkenny.

A delightful album. The reviews of this on this website really made me lower my expectations, but I ended up really loving the record. It’s full of very warm sounding songs, country and folk with a few experimental elements. Some of the songs can get a little too repetitive for my liking, but it isn’t annoying. It’s definitely something I’ll be coming back to.

I had never heard of this one, but I really enjoyed it. The opener "Santa Cruz..." was excellent, I also loved "Big Sur", "Don't Steal Our Sun", "One Horse Town", "Hollywood Kids", and "Just Travelling Through". The album has a really nice mix of Americana (despite them being Irish) sounds with early 2000s Indie Rock and the production is great. Not to mention the vocals throughout are very good.

Something something California twang twang California twang twang (depressed piano or guitar) twang twang twang California. Sing about Ireland next time, we've got enough California albums.

Who votes for this shit?

I wont scathe but its just flat out boring and not very memorable. Let alone an album to listen to before you die. Its got some laurel canyon charm, combined with a southern draw. Perhaps unique for 2003 but this album got 1Upped several times since then.

Why is this here? I mean there are like a thousand indie bands from this era. Why this? Maybe this caught me on a bad day but I cannot stand the vocals. I was leaning towards a 3 (meh) but the last few sent me into dislike (2).

Not sure why this is on this list but I liked it fine. Some cool songs and some snoozers.

Ok country rock record

Grew on me

This one is somewhat nostalgic for me, as it was played to death on Irish radio at the time, when I was about 12 or 13. Apart from the big hits though, it's fairly dull. The singer's fake American accent gets old pretty quickly too. It's a pleasant enough sounding album, but is so derivative of the influences they wear proudly on their sleeves, that I don't think it's really deserving of this list.

I see a lot of hate in the reviews here and I get it. It doesn’t sound super revolutionary and it doesn’t blow your mind. But it is a strong indie rock record that is good enough to be someone’s favorite album- the album they’ve been looking for but could never quite find, and maybe by being on this list they can. There is a charm here to these wide-eyed, completely uncynical Irish guys finding California and loving it so much they write a whole album about it. This is all youthful joy, and it’s hard to fault that. THREE STARS

All songs sound the same. Nothing special, quite boring actually.

Musically nice but weak lyrics and singing make this a forgettable album overall

Honestly a baffling inclusion for the list. I remember a couple of these songs at the time getting decent radio airplay but I don't remember the band being all that notable. So Much For The City has some fine songs - though I'd argue that a couple kind of wear out their welcome by being a bit too long and repetitive. But the album as a whole isn't super remarkable and by the end I was pretty bored.

I have an odd nostalgia for "Big Sur" and "One Horse Town." When this album was new I was working at a Retail Pharmacy that played, I guess you would call it soft rock music. Most of it was bad, but some of it was fine. And these two songs were part of the fine batch. The nostalgia comes less from the fact that I "liked" these songs, but more from the fact that I was much younger when I first heard them. They're still fine and offer up a small thrill (haha) for me. The rest of it is more of the same. Wistful, twee, faux sunny sounds. This would be decent beach, camping, or firepit music. Something unassuming and inoffensive, vaguely upbeat and mostly background.

5.5/10

This sounds like they're trying (way too hard) to be Neil Young and Crazy Horse, and failing miserably.

The reviews are a long list of soundalikes so no need to repeat these here. Just to say that this album is a charity shop classic in the UK and with The Kooks and Travis one of the very foremost examples of 'indie landfill' .

Reminds me of Ben folds 5

It’s ok

I don know why so many people shit on this. Musically it’s not bad, lyrically it’s pretty lightweight but so were so many albums in previous decades. All of it about that compelling but it’s not as absolutely terrible as many seem to think.

I liked it more than I should've me thinks.

idk

Just look at the cover... makes you wonder how it took so many band members to produce such a mediocre album. It's a listenable collection of songs but really nothing special and derivative throughout.

Not much too wrong with that.

I'm not really sure what to make of this. It was far from terrible, in fact, a number of tunes were quite catchy. The lead vocalist had a very strange singing style, it sounded like he was trying to mimic a US accent ... poorly. Musically it was decent though. I didn't feel like it was a waste of time listening to it, but I have no desire to hear it again. I never considered turning it off, so it's not a 1 star item, but I'm torn whether it's 2 or 3 stars. I'm going with 2 stars as I feel like being a bit cunty today!

How can you not like a bunch of Irish people doing their best to convince you they are from California? Never heard of this band and I'm suspicious they would not be a common inclusion in a list like this. Is my high rating somewhat overcompensation for having to listen to Public Image yesterday? I'm sure it is but this is a fun album and I also like California!

Wait I actually know one of the songs on this album (Big Sur) which is a surprise because I've never heard of this band... I thought it was pretty good. 4/5

One good song

Somewhere between country and britpop, but with more jingling and jangling. Insufferable in its cheerful moments, annoying in its louder moments, and with all the depth of a pothole puddle.

Very cool music

Best Song: Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far) It's like someone went to California and decided to put their Trip Advisor review to music. Repetitive, 60s inspired, indie music that longs to be on The OC soundtrack. It gets stale fast. Every other review mentions the annoyance of the singer's voice so I'll leave that alone. It's ok at best and doesn't deserve to be on this list. 3/5.

Terrible. Not sure out of all the music in the world that this was a must listen. Awful vocals

Don't expect any thrills on this boring album from Irish Indie Rock band. Some of the songs are bouncy and should be happy, while some sound like The Monkees doing Country music, - overall feel to the album is slightly depressing.

Shrug.

So let me see if I understand. These friends from Ireland form a band, get signed, but are not good enough to get anything recorded. They are dropped from their label and depressed, so they decide to visit California. They find some idiot to sign them and record an album. It turns out they are 35 years too late to be the next Beach Boys. It also turns out that they can't write songs or harmonize anywhere near as well as Brian Wilson either. Somehow, this snoozefest gets released anyway. I mean it's not terrible, but I'm kind of amazed at how incredibly boring it is.

Pretty lame to be honest. Very forgettable.

Another largely inoffensive record although I'll give it points for having this sound that I can dig. Irishmen posing as "OC" Californians. What a world. (5/10, 3/5 on this scale) (Update: It's a 2 now. It's not terrible, just irrelevant months later)

2.2

It's alright, decent way to spend 45 minutes. Sort of a Death Cab For Cutie meets Americana vibe? But the band is Irish..? Most of the songs are kind of forgettable -- not necessarily bad, just not too strong. The vocalist definitely taints it for me a lot of the time. Fave songs: - Deckchairs And Cigarettes - One Horse Town - Say It Ain't So (Shoutout Weezer) - 'Til The Tide Creeps In - Plans (Hidden Track) Edit: mmkay, little bit worse than I remember. It's strange because the good songs are truly fantastic. Exceptional indie vibes. And then there's everything else. Just exceptionally mid. And man those vocals are stinky. Stinky, stinky, stinky. I mean I've heard worse. But like -- grow a pair dude.

Great album. A long term favourite

Oh, I actually kind of like "Santa Cruz." I didn't realize it was by these guys. And while this album is competent and listenable it seems to lack, I dunno, something that would make me ever want to listen to it again..

Ooh I am loving this album!! I had never heard of this band before but definitely will keep listening to them!

Californian inflected pop rock by way of Ireland, The Thrills' So Much for the City pays exceptional tribute to the uplifting spirit that music provides in dour times, such was The Thrills' situation at the time. So Much for the City sounds as though it would have fit in at any time after the 60s and listeners would know that they were in for a worthwhile time. Favorites: Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far), Big Sur, Don't Steal Our Sun, One Horse Town, Say It Ain't So, Hollywood Kids, Just Traveling Through.

Pretty basic album. Nothing positive to say about it. Nothing negative to say, either.

6/10 - It was fine not too memorable

We’ve been on a pretty long run of pretty mediocre albums. At least this one was kinda interesting. Hopefully something in me changes and I really like this Black Sabbath album

A surprisingly charming debut I totally missed at the time, probably because I spent 2003 deep in Wiggles and Baby Beethoven land with a newborn. These Irish lads’ obsession with California sunshine, Las Vegas, and old-school Americana is oddly endearing, and the jangly guitars and breezy harmonies go down easy.

Ok- singers voice little too high pitched. Most songs sound just alike. Probably forgettable.

Mid-high 3, band name is a bit of a misnomer but pretty consistent vibes

Irish dudes singing about California surf... fantastic!

I wasn't expecting an Irish band to sing in an accent from the American South These guys sound like Eliot Smith on antidepressants, which is definitely not a complaint at all. I hear some Ben Folds and Self in here too. I like all those musicians, and I like roots country and bluegrass, which are both present here. I'm quite enjoying this album. I'll be adding this to my collection. Whether this album belongs on a list of albums one MUST hear before they die is a different story. 3.75

The Flaming Lips, but make it bluegrassy

i don’t really like the lead singers voice but not bad overall

Not finishing today but would like to revisit this. Cool sound

Vaguely satisfying (albeit repetitive)Americana from some Irish lads. 2.5 stars

3.8 - Just nice and simple

Well this is a band I haven't thought about for a good 15 years or so. The tracks I remember here hold up ok, catchy pop songs, particularly One Horse Town for me. But generally this is just insidiously twee. Certainly not essential to the list Fave Tracks: Big Sur, One Horse Town 2.9/5

Enjoyable. Unfamiliar with this band. Not perfect, but I liked it. Will return to.

Fair. Average. Nothing special.

Generally quite enjoyable, if not very memorable.

A consistent album that sounded solid all the way through.

A very strong 3. Maybe the most enjoyable 3 I've heard.

A solid alt rock/alt folk/alt cow poke album in the vein of The Decemberists. Thoroughly enjoyable. Would be fun to see live. They are cooler than me. That's not hard. Solid 4.

Aburridillo

No considero que este álbum tenga el mérito como para estar en esta lista. Dicho esto puedo decir que por momentos me gustó. Hay temas que me recuerdan a Elliott Smith, pero con un estilo más "positivo". Un tema que me gustó por esta razón es "Don't Steal Our Sun", pero sinceramente hubiese preferido un álbum de Elliott Smith. No es un mal álbum, pero nada sobresaliente a mi parecer.

Booooring

Better than the last one sound like 70s but its early 2000s.

3.5

Voor een band die zichzelf the thrills noemen geeft dit album mij echt heel weinig thrill. Het begon wel leuk. Zachtaardig, rustig, bijna lief. Maar langzaamaan veranderde dat sentiment bij mij naar zeikerig. Er zit ook echt heel weinig variatie in. De stem van de zanger kan mij ook niet bekoren. Enige nummer die zich onderscheid van de rest was Say it aint so. Hier zat wat meer snelheid in. Nee dit is niet mijn muziek, allicht als je in slaap wilt vallen. Maar denk dat ik dan ook zou ergeren. 2 reten. Fav: Say it ain’t so

It was a great pleasure to be able to listen to this album. The 2000s should have had more albums like this.

Why is this essential listening

Oh boy. I remember the title track so well. It's still great. The rest of the album could also be great, but that whiny voice just drives me absolutely nuts. Three stars cos of the potential.

Rubbish dull

Indie rock with country influences. Reminds me a bit of The Flaming Lips but more sad and serious. It was fine, but not something I want to listen to all the time.

Every time I zoned out listening to this I would zone back in and think I was listening to Grandaddy for a split second. Their singers sound extremely similar. I kind of liked this more than Grandaddy though. Less gimmicky stuff and more of a solid, simple tune

1.5/he sounds pathetic

My god, this was a really boring album! Seems like they’ve watered down ever single one of their influences and put it in a blender with lukewarm milk

Sleeper hits that I didn’t think would make the list

This record is cheesy, lame, derivative, repetitive. And I love it. Give me that twee 00s indie jangle all day long. I loved this record when I was listening to it in my dorm room in 2003. Now, 22 years later, despite changing times and changing tastes, I still love the hell out of it. Don't overthink it. This dumb record pairs great with summer, sunny road trips or rainy days spent dreaming of brighter times.

Kinda bland and uninspiring

Meh. Pretty bland indie rock Standout song: Hollywood Kids

For the record, I like this album a lot. I remember listening to it quite a bit when it came out. That being said, I don't really understand why it is is included on this list, as I don't see it as particularly significant culturally or musically. More British Isles bias, in my opinion.

Uninteresting. I did not like the singer’s voice.

If you’re feeling particularly numb today, lying on your sofa with no motivation to get up at all, giving this a play comes highly recommended. I can confirm: it will not disturb your insufferable state of mind. As for why I think So Much for the City is included on this list: I think this is because it is a record that explains… nothing at all. Look, there was a portion of good indie (folk) pop in the early 2000s. A word of warning though: if you want to convince an unbeliever of this, do not play them So Much for the City by The Thrills. Yeah, it’s not a terrible album, but it’s a far cry from being a good one either — and, in theory, even further from being worthy of inclusion on this list. It’s mostly mundane, forgettable, folksy-tinged music about some Irish dudes spending time in California. And I think this is exactly the reason why this should, in practice, belong here. There were already thousands of copycats of this sound, and there will be thousands more to come — which is fine. And if the editors wanted to prove exactly this point by including a random act such as The Thrills, they fully succeeded. So Much for the City is a “powerful” reminder that indie folk always existed, will continue to exist, and that it’ll produce bazillions of records that will be immediately lost to time. Sometimes the sound will be more popular (as it was back in 2003), and sometimes it will be absolutely unpopular (as it is in 2026). Sometimes you will feel shitty, sometimes you will feel better. Two vicious circles aligning… But one thing is for sure: So Much for the City and its countless peers will always be here for you on your streaming service of choice.

Inoffensive, unremarkable jangly pop. If I heard it in a Starbucks I’d neither be offended nor would I take notice. I assume a user added this record, as there’s no universe in which this is a must-hear.

Not unpleasant.

Upbeat and well produced, just not something I can find myself listening to again.

Favorite Track: Deck chairs and Cigarettes

Pretty solid. Worth a listen.

This one was fun - loved the dreamy California sound 3/5 #musicsky #albumsky #musicchallenge

Surprised! I liked. One horse town is a really catchy tune. In fact most of them felt good. Going out on a limb and marking as 3 stars.

I was really prepared to give this a three because the first few songs were good. But they somehow kept this album going for what seemed like an eternity with nothing else interesting. It was kind of like if Neil Young was born in Donabate but somehow found his way to California for one week only

Gear: ZMF Bokeh Artwork: 👩👩‍🦰👨‍🦱👨‍🦱👨‍🦱👨‍🦱👨‍🦰 Production: 🎧😐👍 Music: 🌞😌🙄 Rating: 🏄(🏄‍♂️)/5

point2.

War ganz in Ordnung. Könnte man sich nochmal anhören.

Genial álbum. Lo volví a escuchar para terminar de convencerme y darle las 5 estrellas, porque fue uno de esos discos a los que le fui dando like canción por canción, hasta que no quedó una sola sin likear. Buena música, buenas letras, y además pone de buenas. Ninguna queja por aquí.

Boring. Belle and Sebastian did everything here better.

So much alt europe stuff on here. I'm not gonna sit here and call it trash. Because it's not - and some of it is pleasantly surprising. But I'm just saying it doesn't deserve to be dubbed as a top 1001 album. So for that. 1 Star

Idk... I guess it's fine and objectively like a 3/5, there are a few good songs on it (Big Sur, One Horse Town come to mind after the initial listen), but largely it's pretty forgettable, filled with early 2000s indie cliches, has an overbearing California obsession and the voice is not that pleasent either. In the context of a 1001 greatest albums OAT list, I'll give this one a 2/5.

Very enjoyable, mellow tunes - they have a very Neil Young vibe.

I liked 'Deckchairs and Cigarettes', and One Horse Town was catchy.

Niet goed niet slecht.

Simpatico credo, ma senza troppa ciccia.

I’m really enjoying this paean to my home state. Early 2000s indie rock is my jam. Shocked to learn this is an Irish band, but I guess California really is that alluring. However, thinking about it objectively, there is nothing about this album that is remarkable or timeless.

Really generic Also I used YouTube for this because Spotify was down and for some reason everyone in the comments was glazing this band like crazy

Way better than I expected. Very cozy, captures nostalgia in an engaging way, and combines old 60s pop and country with early 2000s garage rock in a pretty fun way. Can’t say it has much staying power, but it’s certainly pleasant while you’re listening to it.

Pretty mellow for a band called The Thrills. This wasn’t for me.

So I had never heard of The Thrills before so I immediately figured they were from the UK or thereabouts based on the skew of this project. Then I doubted myself because the music was so reminiscent of the 60s/70s Laurel Canyon vibe. Then I noticed the lead singer's accent and realized both things were true. It was an Irish band that was sort of doing an homage to that era of music. Aaaannddd... I think I'd rather just listen to that music.

Very bland, meh music. I'm sure they have talent, but it falls short.

Horse music for the fans of Neil Young and the likes ie: not me

Typical 2000s indie garbage

Poppy alt rock/folky background music. Not bad.

leppoisa chilling and wibing 1 star sääntö melkein läsähtää päälle mutta kyllä tämö hyvin soi niin annetaan kaks

I couldn't help but compare this vocalist to Grandaddy because the similarities are almost uncanny. I really did like this album, though, I have a weakness for these comfy 60s inspired bands. I do sorta wish that Jellyfish or The Lemon Twigs were on here, though. I'd even take more XTC or ELO.

Hollywood Kids jumped out, the rest of the album was pleasant. OK, but didn't make a big impression

A fine little album. Like a less weird Flaming Lips sound. Slacker/surfer rock fits the vocals well and the songs are pretty cute. These people were certainly born on the wrong coast though. 6/10

Nice chilled Album worth a 3/5

2.75

Hmm... To tell the truth ... well, let me explain. OK, so I was a "roadie" for a small town band for a couple of years as they did local and some moderate distant gigs. I met lots of other people in lots of other gig bands. Some were actually really good, some "self-published" and I bought a few CDs that way. But truth be told, outside of a few rare exceptions, it was unlikely any of them, including my own chosen band, were going to get signed. Now. I listened to this and it brought me back to those days. To me I don't know if this band is "that" good to be major label material. They are more like a solid local band or niche market band to me. My overall impressions were MEH.

I really liked this one! Good California pop rock/indie sound that I enjoyed. Good stuff.

I’ve always liked their music. They seemed To explode and crash in a short time period.

Forgettable.

Sunny beats. Great easy listening.

The disaster started with the first song and it didn’t get better. I wanted to like this album but, sadly, we never got there.

I'm convinced that somehow the kids from Sing Street became real and grew up to be this band. It was fine, if not a little bit forgettable.

Album 793 of 1089 The Thrills - So Much For The City (2003) Rating : 3.5 / 5 More than I expected from the debut blending Irish indie pop with a strong California influence (Byrds/Beach Boys) . Lush harmonies, inventive instrumentation, and romantic melancholy. Good stuff with a nostalgic vibe.

Not a bad album. Just not my taste.

Just an irish man whispering about california

"Big Sur" certainly brings back some memories of 2003, even if it does seem to be a rip-off of Robert Lester Folsom's "April Suzanne." But the bigger question here is why some middle-class guys from Dublin are pretending to be some drooly middle-American band?

This really was a struggle. Found the guy's voice quite annoying and the lyrics were pretty weak imo

Echt ongelofelijk kut

This list has a lot of one hit wonders on it. This album is the epitome of the music I was def not into during this time period. I can have a respect for pop rock, but this one was rough and one note.

😏

Surprisingly unthrilling ⭐⭐⭐

Three stars for the album, one extra star for the personal nostalgia trip,

I listened to this a lot and i enjoyed how familiar it is and also that it has stayed valid (is that the word?) certainly it feels timeless

Gezellige indiepop, banjo, mondharmonica, coldplay-achtig stemmetje. Ik ben dit waarschijnlijk volgende week alweer vergeten, maar best leuk en een geinige hoes doet ook altijd wonderen.

Een heel toegankelijk album vol radio-muziek. Het zakt wat weg naar de achtergrond en lijkt daarmee op een vergeetbare 3 af te stormen. Tegelijk blijft de vrolijkheid wel hangen en verdient het op basis daarvan misschien net iets meer.

Heerlijk vrolijkmakend albumpje uit de early 00s, het decennium waarin ik veel naar festivals ging. En zo heb ik ook the Thrills leren kennen. Ik denk dat de hitjes niet echt bekend zijn geworden, maar elke keer als ik dit album opzet, word ik daar erg vrolijk van. Het is zomers, een beetje hippie. Er zit genoeg tempo in. De hese zang geeft dat extra beetje vakantiegevoel. Makkelijke 5 sterren!

Sugary sweet indie pop about America.

3.2 rounded down. Ersatz but relaxing 70s Californian soft rock from a 2000s Irish band. The Thrills are the inverse of a Bostonian loudly proclaiming they are somehow Irish. These Irish guys softly rock on about sunny summers in the cities of California. Sweet, chill and a little odd.