Reviews (page 5 of 7)
I feel like I should like this album…the music is good and well done, but there’s something that doesn’t jive for me. Maybe a slowness or softness across many of the tracks that leaves me wanting more.
Sounds like a lot of other bands from the era. Most of which did it better. The Eels. Super Furry Animals. Wilco.
This type of albums that are so inoffensive, overdramatic and one-dimensional can get so incredibly tedious... The first half of this indie-rock / alt-country is not that bad. Still not good, but the initial bunch of songs at least have a decent energy and melodies. But as the album progresses, it gets more and more corny, tame and boring. The singer can sound pleasant at the beginning, but after some songs, it gets too predictable, as it feels like listening to the same motives in every song. The instruments also do not offer anything interesting, being almost as mellow as the singer if it wasn't because they have some better moments, like the use of some type of metallophone, that always sounds nice. Besides, at least they aren't as monotone as the voice, as there are changes in the instruments used in each song. Overall, an incredibly forgettable experience.
vocals...
After listening I really got no idea why this album got in the book. Very mediocre, nothing new under the sun. A band that exists 25 years but only made 3 albums, the last one almost 20 years ago. This is their debut album. There's an album deleted from the book to make space for this album, I wonder why. I'm not thrilled at all.
The most American thing ever made by non Americans. I think i fell asleep but at least I was at the beach. No standouts
This album was fine. Sounded a lot like a modern and young Neil young. Just didn’t grab me.
I'm convinced Dimery was on a massive bender in the 2000s because his choices for the decade are baffling. WHO thinks this is essential???
I got bored with it , The vocal is horrendous. and the rest is a distinct meh
This is okay. It's nothing more though. The songs aren't anything of note, beyond perhaps Big Sur, and the vocal feels forced. I got a bit bored of it, but nothing especially 'wrong' with it. It's inclusion here is slightly baffling.
This is a strange album for me because I actually did like the sounds and chill vibes. I like a bunch of the songs too, like Santa Cruz, Deckchairs and Cigarettes, and Say It Ain't So. But this album felt so long, like I kept watch checking. And it's only 46 mins! 36 if you take out the final song and I still feel I checked it like 5 or 8 times. It's pretty tame yacht rock and largely forgettable at the same time. The background guitars in Say It Ain't So probably make it my favorite here.
Too cutesy for my taste. Banjo Beach Boys is a novel idea though. 2.0/5.0: Disappointing
not bad but incredibly prosaic
Irish Brit Pop? Not very Thrilling. The Irish can and have done much better than whatever this crap is...
Very wishy-washy kind of music, the type of indie that I find more annoying than enjoyable. It's basically an Irish band singing about the fact they've been to California, except they're exploring the feelings of the places rather than what they actually saw. Not for me.
yeah quite forgetable
Not much of a thrill
I thought I was out of the "UK pop bands that meant a lot to the author as a teen" phase, but I suppose they will continue to be sprinkled in. I can hear a lot of this band's influences in this album, but I don't see this band influencing anyone else.
Kinda pleasant. Kinda lame. I liked the steel guitar. Won't be listening to this again.
Okay in small doses, but dragged for me over a while album. High 2.
This is a decent album. It's pretty and has some lovely arrangements here and there. The actual song quality is mid — we're talking a range of 3/10 to 6/10 for the whole album — and leaves a lot to be desired. Put a different way, there's not a single melody or movement that's stuck in my head after listening through. The high polish production and creative arrangements carry most of the album's weight. A pleasant listen, but forgettable.
A whiny, poorly sounding album
There's some ok stuff here, but not much.
it's okay
Ugh.. another indie pop band singing about someplace in California. So very of-the-era. On some level I want to like it. Though this is the first time I've listened to it, I do feel nostalgic. However, it's also hard to ignore how vapid these songs are. The instrumentation is fine, and the electronic bits are fun and interesting, but the songwriting and lyricism in general seem so desperate to fit a particular mold at the cost of being interesting or good.
a good time, not a stand out though
Alternative rock with a country twang. Kinda boring.
bad, meaningless music. But it's from Great Britain, so naturally the author had to include it.
Generic vanilla indie rock.
Close to 3 but it ended up annoying me a little
Yo que sé, está bien. Es un álbum sumamente blando folk-ish indie que no ofrece demasiado. Como leí en otras reviews, son los Flaming Lips nerfeados. A nivel sonido bien, no destaca demasiado, ni la voz del cantante, ni los riffs, ni la batería, nada. Es un dos fuerte fuerte
They sound like Ben Folds Five, only if Ben Folds wrote like a 15 year old sad Irish kid who loved California. Their name is a misnomer.
How can you call yourself the thrills and then write music that couldn't possibly thrill anyone?
all of those "The [Word]" bands from the early 00's didn't really age well (except The Shins)
It’s okay, if a little bland, but how is this on this list? Did it start a genre or contribute to the collective zeitgeist? Was it groundbreaking or made by virtuosos? No on all accounts. I can think of 1001 albums exactly like this one, and I bet I can come up with half as many that belong on the list ahead of this one.
Not a fan of the vocalist. But I like me some indie music.
There is zero reason for this album to be on the list. It's not terrible, it just has no original thought.
Big at the time but vocals dated now
- Yet another "Why?" record ..... perfectly competent playing, weak writing. Another review used the word "droll" .... spot on. 2.5 rounded down due to the weak writing and ultimately boring overall arrangements. -
Oof - an album from the years I’d discovered my own taste in music, somehow ‘So Much For The City’ has been completely wiped from my memory. Seeing the album cover instantly brought back the chorus from Big Sur & Santa Cruz, delivering a wave of nostalgia. As the first track started, the rose tinted spectacles quickly crashed to the floor. In my mind this album had come before the downfall of indie; this was going to be on a parallel with The Coral, in reality it was much closer to The Kooks; perhaps proto-landfill-indie. How this obtained a place amongst the 1001 albums is a mystery.
Did Phantom Planet rip them off or the other way around? I can think of at least 50 albums that won’t me on this list that are 4-5 star worthy that could easily take the place of this album. Wonderful music, don’t get me wrong, very poppy, listenable, easy to enjoy, but I can’t stand the voice and none of the songs are memorable at all. Never heard of it contemporaneously, don’t feel I missed out at all.
Eh. If Death Cab and Range Life Pavement had a disappointing baby. I kinda liked it at first, but the vocals got pretty annoying after a few tracks. Was rooting for this to be good, but man.
Full of references to the USA in the titles alone: Santa Cruz, Big Sur, One Horse Town, Hollywood Kids, Your Love is Like Las Vegas, not to mention the faux country and western-style guitar on Don't Steal Our Sun and the faux-Southern US "I heard yer datin' Sue", etc., erc., but these guys are from Dublin, apparently, just cosplaying as Americans, and they sound like Owl City wannabes. Uninteresting music, soft preppy singing. I enjoyed the other 2-star review: "This whole album is about their trip to California". Although I disliked it, I can't work up the energy to really hate it. Besides, I have a Van Morrison album upcoming so I have to hold on to the one-star rating for that so I can differentiate between the merely bad from the truly awful. Finally, this is about the biggest false advertising I can remember in a band's name. This tepid offering is anything but thrilling.
2.5
Heard Before? Nope. Notes: - Slick production would work better if the arrangements weren't so crowded. So many instrumental parts that add nothing to the songs, it feels claustrophobic. - the ballads kill what little momentum the album has, but I did like the beach sounds hidden deep in the mix of "Deckchairs and Cigarettes". - Breathy, nasal lead vocals sound out of place. - only Mumford and Sons could make the banjo sound less earthy. - the lyrics are California-postcard, but the song structures are tight and well-considered. - performances are so competent as to be unnoticeable. Verdict: Overproduced ersatz Americana. For the person in your life who pretends to enjoy things they don't understand. Listen Again? No, thank you.
Trying to sound like The Killers, with guitars that sound like early Who, and somehow they made it not work.
Favorite track(s): I'm convinced this album was included on the list to slander the good name of the people of Ireland.
I did not hear something original , very familiar americana sound
The felt kind of "meh"
There's nothing thrilling about this. They should have called themselves The Sucks.
I wish I would listen to some albums for a living because I'd ask for a big raise after listening to this one.
It's like country indie. I don't like country.
Somehow, I had expected more from this.
Irish fellas chasing the feel of a california that once was (if ever). Chill, cozy, poppy rock, but rather bland, even annoying at times.
Very mediocre don’t know why it’s on this list as it is so damm ordinary. 2/5 8/4/26
Inoffensive to the point of being a bit bland. I only had a few notes to write so I didn't bother including them. Don't get me wrong, it was refreshing after 2 albums I found borderline unlistenable so at least this has that going for it, but not likely to be one I'll be revisiting.
We're digging deep and throwing albums on this list that are $1 in the cd bin at the record store. This is CRAP! Another band from Dublin that never made it in the States and does not deserve a spot on ANY Top 1001 List. The lead song is so annoying I can't even explain. It's like a bad theme song from "Friends: 10 Years Later" when the whole whacky gang all move to Santa Cruz, CA. It never got better after the first song, it's no wonder they never hit it here and fizzled out after 3 albums. This is about as indie sounding as it gets. Really weak vocals, poorly constructed songs, no hooks, no hits, average musically, super repetitive, etc. Train wreck of boring songs... this sounds more like a failed 1993 album than one that came out in 2003. I'll never listen to anything they ever did again. 2 stars for failing so miserably, and feeling like a 1 is too harsh.
Garbage. I’m pretty sure anyone else pictured on the cover here would be a better singer than their frontman. So so so repetitive as well
I read the track titles before listening, and yet I was still somehow surprised by just how much this band wants to be American.
Robert Dimery is stuck. After having decided that 0 Japanese or Korean albums deserve to be listened to before he dies, he's now 950 songs deep into his reference book. At his fingertips lies a machine capable of searching up almost every album ever recorded. A wealth of interesting and obscure genres to explore, but Robert is interested in none of it. An album from the 80s catches his eye but no, he's already used up his 300 allotted electronic albums Universe Publishing would allow him to include (after his first draft consistented of 900 such albums). Overlooking the legendary likes of Chuck Berry and Neil Diamond, both who have no entries in the book, he instead turns to his second favorite genre- indie music from the British Isles. Seeking to change things up a bit from all the Britpop and English Folk already weighing down the list he googles "Irish Indie music" and chooses randomly from the top 20 albums that appear in the results. "Just 50 more albums to go" he says to himself with a rye smile. This is an absolutely nothing generic 2000s indie album that wasn't even rated well at the time, was not very popular anywhere and influenced nothing. Why is it here.
Alternate universe Flamming Lips.
An album that gets better towards the end. I don’t love the vocals but it’s all right and I do love the organ.
Favourite Songs: Deckchairs And Cigarettes
I don't know who these guys are. Never heard of them. Unfortunately, the reason may be because this album wasn't much good. I did like that there was some lap steel guitar. Otherwise, less than average: 2 stars.
So much for nothing yes
What exactly is unique about this album?
Ehh this was kind of lame
Musically pretty fun, the vocals got really old really fast though.
wasn't very thrilling
This list is silly. The Thrills weren't even in the "post-Britpop" B-list. Loads of great acts from the early 00s and you go for the gentle burble of "Just don't go back to Bicester"?? Is there a less California sounding California inspired album? 2 stars because it's not dreadful, but I really didn't need it in my life again.
4/10
I didn’t enjoy this very much. Found it kinda boring and samey
Inoffensive indie rock. Not super interesting but there are worse albums.
It’s.. fine. The accent is killing me tho
Odd choice for the list but heyho, it's not a bad album but clearly a product of it's influences and never rises above it. I saw these guys on their first UK tour way back when and they were good fun live, but seeing a new band in a 100cap venue is a different vibe to suggesting it's one of the 1000 best albums of all time
Starts off strong and then just gets really boring and monotonous Likes: Big Sur, Don’t Steal Our Sun
28/02/2026 Another album I couldn't get on with. It just wasn't very good. Spotify listeners: 74.1k
Ehhhhhh. On one hand, I can't give this a 1 - there are pleasant, catchy melodies and a reasonable charm. On the other hand, I absolutely despise this kind of "Let's pretend we live in America" vibe. British and Irish bands have often had a US influence, but this is practically wearing a costume. From the surfer references from a group that looked like they never surfed, that iriitating pronunciation of 'Santa Cruz'... there were a few similar bands around this time eg Cosmic Rough Riders, and they never lasted, because they ran out of other people's ideas to steal. This gets a 2, and just barely.
Okay, so this album is kind of a mixed bag. On the one hand, it's a cool, sunny indie pop (some might say landfill indie) record from the early 2000s, capturing that California vibe perfectly, even though it's Irish guys doing it. The melodies are nice, the music is chill, and songs like "Santa Cruz" and "Big Sur" are definitely catchy as hell. It's a bit nostalgic and almost too sickly sweet. But, it hasn't held up super well. It feels more than a little generic, they were definitely one of the weaker "The" bands that came out around this time. The singer's voice can be a bit much, and all the place names get a bit tiresome. It's alright for a lazy day, but not a must listen level classic, you know?
I had this album when I was like 12 and remember trying to convince myself I liked it so I hadn't wasted my money. Two decades later it still doesn't really get better than the singles.
Big Sur er jo bra. Resten av albumet er tregere og ikke i nærheten.
very mid
Remarkably unthrilling! To be fair, the repeating lyrics thing is a general pet peeve of mine and they leaned pretty hard on that.
Another day, another indie album, from Ireland this time no less. There’s a few OK songs like ‘Santa Cruz’, ‘Big Sur’, ‘Don’t Steal Our Sun’, ‘One Horse Town’, and ‘You’re Love Is Like Las Vegas’. These are all fine enough when they are on, but they never linger in the memory, a lot like the album as a whole. As soon as it finishes, you forget about it.
These gals love Santa Fe. Favourite track: Deskchairs and Cigarettes
An album perfectly suited for that insufferable dork you knew in high school who wanted to get a mustache tattooed on the inside of their index finger. What is this album even doing here? There are two good songs and the rest is the worst kind of 2000s-era pop rock.
Unexceptional. Not sure why it is on this list.
Groupe inconnu. Pop pas désagréable (+1) en musique de fond, sans plus. Aussi vite oublié qu'écouté. =>2/5
Indie Rock llevado al extremo de la paciencia
Pretty repetitive and overall just kind of annoying.
Blah
Mercury Prize nomination??? For THIS???? One wonders what was going ON in 2003. Honestly I thought about 1 star here but that's a little meaner than I feel like being tonight
Jeg kjeder meg ihjel. Tipper dette var den best likte plata på NISS i 2003. Alle i bandet har prima dra-til-tryner.
Kinda sounds like a socal version of mid era belle and Sebastian. This is not an endorsement.
Hmm, I didn't end up saving any songs, mainly because I thought they were pretty boring. Everything was consistently just fine. I feel like for me to enjoy this kind of music, I need to either connect with the lyrics or the bands voice needs to blow me away and neither of those things happened for me. "Say it ain't so" is the only track that kind of got my attention but even then they strayed from the starting melody that drew me in. I'm throwing in an extra star because everything is about the Bay Area.
Fine. Love the cover art, the music is decent too. Don't love the vocalist.
This is #day540 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… yet again, I have no idea why you'd have to hear this before you die. I mean, how the fuck is this more essential than, say, Slowdive's Souvlaki, which isn't on the original list at all? It's like the same song over and over again. Way too carefree indie-schmindie for my liking to boot. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day541.
Musikken e i og for sæ helt ok, men at noen har sagt «vi må få oppdatert den boka så vi får inn den The Thrills-skiva» e jo helt sinnsykt. Huske Big Sur fra The OC-soundtracket, men har aldri hørt nokka om dem. Verken i 2003 eller seinere.
Slentrende og sjarmerende, men veldig ensformig.
big whatever, some country and rock mixed, maybe trying to be like The Beatles
as mid as it gets
2.5/5 It's just rather dull
This is so wet; never was a band more poorly named. And it's comical that almost every track references California; did their manager hand them a Lonely Planet guidebook and say "write about that, lads"?
The album cover says it all; bunch of pale folk in a cold field in Ireland singing about California sunshine.
I was bored. Forgot to keep listening. Couldn't remember where I left off. Such a repetitious boring sound to me.
Eh, I don’t know. The music wasn’t bad but this band is kind of…hokey? I liked that many of the songs felt like summer but overall this was kind of lame.
I Not a bad alternative band from the early 2000’s. Different sound.
Gets some points for being accepting that indie rock is soft lad music but I do struggle with his voice
Overall pretty good i don’t normally like when bands sing about the literal meaning of the song idk why i like to have at least some depth. but it was good nothing crazy probably would only listen to about 1 or 2 songs again 4-10
Didn’t do much for me
Initially this had me bewildered and skipping, but it ended up being suitably light weight and catchy to accompany & brighten a crappy work day. The main singers voice isn't very strong, it reminds somewhat of Sparklehorse rockier numbers. I can't see what part this album can truly be considered as one of the best 1089 ever, but it ended up being enjoyable and inoffensive enough. However, the band seemed to run out of puff after a few albums and were as inconsequential as they were destined to be. For me One Horse Town saves it but Big Sur and Santa Cruz are really overrated poor openers.
Not my style. ★★
Talk about an album completely lacking in thrills. The singer sounds the exact same on every track from start to finish. He absolutely lacks any emotion on this album. I spent the entire time listening to this just baffled that this was even included on this list.
Not my cup of tea. Some ok moments but mostly middling and the singer’s voice annoys me quite a bit.
i'm born and raised californian, this is what everyone not from california who is obsessed with the state sounds like. not for me but good background music.
Meget 00’er, men fedt
I didn’t really connect with the album in my first two hearings of it. Just repeating city names felt off to me.
I'm not too into this. It kind of sounds like if Death Cab For Cutie was more into California pop, which is probably something a lot of people will find appealing, but it's not for me. 2.5 stars.
Un disco que te alegra cualquier día. Brilla como el solo de california y no pasa el tiempo por él. Tampoco es que sea la quinta maravilla. Pasa un poco como con los de Travis. Su mejor canción, sin duda Big Sur. Sin embargo suenan un poco repetitivos en Don't Steal Our Sun, o Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far), sus otros sencillos. El problema es que prefiero a los escoceses Mojave 3 (o Del Amitri), por ejemplo. Tuvieron otro segundo disco Let's Bottle Bohemia igual de bueno e incluso un tercero, que pasó desapercibido, y se acabó.
Didn't think it was possible for a band to be more obsessed with California than the Red Hot Chili Peppers are...
Never seen the appeal. I understand it is music that moves millions of people, but it is sounds super pedestrian to me.
Irish 2000s rock. A bit too jaunty and cheesy for my taste.
Nah. Alternates between ok, to oof this is bad, to boring and back again. The world doesn't need any more songs about California.
Not as much fun as the other album on the list.
Not thrilling
Basically, The Beach Boys with an Irish country flair. It's not for me
A mix of skilled and unskilled musicians. Judging by the album cover they didn’t want to leave anyone out. Didn’t love the vocals. This type of album encourages others with insufficient talent. Album concept = sing about different cities in California to give the impression that the songs are not all the same. But it’s not a 1.
It sounds like some kids watched a few movies about California, heard some songs and then looked at a map to write them.
This is terrible. This might be the absolute peak of the hipster shit. Banjos and beards and tight rolled jeans, and high pitched country-adjacent whining. I did not like it.
Indie pop about a trip. I didn't hate it but I definitely won't be listening to this again
Dismal, no interest at all
Take Big Sur out and the rest is instantly forgettable. Pleasant enough, but does it really merit a place on 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die? Probably not.
I am not convinced by this. It had some nice moments but didn’t touch me.
Omg la quantité de bouses que je me tape depuis la semaine passée est iconoclaste, peu importe ce que ça veut dire
Another reviewer commented this band is what would happen if the Flaming Lips never ever took drugs and now I can't unhear it
Not my cup of coffee, but ok if you like indie rock.
Not for me
So much meh
Don't really get it?
2.5
2.5
Very not memorable.
..
Don’t know anything about this band. Screams California (but apparently they are Irish?). First off, I really don’t like the higher pitched slightly whiny vocals. Lyrics are bland. Music that’s not all that interesting and borders on cheesy in spots. They sound like a dumbed down Soul Asylum on happy pills. One Horse Town was almost catchy and not too bad. But overall this is a loser for me.
Mushy man rock. Not quite Ben Folds but solid.
Eh
I could probably accept the twee nature of this band, but I just don’t like the vocals. The guy’s voice bugs me. The name checking of various California locations gets tiresome, too. I listened to this back when it came out as I recall it being pretty well reviewed. I didn’t get it then, and things haven’t changed despite a few nice moments.
2.5/5 - Innocuous and twee California songs. I don't have a whole lot to say about this album, other than there's a whole lot of early 2000s indie that I'd put above this on the list. It was fine, but not essential listening.
I'm probably being a little harsh here. But to me this lead singer's voice overlaps with that of the guy from the flaming lips in an ugly venn diagram
This album had the advantage of being released around the time when the first list was made. While it was considered essential in 2005, I would not expect it to be on the 1001 albums list if it was made today. This album is not Lindy. The music proper is fine, but nothing I would want to listen to again. My favorite track was the hidden one. I liked the spacey synth and the old novelty of hidden tracks.
I didn't hate it, but I definitely wasn't lovin it. I wasn't big on the vocals in this track though I did enjoy the harmonies at times. Instrumental parts were good, though, there were sometimes I felt like it was a little over the top. There were just times it felt like they were REALLY leaning into the indie/folk side of things and it just felt a little comically overdone at times. The notable Legacy listed on the wiki page being that it was on Bush's iPod in 2005 was pretty funny
I think I would've really liked this album if it was sung by someone else, but the whisper singing coming outta this guy really takes me out of it. Ironically enough, for a band called The Thrills, they sure seem to be struggling to provide any for me. The instrumentation was fun, and I loved the banjo pickin in the background. The steel guitar swells are a good time. Hollywood Kids has some slick organ playing in the background. I thought it was neat how they predicted MacOS 11 with Big Sur, being as though this album was probably produced on Puma (maybe Jaguar if they were bleeding edge). Highlights: 'Old Friends, New Lovers', the banjo player, Hollywood Kids's intro/instrumental breaks (it went away once the singer came in dammit)
This album has shaken my faith in the Irish people.
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
kinda samey over all -
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.
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.
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.
Not for me. Sounded like an upbeat generic Elliott Smith knock off.
Sometimes you just know that an album is going to stink, I'm not sure why I bothered playing this.
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
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
I used to really like big sur when I was a teenager but that album was painful
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.
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.
If you look up mediocre in the dictionary, this album would come up as its description.
This album came out about 35 years late.
Somehow sing-songy and pretentious at the same time.
The only thing with less edge than this album is a sphere.
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.
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.
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.
Musically it was good and I really liked the last song, but the singers voice just grates me so badly
it's ok
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.
2-3
A little too twangy and old western sounding instrumentation for my taste.
what a waste
Once you accept what they sound like, you move on with your life and never listen again.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 was a fair album. Vanilla.
Failed to Thrill me
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.
Bit dull
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.
Wasnt a big fan of this one - felt like a dude was just whining in a mic for an hour.
Band chronicles the summer they spent in California. It’s cute but hollow. The singers style grates. No need to hear again. 2/5.
Very meh for me. Indie to a fault and doesn’t do anything particularly interesting but fine to listen to
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.
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).
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.
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' .
It’s ok
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.
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!
One good song
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
Ok- singers voice little too high pitched. Most songs sound just alike. Probably forgettable.
Vaguely satisfying (albeit repetitive)Americana from some Irish lads. 2.5 stars
Fair. Average. Nothing special.
Booooring
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
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
Kinda bland and uninspiring
Meh. Pretty bland indie rock Standout song: Hollywood Kids
Uninteresting. I did not like the singer’s voice.
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.
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
Boring. Belle and Sebastian did everything here better.
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.
I liked 'Deckchairs and Cigarettes', and One Horse Town was catchy.
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
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.
leppoisa chilling and wibing 1 star sääntö melkein läsähtää päälle mutta kyllä tämö hyvin soi niin annetaan kaks
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.
Not a bad album. Just not my taste.
Just an irish man whispering about california
This really was a struggle. Found the guy's voice quite annoying and the lyrics were pretty weak imo
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.
low mid
A very VERY indie 45 minutes.
Really didn't enjoy much here. Quite boring and generic for me
Breathy, inoffensive, middle of the road surprised this made a superlative list?
Not unpleasant but conventional and fairly unremarkable. They sound like a lot of stuff that came out across the 2000s. But with a banjo. And an organ. And harmonica and steel guitar and symphonic strings. It was both too much and made every song feel big and unvarying in a way that became kind of dull.
i once spent three weeks in ireland. i'm writing a very precious album about it just to get back at these guys.
I’m catching up here working my way through the thrills before getting jazzy. I want to like the album but it’s missing a mark for me. I don’t know what it is. I like weird voices like his and a lot of the instruments they use or some of my faves love the banjo, love the organ put the songs almost seem a little parody or something also knowing that there are 2000s band kinda also ruins it for me. I guess I can just listen to sparkle horse or any other great band at their emulating. Might listen to this again in a different mood might hit different. Gonna sit with a two for now move on.
What happens with 5 Irish lads and 2 Irish ladies listen to too much Ben Folds and like California a lot (have you heard of it)? The Thrills! This shit sucks. No surprises. Completely edgeless. Never ending oooohhhh waaaasss and ba ba baaas!! Cloying lyrics SANTA CRUZ, BIG SUR, HOLLYWOOD KIDS. Yuck! I'm ready for chocolate cake after this. Why is this on this list? I suppose having some stuff I loathe on it is more fun. Last track is far and away the least appalling song on this album. I think I actually like it. Guitar is more western, nice slide....organ....limited ooooh waaa ba ba baaaas! I'm literally bumping this from a 1 to a 2 because of the last song, which faraway has the least streams on spotify which is hilarious to me. 2
first things first… it said this album was UNAVAILABLE in my region which is a LIE (i found it no problem through search). so if this was supposed to be a deluxe version, my apologies. it was lowkey mid. i remember thinking one of the songs was good and that was it. harmonica threw me off perhaps. 2/5.
I wasn’t too thrilled.
Yeah, so you went on holiday.
Too much cute twee in this indie album
The singers voice got to be annoying after a while. The songs were not particularly interesting and the overall the album was kind of monotonous. 2/5 Won't listen again
Bit of a nostalgia trip for me. I recall it coming out and not long after I visited California myself. I've not listened to it since though and today I find it bland and soporific. Not sure how it made it into this list - was it that influential?
4/10 Painfully average. The 3 singles I remember are still decent slices of jangle pop, but this album is one of those that is sorely out of place on any list of greatest albums. Even 1001 of them.
Don’t care for this right now.
meio chatinho né
Annoying Twee, boring, and repetitive. On top of that, California is an overused theme from an album, and the artist not being from California doesn’t make it any more interesting
I dont think this was one of the albums to listen to before you die of 2003, let alone of all time.
I had a hard time getting into this one. Not bad of course, just not my style. For me, 2 stars. My 7 month old felt similarly
No es aburrido ni sobreestimado como los discos de country, pero no entiendo qué está haciendo aquí.
It's sticky sweet indie pop. Like I need to check my blood sugar sweet. I'm getting a lot of Ben Folds and Flaming Lips, but without any edge. Honestly I'm not enjoying it. It's not anything exciting or anything that hasn't been done before. There are so many better versions of this band out there.
Really just sounded like a more country version of Pavement. Not a big fan.
I didn't find any thrills in this album. The music was like wall paper. You know it's there because you can see it on the wall but once you leave the room, you immediately forget about it and would be hard pressed to be able to describe it beyond something like, "Uh...... it was beige." The breathy lead vocals were kind of annoying at times. "Unremarkable" would be a good descriptor for this album. 2.5/5
Unmemorable with no stand out tracks. It just washes over you.
Bleh
So dull
Sounds like an Irish Monkeys.
I feel like the makers of this list stuck a couple of their personal favorites onto it and labeled it important, because that’s the only reason why an album like this is even here. I can’t fathom for the life of me what about this album is “must hear” material. I will say that for the first few songs, I was getting a bit into it. It had the vibe of wandering around a Hallmark greeting card store in the year 2008, but I was kind of digging it. However, as it progressed, it started to lean more into country territory. The lead singer became grating and the presence of the banjo and harmonica was getting on my nerves. It was at the song “Hollywood Kids”, that my brain wandered off, never to return any attention to this album. The Thrills, ironically, provided me with almost no thrills. But hey, at least George W. Bush likes them apparently. Yay? Favorite track: Big Sur Other hits: Santa Cruz (You’re Not That Far), Don’t Steal Our Sun, Deckchairs and Cigarettes
So much for insomnia... Not my favorite pick me up at work
I completely agree with the review: "What if The Flaming Lips never, ever, ever did drugs even one time and frankly is offended that you even asked about it?"
Pleasant enough indie record that doesn't really try too much to sound authentic. Although I can't find much to fault, any memory of the album is vanished as soon as the last track finished. Best Tracks: - Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far) - One Horse Town Worst Tracks: - Say It Ain't So Rating: 3.5/10
Hey guys what if we tried sounding like Pavement! Oh you mean like great instrumentals and rocking production and lyrics that are fun and interesting? No I mean we should sound like a terrible Pavement cover band that sings about other parts of California. And we should sound really cheap. And bad. Okay. I think a good idea is if an album from the early 2000s is on this list that you’ve never heard of it’s a good bet you can just skip it they all sound the fucking same
Not very thrilling
Eh
More UK nonsense that doesn’t belong here.
A little too slow and a little too sing-songy
Liked Big Sur Rating: 2.4
Okay album. Nothing remarkable.
This was not terribly exciting for me. Kind of just blank, somewhat alt-country, somewhat retro pop. I didn’t hate it, but didn’t like it much, either.
Take indie, but make it boring with lyrics that come from people that may only know about California from TV shows. Nothing outstanding, why is this here, etc. 2* Highlight: til the tide creeps in (the harmonica got me)
Conor Deasy sounds like a 10 year old boy who's never left the city of London attempting to mimic an American accent
Imagine if The Beach Boys wanted to be Snow Patrol and they also really sucked
Brits go to California and write an album about it. Next please.
To paraphrase an Irish noughties indie band: ‘whatever happened my friends, The Thrills??’ Well, they were never really my friends, but I did enjoy listening to Big Sur on a compilation CD back in the day. They’ve hardly crossed my mind in the intervening two decades though. I guess their moment came and went, and their impact on music history was not a seismic one. The first few tracks are enjoyably breezy and melodic, but the back end of the album is a bit of a snooze fest, and I should probably dock a star for the very low ‘must-hear’ status of this album, derivative as it is.
It’s okay - nothing memorable. Although, I might have heard Big Sur back when it came out, but it was not something that made me want to go listen this. I actually wanted to skip most of the songs towards the end