New Wave

I am 1/3 of the way through this list. There has been no Pearl Jam, no Snoop Dogg, no Alice in Chains, no Soundgarden, no Stone Temple Pilots, no Tool and yet I have to stomach third-tier BritPop garbage that sounds like Blur on clonazepam? No, man, no.

- I really liked the Auteurs. Am I gay? - Yes, but for other reasons.

Not cool enough to be pixies. Not bare enough to be pavement. Just a bit drab. Like a quite good high school band.

Gotta be honest. I had never heard of this album or this band. This is a great album. It sounds like if Oasis had the creative sensibilities of Stephen Malkmus. Gritty, somewhat dark 90’s alt/brit rock. Good stuff.

This was fine. It was okay. It'll do. Like how Chole described Franz Ferdinand as 'landfill indie', this is 'landfill 90s alt-rock'

On the first listen, I really didn't like most of the LP. I liked the  first track but then they lost me for a while but I also liked the last three tunes.  This was somewhat bizarre since the  Spotify numbers show that nobody ever listens to (read likes) those last three tracks.  I thought I should listen  to it again and the second time through most of the songs from the dreaded middle section of the LP were OK. It kinda grew on me -kinda the way you start liking the jingle in a McDonald's commercial.  Perhaps I  was thrown by the name "New Wave" and was expecting something else. 

Top 5 alternative and indie rock records from 1993 which are excluded from this list that you should listen to instead of this album: 1. Yo La Tengo - Painful 2. Stereolab - Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements 3. Archers of Loaf - Icky Mettle 4. Guided By Voices - Vampire on Titus 5. Dinosaur Jr - Where You Been?

I've had enough britpop for one lifetime tysm

I don’t know... it was okay. But I feel like I’ve heard that record a thousand times before from other bands.

In spite of arriving amid the Britpop boom of the early-mid 90s, this record has the feel of a lost classic. I can imagine how this might get lumped into that category at a superficial level, but the details and approach make me feel like those associations are more a coincidence of when this was released than an indication this was part of a scene. I'm hearing some Robyn Hitchcock in the melodic instincts, intricate arrangement, and sneering vocals. Nice variety between the more acoustic and fuzzy numbers on this one. Overall, I really enjoyed this introduction to a new (to me) artist. Favourite songs: "Don't Trust the Stars", "Valet Parking", and "Show Girl"

Similar to how I feel about vapor air when it touches my skin, it's pleasant but fades all too quickly.

The epitome of bland. It kind of felt like eating a plain, unsalted cracker. And can you imagine giving yourself this name? Ugh.

If you like the beatles but shittier in every way this album is for you.

Woaaah, what a gem this was. Never heard of them previously, but this is some brilliant stuff. Not far off from bands like Suede, and more specifically the album Dog Man Star.

This is a great discovery. It's an interesting varied album. Vocally it's quite mellow and reminds me of The Monkees contrasted with some power pop (love the guitar sound). Some of the songs are quite moody ('Show Girl', Bailed Out') whereas others have a whimsical late sixties baroque-pop feel ('Junk Shop Clothes', 'Starstruck', 'Housebreaker', 'Valet Parking') with some musical colour from instruments like harpsichord, strings, celeste, piano, mouth harp. Others like 'How Can I Be Strong' have a heavier psychedelic edge. The lyrics are probably the weakest element but there's some nice melodies and arrangements to compensate. It's a bit of a quirky left field album ("critics favorite") and quite tellingly I was the only one in my group to give it a high rating. All in all, this is a very enjoyable album to play on spring afternoon, so I will definitely play it again when the weather is nicer than today!

Brilliant proto-britpop, which I would have adored at the time if I had been a year or two older. Not quite sure why they didn't kick on from there, as this is better than anything Blur or Oasis were doing at the same time. But they didn't build on it, and by the time I was buying music papers each week, Luke had become a bit of a lost hero and/or a bit of a punchline whenever someone was getting (over-)excited about a new band. Tl;Dr - a great (lost?) album from the start of a genre that means a lot to me. Sounds like Suede, Nirvana and Blur fell in a melting pot - in a good way.

Dynamically inventive, dark prototype of Britpop - and I love it. A perfect blend of catchy pop melodies and a wide variety of sounds (glockenspiel anyone?).

I love this album but I can see why others might not. It’s eccentric and peculiarly British. The lyrics are intelligent, biting, sarcastic and witty. Luke Haines is a national treasure. He rubbed up people the wrong way, refused to play the game, and was, presumably, ostracised for it. He had success, although perhaps not the recognition he deserved. His book is a riot, as is his twitter feed. This album is one of his best and is a forgotten 90s classic

Very good album, a little surprised at how much I liked it. Took me a couple listens to fully appreciate the album but glad I spent a little more time on it, definitely worth it Saved: Show Girl, How Could I Be Wrong, Idiot Brother

I heard 'Showgirl' on The Chart Show (remember that?) At the time, my natural music buying habitat was Woolworths. To be fair, they did usually carry the top 100 albums. New Wave was not, and so they did not. Neither did Our Price. (There were two on Wood Green High St. I never quite understood why. But that's not the point. Imagine two record shops on a suburban high street.) Back then, discovering new music involved (1) listening to the radio, (2) hanging round the record shops on Berwick Street and being nice to the chaps (they were always chaps) behind the counter if you heard something nice, (3) reading a review in the NME or Q, liking what was promised and buying (metaphorically) sight unseen. A few years later, Virgin on Piccadilly Circus put in a load of digital listening stations. You scanned the barcode and got 30 seconds of each song on the album, (from 15 to 45 seconds in). I used to spend hours there. I don't really have any truck with the people complaining about Spotify ruining their music discovery vibe. I guess it is true, up to a point, but then you can listen to virtually anything you want on Spotify, your choice absolutely. All you need to do is to cough up a tenner a month and follow your own instincts. In any case, gatekeepers have, and will always exist. The nice thing about living in a democracy is that one has no obligation to pay them the slightest bit of attention. There is so much fucking great music out there, beginning to be listened to. Do the final mile and seek it out, at least occasionally. Oh. New Wave. Found the CD second hand in a charity shop in 1995, I think. I was a bit disappointed by the time – the actuality did not live up to the mythology I'd built up in my head. But I kept it, and I listen to it every now and again, and the thought of going out hunting for it (and discovering a few other unexpected pleasures along the way) still makes me smile. And now, older and a little bit wiser, I think I can say that it isn't half bad.

It's easy to see why a certain British music magazine lumped in The Auteurs with an emergent scene back in the early 90s, for on New Wave they exemplify the kind of intelligent, not overtly referential compositions that was a tad bit lacking in British rock. The Auteurs, as time would go on, would only get a little more fascinating after this. Favorites: Show Girl, American Guitars, Don't Trust the Stars, Starstruck, How Could I Be Wrong, Idiot Brother, Home Again.

Hidden gem! I’d never heard of this, prepared myself for the worst, and then found myself playing it on repeat. Will I remember it exists in a month? Not too sure.

Solid album with some great songwriting that recalls bands like The Smiths.

Somehow I've managed to not know about this band but half way through the first song I'm loving it... although I've definitely heard this song before. I'm hearing Blur pretty strongly in here. Looking at it, it's the same year as Modern Life, makes sense. Problem is the album quickly settles into Britpop mediocrity. It's OK but it feels quite by-the-numbers. I was looking forward to later tracks because other reviews called up some of those as great tracks but they didn't break through the tedium to me. By the end of the album I just wanted it to be over. Yawn!

Not nearly enough synth or fun to call itself new wave

Boring

A little like Belle and Sebastian, but not as good.

Uneventful, forgettable, in fact, I can barely remember it a day later.

WHO MADE THIS LIST

Forgettable

Enjoyed.

I loved their sound! Reminded me of the Kooks. I will return to this album again in the future.

Lowkey great vibes. Big fan of the Beatles-vocals.

Absolutely loved it, every song is great. Also, the singer's voice sounds familiar, even though I have never heard anything from the band

Never heard of this band but they are a new favorite. Death Cabbish but slightly grungier.

"How Could I Be Wrong" came in and slapped me in the face for some reason. The whole album was really great. I didn't want to stop listening. I think this type of music is one of my favorite sounds of this project, to be honest.

Awesome! Love the first track

Tästä oli tosi helppo tykätä. Soittolistalle päätyivät ainakin Bailed Out, Junk Shop Clothes, Starstruck, How Could I Be Wrong ja Housebreaker.

This was amazing - never heard of the auteurs, but such a fun variety of upbeat rockin melodies.

Loved this album.

Great 90s rock album

9/10 incredibly fun I love the way it almost feels like alt-rock with its mixing and bass-heavy feel

A band I never picked up on in the 90's so these were my first time listening to them. At my first listen, I really thought after the first two songs (and especially "Bailed Out") I found a new favourite band, but after that the album dropped off. Listening to this album a few more times and also the songs further up in the album started to shine, like "Idiot Brother" and "How Could I Be Wrong." Now after my 5th listen I can see how this would be classed as a 'forgotten masterpiece.' All songs are incredibly well written, superbly melodic - there's not a sound out of place - but there's a lot of rough edges. Or 'spiky' as a friend of mine would call it. Reading up on it, this debut is apparently not even their best album. I'll be looking into the rest! 4,5*

I love 90s rock so much, this album did not disappoint!

LOVED IT SO MUCH.

omg amazing

I wish I would have know them in the 90. Great album, going to listen to it again.

Very Big Star with a Smiths and Britpop edge

I loved this! Like a cross between David Bowie and Weezer. The power guitars and the toy piano were great. Junk Shop Clothes and Valet Parking lyrics were awesome. I've already listened to the whole album twice.

I was adding song after song to my "Songs I liked from 1001 Albums" playlist. Eventually it became undeniable - I fucking love this album. Plan to return to it often. Who knows if I'll actually do it, but I really want to, and that's the sign of a great album for me.

Didn't know them and am happy about this find. Great album.

This is why I’m doing the challenge: finding artists and albums that are totally new to me that click. This has a bit of a Sunday morning vibe to it that’s nice. Songwriting stands out; and while I hear a bit of George Harrison in the vocals and even the songwriting, it’s not a copy and stands out as unique. Based on this album, I’m looking forward to learning more about this group, for sure.

I love Luke Haines voice. And knowing he was in Black Box Recording may color this rating in a good way. I liked it a lot. I'll be coming back

This one surprised me. I liked almost all the songs. I am probably in the minority for liking all the Britpop on this list. Definitely gonna go through the rest of their stuff to see if it’s as good. Rating: 4.8

5/5

This was a lot of fun to listen to

This is good... no doubt requiring more intense scrutiny!

good stuff

A perfectly fine album just a genre that's not my usual fav. Good listening music though.

very lovely Brazzaville vibes 4/5

AK: enjoyable 90s alt. 4/5

pleasant, heady britpop fav track: idiot brother

Not sure if I ever heard of them before, but it was a pretty good album

Production: 12/20 Songwriting: 15/20 Innovation: 13/20 Bangers: 10/20 Emotional response: 13/20 =63 I liked it. Low 4.

1

no idea who these guys are, but it sounds fine!

i wanted to give this a 3 1/2 but as i can’t i’m going to mark it up to a 4 purely for the instrumentation on the album, some of the melodies and guitar are really lovely, definitely my favourite thing about it.

Brit pop at its best. Start of the genre in one of best possible ways, better than Blur (but not better than Suede)

Strajk rokowy nadal trwa i kolejna dosc undergrundowa banda, tym razem wyspiarze, 3 osobowa banda z meskim wokalem i babom na basie, ktorzy jako para byli inicjatotorami powstania zespolu, dodatkowo pojawiaja sie wstawki z dudnienia perkusyjnego i organowego, ale tylko w dwoch trackach od dodatkowych muzykow, wiec granie minimalistyczno instrumentalne, ciezko mi okreslic gatunek tej plyty, bo niby rokowanie, ale jednak budowa piosenek jest dosc popowa, ale lirycznie jest zbyt ambitna na okreslenie tego po prostu popem, wiec cos w stylu rokowania bowiego, czy bolana, bo poza grwolersami i klatkowymi sloniami to wlasnie takie mialem skojarzenia sluchajac albumiku, kawalki ktore na pierwszy rzut oka wygladaja jak typowe milosne songi maja twisty jak w czarnych komediach, przykladem moze byc otwierajacy showgirl czy valet parking, ale wiekszosc kawalkow jest inspirowana dosc prozaicznymi rzeczami jak gitary czy ciucholandy ktore staja sie materialem do poruszania ciezszych tematow, jako ze jest to debiut tej grupy, to tytul new wave jest dosc pasujacy, bo nie czuc ze jest to album z lat 90, wiec wyprzedzil swoje czasy i nie zdobyt zbyt duzej popularnosci nawet na wyspach, ale mialem szczescie odkopac akurat takie zloto, na plejke dodaje show grila, how could I be wrong oraz home again

I have a hard time understanding how The Auteurs didn't take off in the Brit Pop scene. The have a distinct folkly/chamber pop sound, clever lyrics and a front man that's not afraid to voice his cynical views on British imperialism. It's reminiscent of Ray Davies at the height of his powers, and they even carry a hint of 60's British Invasion in their music. Surprised this one passed under my radar. The production is a little bombastic at times, which dates it, but still enjoyable, as there is a tension between the cutting lyrics and the guitar-driven pop of the time. Fav Tracks: Don't Trust the Stars and Valet Parking. Rating: 3.5/5

I really enjoyed this album. For a band that had not previously been on my radar I was really surprised how good this album is. I would consider this more Alt-pop then Britpop, Britpop seems dated and less inspired than this album. The influences leading up to this album and music that was influenced by this album show the staying power of this music vs the blip on the radar that was Britpop. Good album all around. Favorite songs: don't trust the stars, Valet Parking, Junk Shop Clothes. 4 stars

Бля, ну нет ща у меня возможности гонять этот альбом репитом, хотя, возможно, и заслуживает. Вроде неплохой, внятные мотивы, оригинальный инструментал, приятный вокал. Опять же, скорее понимаю, чем ощущаю. В целом, положительное мнение кое-как формировано, хоть и хочется его проверить сомнениями. Но у нас тут тысячеальбомка за три года, нельзя себе такое позволять лишний раз.

This album was a pleasant surprise. I liked most of the songs (my favourite is Home Again) and could see myself revisiting a lot of these, but there were a few songs that I didn't like. 4/5 stars.

Really like this album. Will listen to again. 90s. Good flow. Bit like A Death Cab for Cutie.

It was fine. A couple interesting tracks.

Not a huge fan of the lead singer. Good songs though.

Good album, underrated artists 3,5/5

Good album! Definately an example of why I tend to be drawn to British musicians. Though I'd need a couple more listens to give a more detailed description. The album seems to fit more in with the late 80s alternative period than the new grunge scene in the states. I feel like I can hear sounds that would influence groups like the Arctic Monkeys a decade later. Favorite Songs: Early Years

9/8 3.5/5. Cool grungy album. Standout Tracks: Starstruck, Valet Parking, Idiot Brother, Home Again

This is a new album for me. I enjoyed it. Nice rocky sound good guitars fun lyrics

yet another album i feel i should've enjoyed more than i actually did. i wish i had something to say about it. at one point, a song came on that got my attention; it was by some other artist, because this album had finished and spotify just grabbed whatever and played it, and that's how i knew it was over. on the other hand, the harmonies can be unexpectedly delicate, the guitar work is surprisingly compelling, and i honestly love homeboy's voice. it's just...somehow, despite all that, this one just kinda missed me. i'm giving it 4 because i feel like the problem this time around was me.

7/10

Love this album. As into Britpop as I was, I cannot believe that I've never hear of this album, nor the band. I don't know I can give it a 5 but it's an album I'd come back to over and over.

Very interesting from a band I had never heard of before. Thought it started out much stronger than it ended, but did enjoy. 4/5

Rather reminded me of Crowded House, and that's always a good thing.

Hi- Show Girl, Bailed Out, Starstruck New Wave opens with a strong trio of songs, Really nice brit-pop, which is right at home in a playlist of Mansun, Blur, Manic Street Preachers, and Oasis. I'll keep this one in my back pocket!

Beatles like vocals with grunge-lite instrumentals. Was hoping some of the hooks would stay with me though. Fave tracks : “Don’t trust the stars” “Early Years” “American Guitars”

Pretty decent. Probably a 3.5, as I liked listening to it but I'm sure I will forget this album. Getting tired of reading reviews of brit-pop albums though.

I’ve, very chill and enjoyable, I like the production very much

1993. Show Girl, How Could I Be Wrong

Hi- Show Girl, Bailed Out, Starstruck New Wave opens with a strong trio of songs, Really nice brit-pop, which is right at home in a playlist of Mansun, Blur, Manic Street Preachers, and Oasis. I'll keep this one in my back pocket!

Rock Indie.

I'd never heard of this group before and really enjoyed the vibe.

Great to hear this again!

Liked the whole album through. Simple but interesting.

This is not new wave

Great album. I liked it the first time I heard it last year. It just keeps getting better. Interesting sound. I'm glad this album was on this list so I got to know it. 4/5

I bought this album aged 13. Thought it would make me look edgy and cool and intellectual and all the babes would want a piece as a result. It didn't achieve any of those goals. But it did soundtrack the beginning of years of rejection from the local female-folk. sad times.

Three stars and a half ? Four stars ? The Auteurs is a band I've only been vaguely aware of before, and this app gave me the opportunity to delve further into that first record of theirs, *New Wave*. I'm not sure I'm totally sold about it being an *essential* listen, but it's been a pleasant ride nonetheless. Like many other reviewers in here, I think it has a strong start ("Show Girls", that instantly catchy "Bailed Out", and "American Guitars") and a nice end line, between "Early Years" and "Home Again" (which sounds a little like Elvis Costello's "Complicated Shadows", oddly enough). Maybe the middle of the album is too much of a notch under those particular songs, generally speaking. Well, except for that cello-enhanced "How Could I Be Wrong" (in comparison, a track such as "Don't Trust the Stars" is a little too linear and *middle-of-the-road* rock/britpop, for instance). But I'm all too aware those sorts of songs often grow on you as you keep on listening to them, so I'll give those somewhat less striking cuts the benefit of the doubt. I could actually see myself returning to this album, depending on my mood. I also feel like the lyrics make it worth it too--I spotted some very interesting and/or funny lines about quite picturesque scenes, but I have to admit I didn't pay a lot of attention to them this time. Speaking of other people's comments, I was quite intrigued by the fact that a few reviewers heard a little bit of Arctic Monkeys in The Auteurs' sound. I would have never thought of that by myself. But I have to admit that for certain subtle moments, the comparison made more than a little sense... Luke Haines seems to have a knack for snarls delivered in a laidback fashion. He might not exactly be a Alex Turner, but this particular arrow is maybe not so far off the mark, come to think of it... As a consequence, this may have a bearing on my own geeky list of 1001 albums. When the time comes for this app to suggest a minor Arctic Monkey album, as it will probably do, (say "Humbug" or "Suck It And See"), I might be inclined to just replace it with this "New Wave" here (and so have a broader scope on British pop/rock--and more importantly, leave some room for other sorts of records). That list won't be infinite. You can't have them all, can you? Number of records left to review or just listen to: 920 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 42 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 20 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important to me): 19

Classy, sophisticated songwriting from the BritPop era yet not quite fitting the swaggering, posing mould of bands from that time, The Auteurs’ New Wave is a beautifully crafted album that rewards repeat listens.