New Wave

neat!

While I enjoyed the music on New Wave by The Auteurs, I could not get past the lead singer’s aggressively British, nasal vocal delivery. There’s something about it that grated on me from beginning to end. Musically, this album sounds so unmistakably early-’90s alternative rock that listening to it now is almost nauseating. And that leaves me wondering: what exactly makes New Wave so special that it deserved a spot on this list? Because, honestly, I’m struggling to find it. The only explanation I can come up with is that it’s the debut album from yet another British band, being championed by a bunch of British critics. Am I remotely surprised by that? Not even a little. Apparently, if you’re British and released an alternative rock album in the early ’90s, you were automatically eligible for the critics’ clubhouse.

The Wikipedia entry on this is a who's who of people no one knows. I guess this is here because they're saying it was the precursor to newer Brit-pop. It's just another British group to pad the numbers if you ask me. This isn't awful, but it's not anything I would purposefully listen to. The music is average. The singer is trying too hard to maintain his John Lennon impression and it seems to be out of his comfort zone. This is just another 45 minutes I won't get back.

An interesting listen, a British band that mostly sounds like an American rock band in the 90s. I'd never heard of them, and I'm glad to learn about them, but it's not something I fell in love with.

7/10 Buen album. Tranquilo, no molesta y es lindo de escuchar

I typically give special treatment to alternative and indie bands, but this is too tame to be respected

seedy and unsupported voice, uninspired guitars, etc etc. i've certainly heard *more* annoying alt rock, but this list appears to have taken that as a challenge.

Nice album, but it seems like a collection of James' lost tracks or Travis' B-sides without Fran Healy. 3 stars for the similarity!

One of the worst Britpop albums on the list. It just drones on and on and every idea they had was present on the first song. It got old quickly. 1.5/5.0

early britpop, which is to say its a little boring but its fine

pleasant background noise

Maybe a bit too cool, but still a nice discovery.

The Britpop keeps coming. I liked this album, was catchy and the songwriting was pretty clever, I’ll bet Alex Turner was a fan in his younger days. Nothing entirely special though, as we get closer to the end of this the number of albums that must not make it vs some of the pretty insignificant albums that did is surprising.

2.4 Bit of a bore with one listen

Britpop, for all it's divisiveness on this list community, I have always understood to be existing in two camps; Suede, The Auteurs, The La's, Pulp, Stone Roses - largely excellent. The rest I don't care about. Forgot how much I love this album - a pleasantly surprising five

I liked it.

Dude... can we be for real right now. What. I don't wanna listen to another brit being depressed and moody because they're british. Ok not as bad as I thought but not good. Could be a lot shorter. I literally hate britpop. So useless. Favourite: American Guitars Least favourite: Idiot Brother

Pretty fun this. Not really anything super groundbreaking but I enjoyed it. 3.7/5

I have little to say about this britpop album, as I think it is incredibly dry: too inoffensive, lacking in emotion and void of anything interesting or catchy. The voice here may be a bit particular, being high pitched and soft, yet I don't find it neither vulnerable, nor sentimental nor captivating. At times, it reminds me of David Bowie or even Lou Reed, but it isn't even close to the style or the attitude these singers had. The instrumentation is also very stale. Basic acoustic, electric guitars, drums and some occasional additions such as piano, harmonica or bells (which I'll admit sound cute) flood the entire album. This project might be boring, but at least is not offensively boring and has a decent production.

I'd give this a 3 of 5 stars. I wasn't blown away, and it is pretty standard sounding Britpop. I can't say I love it, but there are other albums I've gotten that were worse. Maybe I'm more generous than other reviewers on this.

meh

Meh... Good 90's background music

Is it British? Does it belong on the list? How do I feel about it? British ✔️ Belong on list ❌ How do I feel 🤷‍♀️ 3 Boolean: FALSE

While in the begging I was quite optimistic about this album, during the third song I already got super-bored as all the songs not only sound the same, but seems as they have the same structure too.

I listened to this album twice, but not for the right reasons. The first time I listened to it on my way to work, by the end of the day when I came back to the list of albums I had completely forgotten whether I have heard this one or not. That should tell you how drab and bland this is.

Its cool to see New Wave turn to Indie Rock - but its just fine. Not bad, just doesnt need to be on this list.

Ik vind het best een aardig album. De muziek is lekker aangenaam. Het album hoort alleen totaal niet thuis in deze lijst, maargoed, dat doet verder weinig afbreuk aan m'n luistergenot. Ik kan er van genieten en dat mag ook wat waard zijn. Het doet me aan een andere band denken, maar ik kan niet op de naam komen. Misschien Ash ofzo. Anyway, 4 sterren vanuit persoonlijk luistergenot gezien.

it's clear that britpop was still in its embryonic stage here. the melodies are far from as bright and catchy as they would become, and the hooks are lacking. not a fan of this one at all, especially not the vocalist. deserves to be one of the 1001? i suppose it's one of the very first britpop albums, but even with that in consideration it's not really a compelling addition. i would leave this off

Can’t decide if I like this record or not I go from oh this is a cool song to oh stop whining

This one is jest. Its sound is calming, while its lyrics tell a different tale. The delivery disguises the message, making it more palatable.

The George Harrison undercurrent is appreciated (I see you Auterus) and foes separate them from other run of the mill 90s Brits. And I did like it better than expected. And may listen again. But still...

Standouts Don't Trust the Stars

oh come on with these alt rock brit bands... they're so just fine. it's rude

British new wave

British new wave sound

I'm starting to think that I must just hate music?

liked a lot actually

Widely considered as the first true britpop record, you are not going to find any laddy anthems that you would expect to find on an Oasis record. This has the glam rock sheen that you would associate with Suede, the sleepiness of Blur's self-titled album and a cynicism that feels so undoubtedly British. I'd argue this record is nothing special, but it is a decent collection of melodic songs. I can see why this band didn't blow up like the big four of britpop did. There isn't a song on here that screams out to be a big single and the guy behind the Auteurs project does seem like he is rather bitter. This isn't going to change anyone's life, but I'd recommend it to anyone who is into indie rock bands of this era.

My first hearing of this band. Didn't leave much of an impression. My favorite track was Don't Trust the Stars

Wow. I’d never heard this, and I’ve been missing out. Love the sound. Moody vocals and bleak lyrics FTW! “Bailed Out” is going on heavy rotation in my house.

Gostei de forma geral do álbum. É um Indie rock com destaque legal nas guitarras que "rasgam" as notas. TRIxHBB Kai.

What happens when you combine the voice of a friendly British lad zooted out on acid in the 60s with relentlessly alternative/grungy guitar, bass, and drums? New Wave. Not the genre (in fact, new wave is a far cry from whatever this is supposed to be), but some record from a 90s group you've never heard of. In fact, this album marks yet another exceptionally obscure artist-album combo that really makes you question whether Dimery was of sound mind when brainstorming candidates for the 1001 most important records of all time. Then there's the most prominent issue from the Auteurs: the singing is undeniably terrible. Haines needed some (any) vocal training, or else pick any other member of the band to sub in on the mic. I'll give props to Show Girl. The Auteurs put on a powerful performance, featuring a powerful rhythm section bolstered by some confidently played piano chords. Bailed Out continues the piano presence, and adds some nice string parts (high and low register) that almost make you forget Haines's weak, scratchy vocal timbre. A notable exception is Junk Shop Clothes, in which he kind of sounds like Lennon. Coupled with a light, slightly melancholy atmosphere, that song's an easy standout. Starstruck gets a passing grade almost entirely because of the glockenspiels and other soft miscellaneous noises in the right ear. The lack of omnipresent electric guitar helps, too. Tracks like American Guitars, Don't Trust The Stars, and Idiot Brother verge into generic distorted-guitar-rock. You know, the kind that Weezer does, but does correctly. The Auteurs do not do it correctly. By the time of Housebreaker – which, mind you, is still passable – you're just waiting for the album to be over. Something about Britpop and this guy's voice makes me feel a little ill. Early Years and the "bonus track" at the end of Home Again are pretty good, I guess. The latter vaguely reminds me of Message In a Bottle. Still, just a few too many songs with no hook or memorable moments to keep listeners engaged. (Even the singing is bad in a forgettable way. I didn't even know that was possible.) 2/5 Key tracks: Show Girl, Junk Shop Clothes

I'm not quite sure how this album got on this list. I felt next to nothing listening to this. The guy has an annoying voice, the songs are bland. There's no adventure here, and being boring is almost worse than being bad. It's pretentious in its songwriting, lyrics, and assumptions that anyone should care about it. The name of the damn band tells you all you need to know about these guys. New Wave deserves no more than a 2, but I just hate it more and more as I listen, so a 1 it is.

Kinda generic '90s indie guitar music. I'm not hearing much notable so far (four songs in). The longer it goes on the less I like it. A song here and there might be okay but the whole album as a piece is a real dud. Calling themselves The Auteurs and naming an album that sounds like this "New Wave" was either the height of oblivious pretentiousness or master level trolling.

En 1993, et face au grunge qui inonde la planète avec sa crasse et ses guitares saturées, la presse anglaise — NME et Melody Maker en tête — cherche désespérément la riposte locale pour reprendre le contrôle du paysage rock. C'est donc dans ce climat de surenchère médiatique que la hype s'est retrouvée brusquement fracturée en deux camps irréconciliables. D'un côté, la théâtralité glam et androgyne-chic de Suede ; de l'autre, l'élégance cynique et les arrangements au vitriol de The Auteurs. La presse s'excitait, créait une rivalité artificielle et distribuait les bons points en prédisant l'avenir du rock britannique. Et pendant que la masse se ruait sur la pochette androgyne du premier album de Suede, mon cœur s'est immédiatement dirigé, de manière totalement naturelle et instinctive, vers la bande guidée par Luke Haines. Il n'y a pas eu l'ombre d'un doute, pas une seconde d'hésitation. Car si la posture tape-à-l'œil d'Anderson et Butler avait son charme, la noirceur tranchante et l'humour désabusé de Luke Haines possédaient quelque chose de bien plus vénéneux et de bien plus durable. Sorti en février 1993 sur le label Hut Records, et alors que le mouvement qui allait bientôt être baptisé « Britpop » commençait à pointer son nez avec ses hymnes faciles pour stades, The Auteurs proposaient exactement l'inverse. Luke Haines, accompagné d'Alice Readman à la basse, de Glenn Collins à la batterie et de James Banbury au violoncelle, débarquait avec une esthétique de misanthrope assumé, dépaquetant des chansons d'une finesse harmonique hallucinante enrobées dans des textes d'une noirceur jubilatoire. La production, assurée par Haines lui-même et Phil Vinall, évitait soigneusement tous les pièges de l'époque. Pas de surenchère de distorsion inutile, pas d'effets datés qui vieillissent mal après six mois : juste des guitares acoustiques sautillantes, une section rythmique d'une sobriété exemplaire et ce violoncelle obsédant qui apportait une dimension chambriste, presque théâtrale, à l'ensemble. New Wave, c'est une capacité unique à mélanger l'agressivité punk et la préciosité pop. Écouter ce disque, c'est voir des chansons défiler avec une aisance déconcertante, sans jamais chercher à en faire trop ni à étaler une virtuosité stérile. Haines écrit sur les ratés, les losers magnificents, la déchéance du show-business de seconde zone, la banlieue britannique morne et les désillusions étouffées. Quand déboule un titre comme "Showgirl", morceau d'ouverture parfait et single inaugural d'une précision démoniaque, on comprend tout de suite à quel genre de phénomène on a affaire. La voix de Haines, traînante, ironique, presque méprisante, pose un constat sans concession sur la célébrité éphémère. Sur "Junk Shop Clothes", l'atmosphère devient encore plus intime et étouffante, décrivant la misère sociale avec une poésie macabre que peu de songwriters britanniques ont réussi à égaler. L'album regorge de moments de grâce empoisonnée, "How Could I Be Wrong" marie une mélodie d'une douceur trompeuse à un refrain d'une férocité absolue. "Valet Parking" et "Idiot Brother" enfoncent le clou en peignant des portraits au vitriol d'une société anglaise engluée dans ses propres névroses. Ce qui rend New Wave si magistral, c'est ce refus catégorique de céder à la facilité ou au pathos. Enfin ce qui mérite d'être souligné c'est le travail de James Banbury au violoncelle, car il donne au groupe une signature sonore immédiatement identifiable, loin des clichés du rock à guitares classique. Le violoncelle n'est pas là pour faire joli ou pour ajouter une touche pseudo-classique pompeuse ; il est utilisé comme une arme rythmique et mélodique, venant cisailler les morceaux et accentuer la tension dramatique de chaque mesure. L'histoire de la musique est malheureusement truffée d'injustices flagrantes, et le destin de New Wave en est l'un des exemples les plus criants. Lors des Mercury Music Prize de 1993, l'album a été nommé aux côtés du premier disque de Suede. La suite, on la connaît : Suede a raflé la mise, la presse a créé ses icônes, et The Auteurs ont été relégués aux rangs d'outsiders magnifiques pour happy few et esthètes de l'ombre. Luke Haines, fidèle à lui-même, a réagi en développant un mépris encore plus féroce pour l'industrie musicale et pour cette scène Britpop qu'il a contribué à créer malgré lui et qu'il s'est efforcé de détruire artistiquement par la suite. C'est précisément cette position de rejet, ce refus de signer le pacte avec la médiocrité ambiante, qui fait de New Wave un grand album incompris et mal aimé du grand public. Pendant que Blur et Oasis vendaient des millions de disques en célébrant une Angleterre de carte postale rassurante et caricaturale, The Auteurs montraient les coulisses crasseuses du théâtre, les acteurs déchus et les décors en carton-pâte qui s'effondrent. Devenu l'un de mes albums de chevet absolus, je l'écoute plusieurs fois par an, et ceci depuis plus de vingt ans sans jamais ressentir la moindre lassitude. C'est la marque des véritables chefs-d'œuvre : ils ne vieillissent pas, ils se bonifient. Là où beaucoup de productions du début des années 90 sonnent aujourd'hui terriblement datées, engluées dans les tics d'époque et la nostalgie niaise, New Wave conserve une fraîcheur intacte, une urgence intacte, une hargne intacte. À chaque réécoute, je redécouvre une nuance dans le jeu de guitare, une inflexion vicieuse dans le chant de Haines, un arrangement de basse d'Alice Readman d'une élégance folle. C'est un disque qui m'accompagne dans mes moments de doute comme dans mes moments de lucidité froide. C'est un refuge pour tous ceux qui préfèrent l'ironie mictionnelle aux grands sentiments fabriqués pour les radios FM. Il est temps de rendre à César ce qui appartient à Luke Haines. New Wave n'est pas seulement un très bon disque de rock indépendant sorti au début des années 90 : c'est, sans la moindre exagération, l'un des plus beaux et plus grands albums de la décennie. Une œuvre d'art pure, vénéneuse, hautaine, drôle et tragique à la fois. Un sommet de songwriting britannique qui méritait les sommets des charts et qui doit se contenter du statut de disque culte vénéré par une poignée d'amoureux de la vraie pop vacharde. Si vous êtes passé à côté à l'époque, ou si vous l'avez oublié dans un coin de votre discothèque au profit de disques plus populaires mais dix fois moins subtils, refaites-vous ce cadeau. Pour moi, le verdict est sans appel depuis plus de deux décennies, et il n'a pas bougé d'un millimètre : un immense, un indiscutable 5 sur 5.

Did not vibe with this at all

An album that grows better with age. Really strong character based songwriting set to quality post-Brit Pop rock. The mainman - Luke Haines, has had along meandering career but whenever his work crosses my attention it's rewarding to listen to at least once.

Maybe throw a few curveballs in there next time.

Caught between enjoying the overall sound of this album and not finding any particular track a stand out

Christ please I just want less forgettable britpop. Please lord

reminds me a ton of kaputt

It’s not terrible…it’s fucking terrible. Why did I need to listen to this before I died? I’ve never wished I died young before, but here we are.

Meh. I didn’t hate this one, but nothing really stood out to me either

Pretty good rock album.

Nothing about this album really spoke to me.

Never heard of The Auteurs, so thanks to The 1001 Must Hear List for that. Their debut album New Wave is list worthy, start and ends strong, bit of a lag through the middle. How Could I Be Wrong is top track, followed by the secret song after Home Again - Can’t Find Me? (3.45*s) Gonna have to listen to this one again along with some of their other albums.

The Auteurs got that 90s indie-grunge sound that has certainly broken away from the 80s New Wave. I was in for this album pretty much the whole way through. The band authored some solid songs with good subject matter. Sprinkling in a triangle or chimes here and there also gives it a little more depth. I do always appreciate a secret track addition so you know it's a 90s record. This one flew under the radar and would have remained cloaked if not for the list. Not quite starstruck but gets a decent 2.9 star rating from me.

Another down the middle British alt rock album. Wondering why this one ends up on the list. It's not that New Wave is bad, just can't find anything that would it distinguish it from the wide swath of other 90's rock albums that sound like this, many of which have already been previously featured on this list. It has to be that this is considered proto-Britpop and paved the way for the genre that Dimery is so clearly fond of. While I enjoy my fair share of Britpop I've mentioned previously that the genre is over-represented on this list, but I guess that can be somewhat expected coming from a British publisher. All in all The Auteurs New Wave wasn't bad. There's a couple catchy tunes that I could see getting some singles radio play.There's something a little whiny and nasally about the vocalist that can be a little grating at times. I'd consider this album slightly better than the average but would fully understand if anyone else found this entirely skippable. 2.63 stars

Really liked their style

Interesting

Who the fuck made this list

Certainly one of the albums of all time, left zero impression. Britpop wouldn’t be remembered all that fondly if it only ever sounded like this.

I really wanted to like this but it was so bland. Just really kept doing anything else than bother to listen to it. Not terrible but so meh.

Not terrible but fairly forgettable, felt like they were trying to be several other bands

i shouldn't be so critical but I do not love this guy's voice and the instrumentation is really average.

A quintessential Dimery Dud. It’s well recorded and mixed. But the musical ideas are trite, and there’s no hint that any of them have any sense of melody. What I assume earned it a place on the list is the English lyricist who fancies himself clever, moaning edgy, hipsterish quips, but appears incapable of spinning any of them into a complete song. The recording engineers earned both stars here.

Like like thx I like it Thank you I do❤️

Heard Before? Not at all. Which should excite me, but this list has taught me to be leery. Notes: - I'm at a total loss trying to figure out what is supposed to be interesting about this album. Verdict: If this was British food instead of British music, it would be a can of mushy peas. Listen Again? Ha!

I sort of want to like The Auteurs more than I do because I like Luke Haines' writing so much. His column in Record Collector is great. The glam rock revival label has never rung true to me. This sounds very arch 80s indie to me with the light unobtrusive instrumentation and acerbic storyteller lyrics. The drawback with a lot of this stuff is that often the melodies aren't quite strong enough. I read about the inspiration for Idiot Brother. Are Fire Records the most hated UK indie label of the 80s/90s? I knew as soon as this one popped up it would average less than 3 and the top reviews would be 1 star reviews complaining about the amount of Britpop, with Britpop being used to cover all UK music from the 80s onwards. This album and the list of bands in the top review are the clearest possible illustration that the UK and US may share a language (erroneous use of Britpop aside) but our cultural overlap is not so great. There's a nice irony in the song American Guitars on this not being a put down.

Absolute pants.

Funky. I DIG IT

Britpop but make it moody and a bit goth? Didn’t dislike this nearly as much as everyone else seems to. Not to say I loved it but I enjoyed this more than most britpop honestly.

Alright

3/6

I truly don’t understand this list. The 90s was absolutely packed to the brim with unbelievable progressive rock/pop, heavy, metal, indeed, etc. But somehow this generator keeps giving me third tier garbage filler indie Brit rock. Albums like this have absolutely no reason to be on this list. There’s no redeeming qualities. This is boring. As a matter of fact last few albums have been incredibly boring. This is something I need to listen to before I die? This?!?

Aggressively mediocre, pretentious Britpop. Sure, it was made early on, but the “new wave” has long since crashed and receded back into the ocean where it belongs. 2 thumbs down!

This isn’t bad but I’m so bored of hearing bands just like this. A good album amongst the rest of them but what does that really say? The man on the album looks like Timothée Chalamet in Dune.

Surprised to find myself enjoying this one quite a bit. 4/5

This had some really decent ups but the downs were in hell

...and I did it again. Wrote something out, lost it all to an absent minded click. It's too easy to do! Anyway, to summarise my thoughts on this: vocals are just sound to me like a terrible, whiney imitation of John Lennon. Musically, not much is going on here either. It's all perfectly serviceable again, if a bit dull. Variation is pretty lacklustre here too. Even with my bias for bass guitar can't save it when it has these fleeting moments. Songs that I somewhat enjoyed or managed to find something in: "American Guitars", "Housebreaker" and "Early Years". I was glad when this was over.

Strange one - I felt like I enjoyed it more than I thought I would but also wasn’t blown away by it. An ok album to have on in the background

4.5

Blech

Day 334 Surprised at the low marks for this, big fan of Luke Haines. Cant dislike a man who made an album about 80s British wrestlers. Highlights Starstruck How could I be wrong Idiot brother

It was ok

The first song really impressed me then nothing else held up the same.

Fine,I guess. Unremarkable Britpop with notes of Suede and My Life Story. The music is good but the vocal delivery is annoying. I can't see why it merits a place on this list. I was following indie music fairly closely when it came out, and I don't recall it being regarded as especially important or influential even then.

I quite enjoyed this

The music is ok, the singer sounds bored. Lacks any passion or conviction. Very meh album. It does seem to pick up towards the back end. My favorite track being " Early Years."

T'was alright.

This dude keeps shoving aggressively mediocre brit-pop/brit-rock down our throats. Maybe you had to be there? I got a few tracks in before I had to consciously not turn it off and ultimately made through 10 out of the 12 tracks before I couldn't take it anymore. 1.5 stars

Forgettable.

can't really say much, but it was a great listen

Meh, could do without

If I gave anything besides a 1 or 5 I'd give this one a 3. But because I really didn't like the other albums I listened to before this I'll give this a 5

Pretty non-descript rock. It was fine, but didn't do a whole lot for me. 2.75/5.

eeeeeeeeeeeeh

album #91 there are just so many better choices for 90s bands to add to this list. instead, we get "Navel-Gazing The Album". i was lukewarm on the first track ("Showgirl"), slowly warming as it got to the end. i was then hopeful that there would be some gems in the album. unfortunately, i find this album a touch uninspired, and the mixing isn't ideal. there are some tracks that work better than others ("Don't Trust the Stars") but it's otherwise repetitive. i fail to see, even if you enjoy this personally, why this album is on the list. ꩜ average track rating: 1.9/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): don't trust the stars ꩜ least favourite track(s): bailed out ꩜ album rating: ★⯪☆☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 998 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 43 ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 19 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 72

The music is pretty good, but the singer and his strange way of singing makes me cringe

Drew me in slowly. Gentle rock with some lovely arrangements

I had this album recommended a few days before it was generated here some where so I knew about it but did not listen to it then. Its a band that preludes britpop and of course combines new wave, indie, madchester and whatever sounds were popular in the UK in the early 90s. Its a fine listen but nothing that special.

Never heard of album or band. I like the opening to show girl. Vocals are alty and kind of bullshit. Back half is much better vocals wise. I also like the guitar a lot. Not much going on with bailed out. Good piano tho. American guitars is fine. Classic 90s rock/alt song. Good guitar, apt name. Don’t trust the stars is pretty well written. Nice guitar. A little too sad for me. Starstruck is pretty good but again really slow. Cool xylophone. Awesome harmonica on housebreaker. Cool piano too. This is a good song. Valet parking has Beatles vibes, but like a bad Beatles song. Def not my fave. Idiot brother is pretty forgettable. Not bad writing tho. Early years is a cool song. Good way to close it out. Wish all the songs were closer to this one. Overall, JAA. Not terrible but nothing to write home about. 2.4/5.

I have given so many "3" or "4" scores lately. I really want to give a different score to this one. It's not bad, so it's hard to give it a low grade, but New Wave is also not such a great album that it stands out and begs me to listen to more of the Auteurs work. This is a semi-early Britpop album, though Suede was on the scene and there are early British forebearers to Britpop that put out albums in the late 1980's. This is like a more mid-tempo version of Britpop that would come to define much of the 90's music scene in Britain. It's fine and there are catchy songs. This appears to be another British band that gets thrown in the book despite not being terribly outstanding (to me). If someone put this on and forced me to listen to it, then I would not argue and yell. I also would not demand I hear more. Sounds like another "3" for me. Show Girl Bailed Out Starstruck How Could I Be Wrong Idiot Brother Early Years

Has the hallmarks of a one hit wonder that snobby music critics would hail as the next big thing, which didn’t happen. Except I don’t even know which one was the one hit wonder. Easy skip.

Inoffensive but nothing truly of much interest.

I like Lenny Valentino from the album after this so was expecting something with more energy and darkness, but this was actually a bit tame in places. Maybe it needs a few more listens to reveal its subtleties but couldn't shake the feeling this was the meat free Pixies or Suede.

The first couple notes had me thinking of a John Lennon-esque vocalist. But it quickly became apparent that without Paul, George, Ringo, or even a smidge of any of their songwriting chops, this was well short of being called Beatles-like.

It was fine at first; the vocals became annoying as the album continued. Sounded like Al Stewart, which could not have been what he was intending.

It's alright, they were always journalists' favourites rather than actually good.

Blind album and artist. Genuinely enjoyed the listen. Dont understand all the hate honestly.

Landfill Britpop.

Not really my style.

First listen

Alright alt rock. Getting burnt out of this list and not running into anything that really im really connecting with or recognize value in without looking it up

Yet another forgotten and forgettable album of Britpop-rock where I had formed my complete opinion by track 3 and had to endure another 9 tracks. I am British, so believe me when I say that this is an overrepresented genre on this list. If I was appointed editor of the next edition of 1001 Albums, this would be top of the list to replace with some non-Anglophone music. Anyway, in itself this album is fine, and it's not its fault that it's been put with about 500 albums that all sound the same. If I had heard this 500 albums ago I would not have been so jaded, which is the only thing saving this from a 1-star rating.

Meh

Didn’t know what to expect with this, but I’m liking what I’m hearing so far

Call it 2.5, if you want.

Boring

This was actually quite nice sounding and I remember enjoying it as background music. But i’d probs never listen to it again

man can the next album please just not be mid EDIT: going forward I will try not to let my pissy moods affect scores and reviews to this degree. I did give this two listens, if broken up over a few sessions. There is stuff to like here for sure. I liked the song "showgirl" partly because I thought the line was "I married a showgirl, that's me wife" and I knew it probably wasn't actually that but didn't want to look it up. "When I first met you, you were not house trained" does not have the impression I think they're going for. Or maybe it does? They sound like weird slightly offputting theatre kids and maybe that's okay. But the music is still just not that memorable. It' 2.5 not a 2 though, which rounds up to a 3.

Middle-of-the-road new age rock album. Nothing really stuck out, but I enjoyed hearing some harmonica in the middle of the album.

YABA!!! (Yet Another British Album), surely this one is special. Update: pretty mid, nothing new to the table. 2*

... huh...? had this on at work... fell asleep... "Don't Trust The Stars' woke me up.... to remind me to move on.

70

Not certain why this was chosen, it was fine.

Meh, it's nothing exciting and pretty general.

This is yet another bland and boring Britpop album. There seems to be no superlative redeeming qualities that could make this shine as a landmark album of its time. There is nothing that is specially offensive or terrible, but nothing really sticks out, there is nothing to revisit here. 6/10 [DROP]

It was fine

Review - truly one of the worst albums I've ever heard. The amount of britpop this list has given me has already been truly heinous, but this made me appreciate the levels in britpop. I would take another fucking Blur album, or another Damon Albarn side hustle, over this terrible also-ran. Truly abysmal record. He can't sing! And he doesn't try! Score - 0.5/10 Need to listen? NO

3★/5 [06.14.2026] 06.17.2026

Folks, this is what a rock band sounds like when the musicians are three times as good as the vocalist.

Nothing special just a good album to listen to but no innovative or extra creative addition you can pin point

Dull

Very mellow to listen to

Got into it, brilliant and whimsical

A frustrating album. I really liked the opening track but after that there was a whole lot of nothing. Overall quite forgettable. Top Track - Show Girl

The guitar on some songs really tickled my ear, but the lyrics/structure of the song/vocals dragged things down for me. This felt half baked; it didn't stand out to me

1001 Albums Generator 309 (6/9/2026) New Wave is at its best when it's high-energy, excitable, and guitar-forward. Unfortunately, much of the songwriting here is forgettable and kind of sounds like a less interesting Pulp. 2.5/5, rounded down to 2. Favs: Show Girl Don't Trust The Stars Idiot Brother Least Fav: How Could I Be Wrong

Basic britpop

Not bad. Never heard of The Auteurs, even though I was a child of the 90's and into my indie pop/rock at the time. This is clearly the case as the listening history for all of the songs on YTM are just into the tens of thousands. Popularity aside, it was quite good. Definitely sounded like a 90's record, and seems to have aged quite well. Not sure my life is any better for it, though.

Angenehm, aber hält mich nicht auf Albumlänge bei der Stange.

I can understand why people feel the way they do about this album, but i dont think its as bad as everyone makes it seem.

Not for me. Found it much to contrived and formulaic

No. Remove this please. Awful.

I had a rather good time with this one. Can't really remember what I liked about it even a few hrs later tho Re-listened, chilled out, stoner, vaudeville kyle kraft (good thing) Kinda also like if "catastrophe waitress" was a whole album (again, good thing) 4+

Solid 3.5. Clássico britpop

Album #111, New Wave, The Auteurs ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I had never heard this band before. I thought I had when I saw the name come up, but I was either confusing them with The Adverts or Autechre. So this was a completely new discovery for me. There’s a lot to like here. It’s very hard not to make the lazy comparison with Suede because there are just too many similarities to ignore. For one thing, Luke Haines sounds remarkably like Brett Anderson at times. And they seem to write about similar things too. Fame, boredom, glamour, mundanity, all that kind of stuff. But The Auteurs are less glam than Suede. There’s still a bit of that Bowie style glam influence hanging over the album, but it’s much more understated. The whole thing is really dominated by Luke Haines. His vocals, his personality and especially his lyrics. I thought the album was genuinely funny in places. I’ve only listened to it once so I definitely haven’t fully gotten to grips with the lyrics yet, but my first impression was that he’s a really unique songwriter. The instrumentation is great throughout as well. It’s subtle and tasteful in a way that reminded me a little bit of Belle and Sebastian, though definitely not quite as delicate or twee as them. It weirdly felt a bit like Ween too. I actually found this one hard to review, but I enjoyed pretty much every song on it. Showgirl is probably my favourite track and a brilliant opener. I was reading on Wikipedia that some people consider this album a kind of blueprint for Britpop, but honestly I don’t really hear Britpop in it all that much. Maybe there are flashes of Blur here and there, but to me it doesn’t fully fit that label. Maybe that’s just me though. Either way, this was exactly the kind of discovery I wanted from the generator today.

Mhehh little bit Brit pop. Nice guitar sounds. Not catchy enough or different sounding enough to report

I don’t hate it but it also isn’t quite right for me? There are good songs here. Theres a lot to like here. I think the lead singers delivery just took a bit for me to get used to actually. He has kind of a whispery delivery. Got into it about halfway through the album. By the end I totally turned around and loved it. Definitely will seek out more from this band.

Didn’t want to put this one down! I love a nasty sassy Brit! I love “Lenny Bruce never walked in a dead man’s shoes even for one night”

Literally within two seconds I realized this would be more Britrock slop. I scrolled down on Apple Music and lo and behold, this album is in the "I Miss Britpop" playlist.

Housebreaker // 2.5/5

Okay but not la politique des auteurs; methinks this group should rename it self

First off, The Auteurs were much better than I remember them. Nothing here is terrible. But there is a desperate lack of variation that made me wish it were over several times.

Gaap

Dit zit een beetje in de hoek Pavement, Manic Street Preachers, Stone Roses, etc. Helaas krijgt deze band het voor elkaar om aanzienlijk saaier te zijn dan vrijwel alle britpop die in deze lijst voorbij komt. De kleur grijs in muziekvorm. Gelukkig is het luisterbaar op de achtergrond.

It felt full of album tracks but nothing stood out strong (or weak). Low 3.

Struggling to see how this makes the list

Liked the lead single but the album is a bit samey and lackluster.

Genre-wise this should be up my street. Indie infused post-punk with an occasional psychedelic leanings harking back to the 60s. The framework is great unfortunately the content, the songwriting, is pedestrian and unimaginative. The prominent vocals never caught me and I found the lyrics very circular - a new idea is raised at the beginning of each song and repeated but never developed. I’m also not sure I heard a hook over the 45 minutes. After a while I realised that I was listening to “The Wedding Present but if they were boring.”

The Auteurs play in a style i enjoy but they’re just not that good, going solid 2

Enjoyed this way more that I thought I would. Super solid British pop. Simple but catchy. Great vocals. First song Show Girl got me hooked from the beginning.

Another Brit pop influencer / creator, so valuable as part of a great movement, but feels too heavily self-conscious & laboured to enjoy.

Some of the instrumentals are fine, but the lead singer’s voice is like a fork scratching on a plate.

Its aight. I did like the jangly guitar

Idk, it's not bad exactly, I've just heard all this before. It's arctic monkeys, the smiths, etc. there were some moments I enjoyed but overall it was just pretty bland.

Me gustó pero se me hicieron medio largas las canciones

Somehow this felt like a 2000's album aping a new wave album in places. I'm not sure that's to it's credit?

Not sure why I did not listen to them first time round as this would have been right in my wheel house. Listening now its wholly unremarkable indie rock. Its an easy listen and vocals are fine - only gripe is why is a UK band writing about being sick of parking cars in valet parking. Feels a little fake.

New Wave I think this is probably more interesting contextually as a harbinger of Britpop, rather than necessarily for its quality as an album in its own right. It’s certainly noticeable that it seems to signpost a way out of early 90s alt rock. There’s a bit of Sonic Youth and Pavement, but also a bit of Smiths and mid 80s jangle pop as well as elements of 60s baroque pop, notably on Bailed Out, which all of course became foundational in Britpop As an album though it does get quite boring after the strong opening 3 tracks. Show Girl is great and along with Bailed Out and American Guitars front loads the album, after that it just merges into one sound, with perhaps only Home Again standing out. The context definitely is doing the heavy lifting, it is interesting as a stylistic forerunner, but despite there being a degree of quality, overall the music itself isn’t that arresting, and I think I’m unlikely to come back, so I’ll go for a high 2. 🌊🌊 Playlist submission: Show Girl

This had all the lightweight guitar-pop of Lightning Seeds (without the anthems) or Boo Radleys (without the faux-psychedelia, thankfully). The insubstantial nature of much of it is counterbalanced by some very pleasant melodies or hooks - 'Valet Parking' and 'Housebreaker' have some great moments without ever taking off, and that feels endemic of the whole album. 'Idiot Brother' explores a more plump Gibson tone typical of Britpop, and a pretty catchy hook. The lyrics are questionable, even by Britpop standards ("and what about our fat friend?"). An aptitude for a decent melody, but with a whimpering approach which makes it all seem a bit inconsequential. It's guitar pop for bedwetters really isn't it.

I found this very boring

Why is there so much britpop on this damn list?

Eh. Just not my cup of tea

New doesn't necessarily mean good.

There’s a certain irony in both the band name and the album title. Both pretty much imply things that are pushing the envelope and being produced by people delivering a distinctive vision - for me, this was pretty much just an early 90s indie rock sound and not particularly groundbreaking. Certainly not bad, it’s an easy listen and it could perhaps grow on me but there just wasn’t enough that grabbed me enough to make me want to go back and give it time to do so.

Vocals really bring all of these tracks down. The instrumentals in most tracks were good, but the transitions were a bit odd in some places. Some standout tracks for me were Junk Shop Clothes, Starstruck, and Home Again. The hidden track at the end of Home Again was easily the best listen on this album. The other tracks that were not mentioned in this review are very forgettable and not for me.

First Listen: Dude's voice is not it. It sounds like a bad Bowie impression. Bailed Out was nice. The piano was haunting and the singing wasn't distracting. Starstruck was almost good. Reminds me of a mid 2000s garage rock song. HCIBW was nice. Sounds like Ween almost. The beat boxing was unecessary. I wish I was listening to Bowie. OVERALL: The album was a bit better on second listen, but it's not something I'd want to come back to outside of a few tracks. They're at their best when they play into the darker, rockier grooves. 5/10 T3: Bailed Out, HCIBW, the second half of Home Again (first half is aight)

Bro G, this album isn't so cracked. T3: Bailed Out, How Could I Be Wrong, and Home Again

Los autores de la nueva ola

Equally inoffensive and inconsequential. 3/5

Hadn't heard of this band, I liked what I had time to listen to but didn't get through much of it.

mostly OK but some tracks pretty enjoyable

Not a bad album, sounds decent enough, but just kind of blends into itself. Nothing really sticks out. All in all pretty forgettable.

Britpop is so weird. I don't much like their contemporaries, but I do think that this speaks to me more than most. It's quite a lot darker than I'd have generally expected I couldn't honestly tell you anything about this album after listening to it yesterday, aside from what I wrote above while listening to it. Something that leaves no impression can't do much better than a 2 I think

Overall kinda boring and uninspiring. Didn't like the whiney vocals. Most of the time the instrumentation was fairly boring and not doing anything crazy. Some good ones were Dont Trust the Stars and How Could I Be Wrong. That one was at least interesting to listen to. The fact that there was at least a song and some musical movement beneath the lyrics earns this a 2.

7.75/10 - I actually rate this pretty highly. I really like the leads voice/delivery and the generally disdainful and pessimistic sound. I’m probably higher on this than most.

There's something here that I am just missing. I like it but I'm not connecting with it the way that I thought I would. Dark Britpop should be something I'm really into, in theory. 6/10

inoffensive but forgettable

Pretty good album. Seems like they listened to a lot of Bowie, Lou Reed, Roxy Music and so on but wanted to apply it to a different esthetic. As far as those 90s britpop bands go, this one is quite unique. Very nocturnal, dark, heavily misanthropic in the lyrics. Solid stuff, 1001albums strikes again.

Overall: 3/10 Man these guys are so generic and boring that it actually pisses me off that the listmakers could think this is worthy of being here at all. Can we all just collectively make our own lists and take out 99% of the britpop (Blur and Oasis can stay). Fav Song: Bailed Out

Dreadful. Instantly forgettable (and I really hope I do forget it). I honestly couldn't even focus in on one part of it - were the lyrics good? Basslines? Production? The overall result was so utterly vapid I couldn't tell you and don't care. When I first started writing this it was 2*. Now it's 1. SHITE.

If I had a son, and he, at age 15, was making something like this, I’d be fairly proud. If that son was making something like this at 25, I’d disown him.

Yawn.

Not quite my style.

great vibe but overall pretty inconsistent, could be boping to one tune and wanting to focus on other stuff to the next the band can really hold the beatlesque early 90s alternative sound but the project itself falls a little flat this non decimal, five stars rating system is not going to like it but this is what a 5/10 sounds like for me

The moral of the story of the 1001+ album journey is that Britpop has dependably and steadily diminishing returns from an already middling peak.

Didn't do much for me. Listening to this in 2026...it just doesn't sound like anything particularly interesting...probably would have been more engaging at the time.

It feels like every few weeks we get one of these "bigger deal in the UK than anywhere else" albums—see also Pulp, the Divine Comedy, Suede, Manic Street Preachers—usually with middling results. That tradition of shrugging continues with the Auteurs, another hyper-literate, irony-loving group with kinda meh vocals. New Wave sounded like 12 iterations of the same song to me, particularly vocally. I liked "Early Years" and "Idiot Brother," but the rest came and went.

Vou resumi BASTANTE. Quase ganhou o mercury prize, o disco eh maravilhoso então faz sentido. Foi gravado rápido e ainda assim tem uma qualidade boa. Enquanto escutava as músicas parecia que acompanhava uma cena cinematográfica, o que faz sentido eu ter sentido essa vibe meio jovem cansado e cult da vida, não algo que poderia ser colocado como britpop, se é que faz sentido. Foi produzido por Phin Vinall! O cara que trabalhou com várias bandas hit da cena como Elastica e Placebo. Minhas favoritas foram “Valet Parking”, “Starstruck”, “How Could I Be Wrong”, “Home Again” e “Housebreaker”. New Wave foi uma boa escuta, nada surpreendente mas que tem uma composição bacaninha que condiz com o título álbum em alguns aspectos, ótimo álbum caso queira um som de fundo como se fosse uma trilha sonora do seu filme mesmo.

I didn’t hate it. I didn’t love it. It was a middle of the road listen.

Eh

Of all the albums I have ever listened to, this is certainly one of them. The music is fine. Vocals don't do too much for me. Mostly inoffensive but very forgettable.

Other than Show Girl, nothing stuck on this album. Maybe in the early 90s this felt fresh? Today it felt like a bad T-Rex. 2 stars feels generous

Such an annoying voice. So unmemorable.

I'm a bit angry at how tedious this album is. I must be missing something others can hear because this is just lifeless to me. They sound like they'd really like to have been The Beatles. I very much do not like this album. It's sucking my soul out of me.

The final boss of shitty support bands that you deliberately avoid watching

Not offensive, but not all that engaging either.

"Mom, can we get some Britpop?" "We have Britpop at home." the Britpop at home: New Wave by The Auteurs

Weak vocals, uninspired lyrics. No hook.

I was grumpy when I listened to this, but this was like the most nothing album ive ever listen too. Just noise.

Britpop prototype

Just never really did it for me, annoying voice too.

Not alot to say about this sad little brit rock record. It is. It does those thing and is from that place. I dont hate it by any means. I also dont love it either. It j7st was nice enough to listen to and thats kinda it. Got a song or 2 saved but those are the fastest and most energetic songs toward the end. Thays not what most of this album is about though. Its ok though. I had a good enough time

This is a lot like the intersection between T Rex and The Smiths, but not quite as good as either one. Just add it to the collection of albums I wouldn’t complain about having on a CD buried in a glovebox on a road trip, but would not go out of my way to seek out.

Die Auteurs, gegründet vom englischen Songwriter Luke Haines gemeinsam mit Bassistin Alice Readman und Schlagzeuger Glenn Collins, nahmen ihr Debütalbum im Sommer 1992 in einem Studio im damals noch unglamourösen Londoner Stadtteil Hoxton auf. Produziert von Haines und dem befreundeten Engineer Phil Vinall, erschien New Wave im Februar 1993 auf Hut Records, einem Sublabel von Virgin, und platzierte sich auf Anhieb als Außenseiter und Präzisionswurf innerhalb der entstehenden britischen Indie-Szene. Der Klang ist karg, die Arrangements sind es aber bewusst: Cello (James Banbury), pointierte Perkussion und Haines' messerscharfe Gitarre halten sich gegenseitig in Schach. Thematisch kreist das Album um Ruhm, Scheitern und die Mechanismen des Showbusiness – nicht mit romantischer Bitterkeit, sondern mit kalter Beobachtungsschärfe. „Show Girl" eröffnet mit einer der trockensten Liebesanekdoten der britischen Rockgeschichte, „American Guitars" zieht den zeitgleichen Grunge-Hype durch den Kakao, und „Junk Shop Clothes" macht aus Klassenmarkierungen eine kleine, perfekte Miniatur. Haines singt nicht, er konstatiert – und genau darin liegt die eigentümliche Wärme dieser Platte. New Wave wurde für den Mercury Prize 1993 nominiert (den letztlich Suede gewann) und landete in Q magazines Jahresliste der besten Alben. Die Nachwirkung ist beträchtlich: Das Album gilt retrospektiv als eines jener seltenen Debüts, das eine Szene nicht abbildet, sondern ihr vorgreift. Wer mit dem Britpop der Neunziger nichts anfangen konnte, sollte trotzdem hier anfangen – New Wave ist klüger als das meiste, was unter diesem Label läuft.

Favorite Song: Bailed Out

**The Auteurs — *New Wave* (1993): An In-Depth Review** --- ### Overview Released in early 1993, *New Wave* stands as one of the most intellectually formidable and stylistically distinctive debuts of the decade. Fronted by Luke Haines—songwriter, guitarist, and one of British indie rock's most caustic personalities—the album arrived at a pivotal moment, just as British guitar music was shifting from shoegaze and baggy toward what would soon be branded Britpop. The album was shortlisted for the 1993 Mercury Music Prize, famously losing by a single vote to Suede's debut . It has since been canonized in the *1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die* list and remains a touchstone for critics who value lyrical density and anti-heroic sensibility over anthemic populism. --- ### Lyrics Luke Haines' lyricism on *New Wave* is the album's defining feature—spiteful, sardonic, and wickedly clever, delivered in a hushed, conspiratorial whisper that forces the listener to lean in . The writing operates through impressionistic vignettes rather than narrative clarity, capturing "lives half-seen and quarter-known" with a raconteur's minimalism . **Key thematic threads:** - **Show business and failed aspiration:** The opener "Show Girl" sets the tone with its tale of marrying a showgirl bride, only to confront the grim reality of unemployment and library notice-boards—an illusion of glamour smashed by Thatcher-era hangover . "Starstruck" extends this to child actors and the distortions of fame ("First child and a showbiz son / Always hide where you come from") . - **Class and cultural slumming:** "Junk Shop Clothes" is the album's lyrical centerpiece, attacking the bohemian affectation of distressed fashion among the affluent middle class. Haines drops esoteric references to Lenny Bruce and Chaim Soutine to underline the irony: "Junk shop clothes will get you nowhere / No summer pavilion / No shooting season" . The song suggests that performing poverty is not only disingenuous but actively prevents social mobility. - **Hostility toward American alternative rock:** "American Guitars" functions as a sneering takedown of grunge and soft alt-rock mediocrity ("They were failing dutifully / If you're going to fail at all"). The repetitive guitar motif mimics the very music Haines is mocking . - **Domestic unease and petty catastrophe:** "Idiot Brother"—potentially a veiled swipe at the Gallagher brothers and Oasis—explores jealousy and dysfunction through cryptic, unsettling imagery: "I was walking around your house / In the middle of the night / Home medicine, erotica / Is your prescription right?" . The lyrics reward close attention; Haines buries cultural references and bitter punchlines that reveal themselves only on repeated listens, creating what one critic called "a glorious, unclear monologue" . --- ### Music & Arrangement Musically, *New Wave* occupies a unique space—too ornate for lo-fi, too brittle for mainstream Britpop, too melodic for post-punk. The sound is characterized by: - **Guitar work** that "plots brittle geometries while resisting virtuosity," offering blocky chords and jangly progressions that nod to Johnny Marr without imitating him . - **James Banbury's cello**, described as "the last good cello in 90s guitar music," which adds a melancholy elegance that never turns mawkish . It elevates tracks like "Bailed Out" into something approaching chamber-pop. - **Rhythmic restraint:** Glen Collins' drums alternate between propulsive and restraining functions, while Alice Readman's bass provides simple, low-slung foundation . - **Baroque touches:** Harpsichord, celeste, piano, and harmonica appear throughout, giving songs like "Junk Shop Clothes" and "Housebreaker" a whimsical, almost vaudevillian texture that contrasts with the lyrical darkness . The album's sonic signature is "eerie elegance"—melodic and accessible on the surface, but suffused with an undercurrent of menace and disillusionment . Haines' vocal delivery—dry, wry, perpetually downbeat—completes the effect, making even ostensibly pretty songs feel vaguely sinister . --- ### Production Produced by Phil Vinall, *New Wave* captures a specific early-90s indie aesthetic: clean enough to showcase the arrangements, but not so polished that it loses grit. However, production choices have been divisive. Some listeners find the arrangements overly busy, with one critic noting that the album "could have been so much better if the arrangements and production were simplified," questioning whether every song needed cello, harmonica, or xylophone . Conversely, the expanded edition's home demos reveal the songs in skeletal form—Haines playing cardboard box drums, his voice hissing through a 4-track, guitars threatening to drown the entire endeavor . These raw versions demonstrate that the studio sheen, while occasionally fussy, was necessary to translate Haines' vision into something listenable. The production successfully balances ornate instrumentation with the ragged energy of the band's live presence. --- ### Themes At its core, *New Wave* is an album about **disappointment**—with culture, with class, with the music industry, with the self. Haines surveys a landscape of "dirt, grime, laughing when you should vomit, biting when a smile is expected" . The world he creates is one of Surrey satellite towns, unpleasant parties, home invasions, and failed performers—a "more general malaise" rather than faded glamour . There's also a meta-commentary on **Britpop itself**. Though often lumped into the movement, Haines viewed the association with contempt. *New Wave* can be read as both a template for Britpop's antimodernist arrangements and an *avant-la-lettre* condemnation of the lager-and-parka jingoism that the scene would descend into . Haines was simultaneously inventing the genre and predicting its artistic limitations. The album's final track, "Home Again," offers a rare moment of sentimentality ("it's better than drugs / it's goo-ood / to be in your home again"), immediately undercut by the hidden urgency and paranoia that precedes it . This tension—between craving connection and despising the world that offers it—drives the entire record. --- ### Influence & Legacy *New Wave* is increasingly recognized as a **proto-Britpop landmark** that predated and arguably outclassed many of its more famous contemporaries. Critics have noted that it "heralded a new wave of British guitar music" while remaining too idiosyncratic to truly belong to the scene it helped inspire . The album's influence can be traced through: - **Luke Haines' subsequent career:** The Auteurs' later albums (*Now I'm a Cowboy*, *After Murder Park*) evolved into darker, steelier territory, but *New Wave* established the Haines universe—one he continues to explore in solo work and with Black Box Recorder . - **Britpop's intelligent wing:** Bands like Pulp (particularly Jarvis Cocker's class-conscious narratives) and Suede share DNA with Haines' approach, though Haines maintained a more adversarial relationship with the mainstream . - **The "landfill indie" backlash:** *New Wave* serves as a reminder of what British guitar pop could achieve when it prioritized wit and arrangement over anthemic simplicity. Louder Than War described Haines as "the nearest we've got to a true genius from the so-called Britpop Era" , while Drowned in Sound noted the album's enduring "mystery"—why Haines should be so conflicted, so clear yet hushed, so melodic yet hostile . --- ### Pros | Strength | Evidence | |----------|----------| | **Exceptional lyricism** | "Spiteful, vaguely sinister, and wickedly clever" writing that rewards repeated listening | | **Distinctive sonic identity** | Cello-driven chamber-pop meets brittle guitar rock; no other 1993 album sounds quite like it | | **Melodic craft** | Hooks abound despite the cynicism—"Show Girl," "Junk Shop Clothes," and "Bailed Out" are immediately memorable | | **Thematic coherence** | A fully realized worldview; Haines creates his own language and universe | | **Historical significance** | A foundational Britpop document that predates the movement's commercial peak | | **Arch humor** | Despite the darkness, the album is genuinely funny—"Lenny Bruce never walked in a dead man's shoes, even for one night" | --- ### Cons | Weakness | Evidence | |----------|----------| | **Overwrought arrangements** | Some critics find the instrumentation (cello, xylophone, harmonica) excessive and distracting; "did this song really need a cello?" | | **Vocal limitations** | Haines' whispered, nasal delivery can feel monotonous or lacking in dynamic range | | **Accessibility** | The album's determined idiosyncrasy and lack of obvious choruses can make it a "grower" rather than an immediate pleasure | | **Britpop association** | Being lumped into a movement Haines despised has arguably obscured the album's unique merits | | **Emotional distance** | The relentless cynicism can feel cold; some listeners find it "boring" or "the epitome of bland" | --- ### Verdict *New Wave* is not an easy album to love, but it is an impossible one to dismiss. It captures a moment in British music when intelligence and melody were not yet mutually exclusive, when a songwriter could reference Chaim Soutine and still write a chorus that stuck in your head. Luke Haines' creation is a world of "half-forgotten souvenirs" and "creeping unease," rendered in arrangements that are as elegant as they are unsettling . If the album has a flaw, it is that it sometimes tries too hard to be difficult—burying its accessibility under layers of irony and ornamentation. But this same quality ensures its longevity. While Oasis sang about cigarettes and alcohol for stadiums, and Blur documented modern life with arch observationalism, The Auteurs were constructing something darker, stranger, and ultimately more enduring: a critique of the very dream that Britpop would sell out to pursue. **Essential for:** Fans of Suede's *Dog Man Star*, Pulp's *His 'n' Hers*, Robyn Hitchcock, or anyone who believes that the best British indie rock should leave you slightly uncomfortable. **Rating:** 8/10 — A flawed but foundational masterpiece of intelligent, antisocial guitar pop .

Meh! Nothing special.

7/10

Is not my cup of tea.

Not my cuppa. It’s pretty but I couldn’t engage with it. It slipped into the background.

Every song is good. And yet -- eh. I'm not very interested in returning to this record. I think I am not a good rock band listener. It has become apparent to me more and more over the years that the more a band is just straight rock, the more I just am not interested. I think that's relevant here. Hold the phone! Early Years is excellent. That's going into the library. Otherwise .... etc. ... Plus -- this guy's voice sounds just like Robyn Hitchcock, whom I know well (sort of) owing to my habit of saying "Yeah, sure" whenever someone asks me if I want to go too when they're going to a concert. As a result of my friend Ben's affection for Hitchcock, I've seen him several times. It's weird to hear what sounds like his voice on this rather different music. "When I first met you / You were not house trained" .... that's very Robyn Hitchcock ... possibly I'm on to something ...

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?

This sounds like someone tried to make an album perfectly encapsulating a particular moment in time (early 90s) without giving you anything specific to focus on. I kept thinking so many songs on here would be great to use in a movie or show trying to situate itself in that era without playing a Jane's Addiction or Smashing Pumpkins song everyone's heard a million times. I've never heard of this band. I enjoyed the record more or less, but it seems like an album that had to have been appreciated at the time. Maybe that's a long-winded way of saying I found this record boring.

Feel 8/10: almost Beatles inspired? Really good feeling throughout Length 8/10: 12 Songs at 40 mins actually works Musicality 7/10: Basic band. Piano, Bass, drums, guitar, but some great percussion Flow 7/10: Good mixing between songs. Very little space Understandability 6/10: No clear story and semi clear lyrics Overall 8.5/10: Great album. Feels out of its time but is fun

I like ‘Housebreaker’ and ‘Bailed Out’. I think the lyrics are supposed to be the album’s strength but they can be relentlessly cynical. He has a rather specific vocal and emotional range. N but the album’s cool, the cover, the aesthetic. It’s different from Britpop and I respect him.

I like music like this. Some songs I really enjoyed, but I couldn't single them out after listening, so it should probably stay at 3 stars. 3.5, maybe?

New Wave es una obra de arte atemporal del rock alternativo británico y un monumento a la sofisticación pop que ha envejecido bien gracias a su audaz dirección artística. Desde una perspectiva de diseño instrumental, el álbum es impecable; la incorporación del violonchelo aporta un matiz neoclásico donde las cuerdas y el rock están bien entretejidas, logrando una claridad y una atmósfera unificada sumamente elegante. No es un disco complaciente en su fondo: bajo sus ganchos melódicos late una dualidad que transmite autenticidad, equilibrando la belleza de los arreglos con una ácida amargura que huye del cliché comercial. La entrega vocal e identidad lírica de Luke Haines actúan como el eje conceptual de la obra, presentándose como un mordaz llamado a la conciencia desde la ironía y el cinismo urbano. Su interpretación, desinteresada pero cargada de una fuerza y autoridad superior, dota a temas como "Show Girl" o "Junk Shop Clothes" de una teatralidad fascinante. Nos encontramos ante un trabajo dinámico que posee una sensación de paz y fluidez rítmica excepcional, lo que le otorga una versatilidad sumamente noble para múltiples usos: el trabajo creativo, caminar, correr y la carretera.

Is this because I said all Brit Pop didn’t suck yesterday? Because I take it back.

Middle-of-the-road britpop and very much a product of its time.

Nice record

2 sterne

mmmmh no special feelings about this one

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Never heard of the Auteurs before but I love their sound. They're a good alt-rock counterpoint to the Brit-pop culture at the time. Top Tracks: How Could I Be Wrong, Idiot Brother, Home Again

Didn't enjoy this one as much as me lads but still a strong showing.

Sometimes Luke Haines does a little Peter Ivers thing with his voice and that's what boosts this from being a standard good album to memorable and worth revisiting.

Inte så förtjust i sånna här röster, men instrumentalt var det väl bra.

Ja, äntligen lite generisk brittisk 90-talsrock igen! Skoja, pisstråkigt. George Harrison från temu. Men känner jag den här listan rätt har de väl 15 album till man måste höra innan man blåser skallen av sig.

EXAKT vad freddi sa. Känns som det är galna mängder Britpop och då har vi inte ens kommit till Oasis än...

Lite roligt, lite drygt, lite soft, lite kefft. Lite lagom sådär

An amazingly boring album. Not unlistenable garbage, but not much more.

It was pretty good! But a bit unmemorable

meh

Det är varierat och spännande på Radiohead-sättet. Bra låtar, intressanta arr. Jag borde älska detta. Kanske på fel humör idag. En fyra.

Довольно обычный и не очень то примечательный брит-поп, звучит как беззубая и неинтересная версия Radiohead. (Хотя радиохед были позже). Ну как бы это не плохо, но абсолютно не прикольно и не интересно. Проходняк

Did not enjoy this much at all. The bands seems like they’re being forced to make these songs at gunpoint.

It wasn't really my jams, nothing special about it for me.

so good smth new like suede a bit

Solidness

this album was very literal. idk how to describe that better. it was autism core

Little variety. First song is great but the remainder of the album is the same song with different lyrics. Just fatiguing

Would not buy

It's Ok. Middling britpoop. Nothing terrible about it except maybe an overall same-ness throughout. I have no strong feelings either way about this. Doesn't really belong on this list. I'll give it a 2 because it's not annoying or terrible. It just is.

It's alright. Songwriting isn't bad but it doesn't stand out very much among its contemporaries and I probably won't go out of my way to hear it again.

Overall, a dull listen. There are a couple of highlights, to be fair, but I just wished this album would end for the majority of its runtime.

ik hou wel beetje van rock, maar ze klonken iets te nasaal, maar miss kan ik het later nog een keer proberen

Boring…boring….boring

This was the first time that I listened to a PIL album and I thought it was pretty good. I like it a bit more than the Sex Pistols actually. I think the song Low Life sounded a lot like a Pixies tune.

176/1001 First listen. Maybe there’s something great here. I’m not gonna get it in one listen. Nothing here making me want to hear it a second time. 4/10

good stuff

Quite an easy listen, but often found the vocals and piano disappointing

Niente di particolarmente interessante. Super snob.

Being an American who's been into Britpop since I was a kid is a bit of a weird experience, simply because there's always essential context that has gotten lost somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic. For example, the stranglehold Oasis had on the British popular consciousness when *Definitely Maybe* came out makes a lot more sense when you know what sort of mannered mid-tempo preciousness was serving as the backdrop at the time. Luke Haines thinks the whole Bolan whisper-sing thing is a lot more arresting than it actually is, partially because Bolan didn't use it *all the time* or even as his default. And the general vibe here is...sedate, which doesn't match at all with what I suspect this band's self-image was. There are a few upticks in alertness, most notably "Early Years," but mostly this is just part of the furniture, as I'm told they say across the pond. I don't hate this but nothing about it grabs me.

Good

If you're a huge John Lennon fan, is it fun that so many artists want to sound just like him? That was my main takeaway for the new Cut Worms album (Transmitter) when I listened recently, now it's my lead-off note here. Maybe I'm just more sensitive to it lately, but that doesn't make it less true!

Really enjoyed this one. It’s a lilting and light spread of songs, that in some points got a bit samey. Fortunately, they started adding different instrumentation and it really helped. Also, the lyrics being largely about some mundane Hollywood nonsense is kind of a pleasant reprieve.

Non mi è dispiaciuto, un po’ indie rock

This was fine?

Pretty good listen.

This was boring and uninspired. This was so bland, flat, monotone to me.

Quite liked this.

It was fine. I liked the style and all the songs were decent. But nothing really hooked me.

I liked this. It was sort similar to elliot Smith but peppier

Ni muy muy ni tan tan

Whatever 90s music

Yea, this is just a very mediocre album. Sounds like it was recorded in a basement and probably should have stayed there.

A great album, criminally under-rated

Really enjoyed this

I think I was expecting more from this? Always heard that Luke Haines was some kind of master songwriter but the music sounds like mid-level Britpop. Still, enjoyable enough

Lovely stuff RGP 👏👏👏👏👏👏

I enjoyed this

I oscillated on this one from thinking nothing special, to liking it enough to revisit. From the Wikipedia, I can see the comparison to Suede (two albums which I enjoyed on this list), and the sound is crisp and driving throughout the album. I guess my only reservation was the vocals, but I can see them growing on me with time.

Incredibly boring

Au départ, je me suis dit que c'était encore un random album de pop rock britannique des années 90 et j'ai soufflé très fort. Puis, en me renseignant (la date de parution m'a mis la puce à l'oreille), je me suis rendu compte que c'était un des premiers (ou peut-être le premier ?) album estampillé britpop de l'histoire. Du coup, j'ai quand même soufflé très fort, ça m'a pas mal gonflé, comme album, mais je suis bien obligé d'admettre que s'il a une telle influence, il a bel et bien sa place dans cette liste. Le truc, c'est que ce genre musical me fatigue très vite. Enfin, je me vois mal lui mettre une mauvaise note alors qu'il a un statut culte dans sa scène et qu'il a vraiment un rôle fondamental.

This was okay but boring. The general sound was nice but if you had asked me to name an individual track I liked after listening to it I would’ve had to go back and relisten to figure out what they were cause nothing stood out. Which is what I did. Fav songs: show girl, idiot brother

There is so much britpop on this list and literally none of it is good. Highlights: Startstruck

Arch, with a persona like Morrissey's - hard done by, better than all of this - singing about a fictional demi-monde. Plain indie music, very ordinary drums

Quite nice on the first listen. 3 stars.

Meh

Incredibly listenable.

Not sure about the vocals, they also get quite lost in the instrumentals most of the time. I did like a bunch of songs though, Bailed Out in particular

Pretentious with no real reason to be. The singing was irritating and wasn’t doing it for me at all. And reading more about this bands lead singer just makes me go from a passive dislike of this to more of a feeling of hatred. I never need to hear this bullshit again.

Never heard this. Very much enjoyed it

I have very little to say about this one... It is fine... and it sounds like they wrote the same song 10 times in a row... Mid 3

This is a record that sounds great and I’d potentially move to 4 stars with more listens. I listened to it twice and I heard a solid album from start to finish and liked it more the second time around, so it may be a grower. I don’t hear something that I could consider a masterpiece, and there may need to be a nostalgia factor for most to consider it as such.

I found this a pretty dull album. Not one I'll be rushing to listen to again.

music is love

Buen disco, no me maravilla pero definitivamente está bien