New Wave

Boring Britpop. But it was one of the first Britpop albums. So a bump for that. Is it awful? No. A bit of glam rock fused with the new 90's sound. Decent I guess if boring is too harsh. Sounds like every other pioneering Britpop band of the time - Suede, Pulp, Manic Street Preachers, etc. At least now I know some more music history. Moving on.

Eh, it's fine. Sounds like a million other bands. Wasn't bad, but I absolutely don't need to hear this again. How Could I Be Wrong caught my attention.

I mean it is the basic rock album, really enjoyed good background rock.

Not remotely memorable

Were people looking for a new T. Rex in 1993? New Wave was either five years too early or five years too late. The vocals are perfect and the album sounds great but songs are not memorable.

Some music is made with the heart, some with the head. Music from the heart is often superior as it is made from feelings. Music from the head is not necessarily bad, but it is made from thoughts. Head music struggles to make the soul sing or yearn as heart music can. This is head music.

Listen to the Au Pairs instead. Much sexier.

Meh

Quite an interesting collection on this album. Overall quite liked it. Nothing spectacular jumped out at me but it was ok

A lot of this is pleasant listening but a lot is also a wee wispy and soft for me.

I enjoyed it. Just good, straight ahead early 90's Brit rock.

Very average band and music, lacks originality

I can’t place the medley of bands I can hear from this album. Some songs sounded alright musically, but the vocals are just meh. “Don’t Trust The Stars” and “Home Again” were the only listenable tracks. Not for me I don’t think, feels a bit too colourless.

Fine indie album.

Down the middle 90's rock. Nothing exciting, but does what it says on the tin.

Terrible that this is called new wave. It’s more 90’s Oasis-is-big-let’s-capitalize. Didn’t even make it through

Pffffffff … it’s ok. I’m reviewing so many of these albums like this, but it’s true. It’s not bad. It’s not good. It’s there, and that’s ok.

Pass

Solid brit pop.

pleasant-sounding but simplistic? idk

I did quite enjoy this; it’s in high 3, low 4 territory for me, but still pretty groovy.

I didn't actively hate any of the music by the band, but I did actively HATE the vocals. I think the best example of this is on American Guitars (ironically enough) where any absence of the lead guitar playing makes the song sound dull. I kept waiting for a song to come on that would change my mind, but it just never happened. I don't know, if I take the vocals out of the equation, this is perfectly fine alt-rock music. Still nothing really that special though. Thought about giving it a 2 for the instrumentals alone, but I'm just left wondering why this generic album was included on the list when there is so much more interesting/better alt rock out there.

Three tracks in this is existing in a space of relative indifference. The music itself is enjoyable though the production is super flat and the vocals are kind meh. After a full listen, my views haven't changed. This is inoffensive alt-rock that is occasionally a bit interesting (How Could I Be Wrong). I didn't have any issue getting through the 44 minute playtime, but I don't have any desire to do it again. In an objective space this is a 3, but in the context of this list it falls a bit lower for me.

Pretty lame album. Really just straight up boooooooooring. Last song was weird how it stopped and turned into two songs. 2 stars

Blandest alt rock I've probably ever heard.

The most incredibly mid 90s alternative album I have ever heard. There was not one thing in this album that got me excited. Not bad music at all just so extremely boring. On the verge of giving this a 1 just because of the straight boredom, but it was still music so its a low 2.

This dude must've had a really bad experience parking cars. Classic weird hidden song at the end there. Works much better with CD's than on Apple Music though lol This just didn't really evoke anything in me. Voice was annoying, and I was bored. Meh 2.

Uninteresting pixies wannabes

Eh

Älskar stilen av det men måste säga kan vara lite tråkigt

Ok. Nothing exciting.

Nah

Did not enjoy, boring, could never put this on and actually enjoy it

1. girl - 0 2. out - 1 3. guitarz - 1 4. clothez - 1 5. truzt- 0 6. ztarz - 0 7. uurong - 1 8. houze - 0 9. parking - 0 10. brother - 0 11. early - 0 12. home - 0

jeg er officielt radikaliseret mod britpop. Papirtynd stemme og kedelig musik

Havde ikke rigtig nogen forventninger, men det var ret meget oppe min gyde, fed lyd og gode sange. Blev aldrig *rigtig* godt dog, så stor 3er.

A bit anonymous

another middle of the road british indie album I had never heard of; better than the others of its ilk I’ve heard so far, but I have to ask that question again: did I need to hear this before I die?

Yo, moyen

3 for me

This was fine. Sounds like a band you'd go out to listen to on a lazy college night. They probably have one song everyone really likes when they play live, but it isn't on this album.

The singing was meh. There was some good little moments in there but nothing too spectacular. The highlight for me was “Starstruck” which made it on the playlist. Also, very british and a tad pretentious.

I do like this more than candy coated Brit pop. The message seems a tad more important than the music so many of the songs remain forgettable despite the care put into crafting them.

I had never heard of these guys and the album ended up being a soundtrack to the start of a lengthy weird drive... which was probably perfect. Interesting record.

3/5

There’s a scene in the 90’s movie, She’s All That, where the main character gets on stage in a dark club and does an impromptu hacky sack routine after and incredibly weird performance of a birth. You know the scene. Anyway, this is the band who goes on next…should have stayed underground.

Bit samey

Kind of generic sounding brit pop with some alt influences. Not bad but ultimately didnt capture my attention.

Never heard of The Auteurs before, so I went into New Wave with no expectations. The first couple of tracks didn’t do much for me, but things started to pick up around “American Guitars,” which had a solid hook. “Don’t Trust the Stars” is another standout, and the strings on “How Could I Be Wrong” add a nice touch of depth. “Idiot Brother” gave off some definite Dylan vibes in the lyrics and delivery, which was a cool surprise. Overall, a mixed bag — some solid songs, a few forgettable ones, but not a bad listen for a band I knew nothing about. Favorite Song: Early Years Least Favorite song: Home Again

what if Bowie started out in the 90s and wasn't that good music: hated. (⌐■_■)

Nothing to go nuts for, but better than most of the 90s Brit rock on here so far. Rounding up, feeling fine about it.

terribly boring album

Starts off alright but then some snoring commenced.

Started out strong, but started to become a bit boring after a few songs.

For an album called new Wave I was expecting something new, exciting, edgy but this was just dull and forgettable. No idea why this is on this list?

Assumed I’d hate this

Probably a friend of the author?

Loved the first song. Liked the second. And after that it was a meandering stroll through tunes that were ok but had no real hook or pull. Fine to have on in the background but nothing too special. Like a moody britpop, lower-energy Pulp.

Well, it's music. Nothing really stood out.

OK

This is ok but unremarkable britpop/indie. Lyrics, vocals, guitars all decent but nothing massively stands out. Is all a fairly similar tempo and could do with some bigger moments, more intense singing or something to prevent it all sounding samey. Didn't hate it but won't listen again. The lyrics are probably the best element

3.1 3x

Very fun, actually. Pleasant, mellow, but energetic at the same time, somehow.

just fine 3/5

Boring, bland, no business being on this list

Not bad.

2.5

Pretty close to a 5/5, but it's not. Home again is, in fact, a major W of a song. The entire album is really good, no songs stick out too much, but they're all good. Definite 4/5, 5/5 if there were bangers.

It was a lot better than the previous and I’ll listen to this again

2 generic Brit indie rock with an annoying singer

I seriously thought this was a Lemonheads album as I got lost in it. Only negative in not being the Lemonheads is I guess they're not British enough for the author. This is just another bland UK Britpop album that doesn't even have a definitive Wikipedia page for being such a worthwile listen 2/5

This is just comically British. I don’t want to dip into any B-word blasphemy lightly, but it sounds like The Beatles (but 30 years too late and without the cultural influence).

This sounds like Robyn Hitchcock at times, which I don't mind at all, but overall I found it a little repetitive to truly make a mark. Not bad at all though.

mid

Haines' weedy sounding voice was an irritant to me on what was otherwise reasonably decent sounding music (exemplified in Junk Shop Clothes)

4.1

This was incredibly boring and if you've ever heard british indie music, you've heard this album but likely 100 times better. So unbelievably pretentious at times, thought I was giving this 2 stars but writing this I'm getting more annoyed about what I just listened to.

Never heard of it, really liked it. Will listen again.

Easy to listen to, but I didn't really catch the lyrics much. Keane reminds me of these.

третьесортная брит поп залупа, хотя по саунду чистый "мумий троль" , у нас на такое только и дрочат как на вершину

There were a few songs I had to jump forward because they went in too long without being interesting. Otherwise, it was kind of meh.

Terrible

A pretty good album, Bailed Out was the only real standout.

I enjoyed this one! I feel like I can see where some other bands grew out of this music. It also strikes me like something I would have been heavily into if I was a teen/young adult at the time that it came out. I can still definitely appreciate it at my current age though. I'd like to do a closer lyric listen on my next listen but for now I know I definitely enjoyed the vibes.

Another new one for me and an enjoyable one at that. 3.5 stars.

Why the fuck does the guy in the album art look like Timothee Chalamet?

Pretty cool album cover - can't really say the same about the music. I can't differentiate or name any of the instrumentals on this album for the life of me, and the vocal performances are all pretty unpalatable. The lyrics seemed alright, though I didn't care about listening too closely

Het gaat het ene oor in en het andere uit. Wat heb ik nou gehoord? Vergeetbare jarennegentigpop. Anderen hebben dit soort muziek veeeeel beter gedaan.

Dat hardop fluisteren. Het werkt best voor één nummer. Maar je raakt het toch snel zat. Verder ligt het allemaal ok in het gehoor, maar wordt het nooit echt interessant.

Klinkt als een soort Pet Shop Boys die Britpop maken. Het is typisch jaren 90, door de gitaarstiltes die regelmatig vallen, waarbij bas en drums doorgaan, ook wel bekend geworden door Pixies en Nirvana. Of zoals wiki zegt, heeft het iets van een glamrock revival in zich en ook Suede. Die theatrale quasi-verveelde stem, daar kan ik zeker in komen. Het blijft mij soms storen dat er van dit soort bandjes in staan, waar ik nog nooit van heb gehoord. En dat er dan albums niet in staan (ik drop deze keer maar weer eens een Weezer), die er zeker wel in hadden moeten of kunnen staan. De snobkeuzes kunnen af en toe verschrikkelijk ergerniswekkend zijn. Maar goed, daardoor blijft het juist ook interessant om deze lijst te beluisteren. En als ik dit bandje toevallig wel een keer op een festival had gezien in een achteraf tentje voor 10 betalende bezoekers, dan had ik het waarschijnlijk geweldig gevonden dat het onze snoblijst had behaald. Zo eerlijk moeten we dan ook weer zijn. Niets menselijks is ons vreemd tenslotte. Op een andere dag zou ik hier waarschijnlijk wel een 3 voor kunnen geven. Want er zitten best aardige nummers tussen. Maar ook hele matige. En ik heb er nu niet zo'n zin in merk ik, ik ben blij als het klaar is en ik gewoon even K!NK aan kan zetten. Het is een energievretend album. Dus daarom rond ik het af naar 2 sterren vandaag.

firmly in the meh column for me. forgettable 90s britpop

It’s ok

I've had enough

This album is full of pretty alright songs, however some can be a little repetitive. Standout tracks: Show Girl, Early Years

No máximo legalzinho

10 years too late. Felt unoriginal and a bit boring whilst trying to be something clever and articulate. Bit disappointed to be honest, because I love the album artwork. There were some nice songs and moments, but overall it was a bit lackluster.

✅✅✅ Idiot Brother What I liked about Yankee Hotel Foxtrot I liked about this.

A new look at New Wave, but boring. 2/5

b0r1ng

Quite decent actually!

Britpop at its most pretentious and mind-numbingly dry. If nasal whisper-singing and repetitive albeit poetic intellectual pop is your thing then this is it. The antithesis of old school, steamy soul, I suppose. In one word: boring.

Terrible. 1/5

Great?: No Terrible?: No Influential?: No Experimental?: No On English radio during Robert Dimery’s formative years?: Yes

Did nothing for me

New Wave sounds like it skipped a whole British music scene, sailing straight from the snarkiness of C86 to the glam and tribute of Britpop without even deigning to stop at the club on the way there. i will admit, sometimes the songs blend into each other if you're not paying attention, especially in the middle of what would be the CD and the end of the vinyl's A side, but i don't think it's really a record meant to be thrown on in the background. rather, you're supposed to hone in on each little line with a double entendre or bitter meaning, something to hear with headphones at home -- T. Rex for the introverts. don't wave your lighter, you'll burn the place down. i dunno why, but i feel like this album's fursona is a hooded crow.

Good stuff. Discovered a new artist

Gear: Focal Clear (ZMFed) Artwork: 📸🔳🤕 Production: 🎧😐🆗 Music: 🌧️🔁🙄 Rating: 🌊/5

This was not very interesting but also not that bad. But not for me!

Pass

Not bad. Enjoyed quite a bit of it

4 -

ugyanaz mint az elozonél, oké volt, korrekt volt, de untam :D

Endlich mal wieder für mich neue, hörenswerte Musik. Ideal für Schreibtischarbeit!

5/10

The most mediocre of all British alt-rock. Not sure how it made its way onto this list.

This wasn't groundbreaking, but I did enjoy it. Gave a Death Cab vibe before Death Cab.

I didn't hate this one, but would never want to listen to it again.

Groupe inconnu. Rien de bien original, mais pas désagréable. =>2/5

I heard a few bands being inspired in there. Thought it was okay.

You know when you go to a medium sized festival and there’s the second stage for the b-list bands? Well, the Auteurs would be a solid act for some time late on Saturday afternoon as you are getting ready to meet your friends by the main stage to see the headliners. Musically they are 90s left field indie Britpop, with slightly (but not too) quirky vocals and the occasional burst of enthusiastic guitar work. Perfectly fine but nothing to write home about.

It sounds like a blend of britpop with an indie twist (a bit typical from the indie US sound of this time, quite heavy and noisy and fuzzy). While the mix is interesting, nothing particularly stands out (maybe Early Years in the end, with some punk grit in it).

It’s a shame I can’t stand his voice because there’s definitely some great tunes here and lots of ingredients I’d otherwise like. The guitar work is really good and interesting in a lot of places. Apparently this was one of the founding Britpop albums so I do respect that about it but I can’t see myself wanting to return to it particularly regularly. First track is great though.

Great album and great that the Auteurs are included in the list. Always felt that - together with Pulp and Suede- they were playing in a different league during Britpop, both in terms of songwriting and lyrics. The successor Now I'm a Cowboy is even better.

Pretty decent album, nothing too exciting. The vocals took some getting used to.

I know there exists a 5-star Auteurs compilation - I got it from my friend back in the nineties. This particular record is strong as well but does not keep the high level throughout.

Damn fine record, quite a few bangers on here like "Idiot Brother" and "Home Again" (this one sounds extremely familiar). I got no complaints on this record it was all well done and no track over stayed its welcome

nothing really hit. could i write poetry to this? n

It's not a bad album, but I just can't seem to put my finger on why I didn't like it. The songs were well-crafted, but I couldn't find anything that really set them apart from the other bands emerging into the new "Adult Alternative" genre that began to take form around this time. Bands like Live, Matchbox 20, Third Eye Blind, and Candlebox easily surpassed the Auteurs with equally toothless music. I would have much preferred this spot go to the debut albums from Toad the Wet Sprocket, Gin Blossoms, Death Cab for Cutie, or Elliott Smith. Two stars, plus a half-star for the oh-so-90's practice of tacking on a hidden track at the end of the CD.

Meh

Like Stone Temple Pilots but not as catchy

Not a bad sound, but I find the singer’s voice to be quite grating.

Pleasant enough. Kept a few songs.

This list is way to heavy handed with British influence. While there are absolute genre defining British musicians this is not one of those groups. The song "American Guitars" irrationally makes me annoyed. What a terrible album.

I don’t believe I’d heard of The Auteurs before today. I’m not sure I’ll remember them a year from now either. This music was the definition of fine. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s the kind of music that you wouldn’t be surprised to hear on an indie film that gets mainstream attention. If a song from this album was on the Juno soundtrack, my reaction would be, “Yeah, that makes sense,” and then I’d forget all about it the next day. It was fine to listen to, but definitely forgettable.

Ennyi country zene után egy harmadrangú underground brit zenekart meghallgatni olyan, mint STD-szűrésről kifelé az első cigi.

The beginning of the first song was definitely a hook. His voice- sounds very nasally and monotone. I caught this vibe early on and it continued throughout the entire album and it was just not great at all. I was hopeful at the beginning but dreading it at the end.

After taking a THC gummy I'll end up saying something and very literally forget what I was talking about even 2 sentences later - you take the gummy for a specific effect but so if you're actually trying to concentrate on saying anything worthwhile at all it's annoying and even off-putting , which of course why would you... TL;DR: this album is that gummy. At any point during these <checks notes> 43 minutes I couldn't / can't remember a thing from 2 minutes ago. The singer is like a less-engaged George Harrison, who was a bland singer to begin with. It's fine. Terribly boring. Inoffensive. Rubber-stamped new-early-90s-Britpop. I think...? 4/10 2 stars

Pfft. This sounds like a past their prime filmmaker’s opinion of what hip music sounds like. It’s the type of thing that shows up in medical shows like New Amsterdam or Scrubs to show how emotional and deep and cool the cast and audience is, all the while being none of those things. None of the songs stand out. It’s plain I ecream - not even vanilla. Just frozen milk. Edible but unpalatable. Dull and predictable. Mostly uninteresting. .5 for the slightly interesting vocals. Otherwise one. 1.5 Rounded down.

At first listen, I thought this was solidly two stars; pretty standard lackluster, uninspired, typically boring mediocre indie-filler band, but not hateful. The songwriting is mediocre at best, the playing is barely average, it's poorly recorded, and Luke Haines is a pretty shit singer. This was just forgettable proto-Britpop, overhyped at the time by the UK music weeklies (NME is especially to blame, I reckon) beyond what the actual music itself could bear. The band was runner up for the Mercury Prize (itself a marker of over-praised UK rubbish), squeezed out a few more albums and effectively disappeared, left behind by their Britpop contemporaries. A sad case of 'nearly was'. And then I started reading about Luke Haines, and I realised that I suddenly knew who this guy was. He is the pretentious bore at the party, with his slightly thinning hair and shirt unbuttoned to the waist, droning on about how great his band is (although, truth be told, he's the singer and guitarist and songwriting, so it's really all his vision), and their material is really meaningful and intelligent, not like most music these days, you know? You should really come and see us, we're playing at a dingy pub down the road on Thursday, and it'll be really amazing, you should come, Yeah, I will have another glass, thanks mate. But what was I talking about? Yeah, I'm really influenced by Rimbaud and Leonard Cohen, but I think really pick up where they left off, because they didn't really follow through on their ideas, and I really want to push the limits of what music can do, you know what I mean? Heaven forbid you actually go to the gig, because it's 8 people standing around the pub, including the band's girlfriends standing down the front trying to dance while the rest of us sip our beers and feign interest in the boring mid-tempo indie rock the band is playing, while Mr Songwriting-Genius complains about needing more vocals in his foldback. So, the generic type of pretentious git is bad enough, but Luke Haines appears to have been cursed with a fortnight of accolades, which never turned into the world-conquering success his simultaneously craved and spurned. As a result, he appears to have become twisted into a bitter, spiteful, angry, self-absorbed, troll. Pitchfork described him as "a songwriter whose shtick involves both unflagging self-admiration and utter contempt for labels, marketing, colleagues and fans." I started reading his autobiography ('Bad Vibes; Britpop and My Part in its Downfall'). He claims to be a recovering narcissist, but I really don't think he is over it (point of evidence: the album title 'Das Capital: The Songwriting Genius of Luke Haines and the Auteurs'). It's a perversely fascinating read of how much a brush with fame and subsequent failure can create ongoing challenges for a moderately-talented egotist, who loves to bite the hands that might feed him (record labels, fans, press, bandmates, anyone who could potentially help him). I return to the eternal question of how much to conflate the artist and the art. In this case, the artist is a hateful troll and the art is blandly mediocre. Hence, I consign the Auteurs to the 1 star bin.

-some seemingly more obscure 90s British pop rock (I dare not say Britpop even though I think that’s what this is). I’d never heard of this band before and at first I was annoyed by the kitschy vocals, but it had a few good songs and kept it interesting with the instrumentation. I’ve heard much worse -Favorites are Starstruck and How Could I Be Wrong

it's a shame because this sounds like music i would otherwise like. but i really felt like the songs were not very strong and the vocals were pretty bad. at times it sounds like the vocalist's voice is cracking. reminiscent of 90s slacker vocals, but without the coolness. it mostly makes it sound very limp. not a vibe i enjoy from music.

so far, nothing catchy or great I wouldn't hear outside the local Starbucks. this shit is slow and boring.

Such excellence and so unknown – hard to fathom how this isn't better known. The terrific "Don't Trust the Stars" coulda/shoulda/woulda been a hit. It sounds fully modern – like it coulda been released last week, given the feels and vibes so many current bands seem to be seeking. Catchy, stylish and distinguished proto-Britpop or 2nd wave New Wave, with real depth and breadth. The communication between the keys and guitars are a strength on several songs. There's so much to like and nary a dog on the whole disc. They do seem more rooted in the world of New Order and Tears for Fears (say), and '90s alt and the more obvious/broader strains of Britpop left them behind. In a more just world they would be bigger than Blur, almost as big as Oasis (but really couldn't be because of the obvious/broad point) but certainly one prefers the Auteurs to either.

Tepid.

It was okay, but also completely unmemorable. Generic almost. I don't actively dislike it, but don't see the point being in this list.

My friend (and musical compadre) was always into these, whereas I was into the two other records mentioned in the write up in the book, Suede and Blur. I dunno, this just never clicked. I think same with Black Box Recorder. I'm mainly familiar with Luke Haines for being especially grumpy in interviews. It's clearly good though. At times on American Guitars and Starstruck (in fact in lots of songs) he sounds very like Robyn Hitchcock, who we both love. After listening I feel much the same, I enjoyed it well enough, don't feel like returning to anything in particular. The 1st track and the last 3 tracks stand out the most however.

I liked this well enough! It was a fun, spooky Halloween album. Didn’t leave much of an impression though — I probably won’t return to it.

Ég var hrifinn. Sum stef koma aftur fyrir í ólíkum lögum og röddin er á mörkum tilgerðar, en það er allt í lagi svona í stóra samhenginu. Gott sound, góður tíunditugur.

OK I suppose

I like the second half better than the first.

I can see where later Britpop bands get their inspiration from here, but this one just doesn't have the same appeal (or hit songs) that those others have going for them.

This was a lot of fun to listen to

Pretty astounding to have anything apart from grunge in this era.

vid första lyssning så trodde jag att jag skulle gilla det mer. men en stark trea

Nice album. Sounds really good. I imagine if Elliott Smith had formed a band, this is what it would sound like.

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. (ntm.) (PS Update: Totally forgot it existed)

I didn't mind this too much. I didn't pay much attention to the lyrics, but I liked his vocals and the music.

most average album I've gotten so far. 0 chance it should be on this list, but inoffensive more than anything else

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.

half of this sounds like lidl john lennon beatles songs and the other half is bland indie - 2.5 rounded up

ágætis breskt gítarindie með gáfumannapopps ívafi. 3,5

Album sounds like it came out about 10 years too late. Sounds more like early 80s new wave than anything 90s. The songs that lean into this aesthetic or lean into more of an early 70s Lennon/McCartney/Harrison thing are my favorites. I see the Auters referred to as Britpop but I have always considered Britpop to have come later with bands like Oasis, Pulp, Blur and the Verve. I also don’t hear enough pop on this album to consider them as Britpop but instead more New Wave just as the album says. Some good songs but nothing jaw dropping to me.

It had a death cab vibe

Maybe not the most original album title but rhe content was acceptable.

You can hear the influences clearly and how it influenced the next generation (Franz Ferdinand). I think this is a decent album, would come back to it.

Норм

It’s… fine? If someone told me they liked this album, and I should listen to it - sure, it’s pretty decent. And I get that this list is an imperfect science - but there are some pretty big hitters that aren’t on here. And yet, this is. Feels more like an album for the “1,001 albums that flew under the radar and you might enjoy” list.

Britpop, fint nok, men heller ikke vildt spændende

This has elements from things that are cool and interesting but fails to be either cool or interesting itself.

This album is right in my wheel house. Being a huge “Britpop” fan it’s cool to find lesser known bands in the genre. Though this band hated the term its “style” is all over this record. The songs are pleasant to listen to and love the guitar tone. Almost has a bit of Psychedelic feel (very minor) with the way the singer sings. It’s if Kula Shaker/Eels melted into a band Stand out Tracks Bailed Out American Guitars Starstruck Idiot Brother 3.5/5 (could turn to a light 4)

30 days in the dungeon for making Bailed Out. The rest was ok enough to get a 2. Will I listen to again: 0%

Cool and going on

First, it is okay to listen to this album and secondly, it is allowed to be enjoyed. If the 90s rock/alternative genre needed an introduction, this album belongs in that origin story. The album is not spectacular for any reason. However, what the listener does get is a solid 90s rock album that is equal parts of cool and go-for-a-drive-worthy. This band is not trying to melt faces or bore listeners to death, the album is pure music fully capable of being ignored and absorbed.

Not terrible. Most songs sound the same though. 2.5 stars.

What genres this? Sort of britpop….I think? Britpop Drab? Brit Borepop? I’m pretty sure there were 1001 better 90s britpop bands than this. It’s absolutely fine but just a bit drag and generally naff. Almost two middle of the road and drab to stir any sort of emotion, positive or negative. Always a worry when the opening track is the 2nd most popular track on Spotify and it’s pretty terrible. Only downhill from here. 2.6

A very mundane sounding album. I didn't dislike it but it wasn't noteworthy either.

More britpop, nothing terrible, but nothing really stands out.

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

The band's Spotify bio describes their work as "unromantic." I think that's an understatement. A lot of these songs are unsettling and grim, on top of being musically uninteresting. It wasn't *hard* to listen to, but maybe I've been desensitized by so much Britpop on this list...

Boo. This sucked

Yeah maybe I’m just tired of mid albums but damn this was ass. Nothing of note.

Didn’t do much for me.

Early 90's alternative album. Easy to listen to but nothing particularly interesting or catchy.

One of my fav band of the era

Albumi #56, 22.09.2024 The Auteurs ei ole jostain syystä koskaan löytänyt tietään omaan levyhyllyyni. Olisi pitänyt. New Wave (1993) on The Auteursin debyyttialbumi ja varsin mainio sellainen. Löydän albumilta sieltä täältä sävellyksellisiä ja soundillisia viittauksia Pixiesiin ja sehän ei ole huono asia.

just nice

Oh boy I love boring as fuck british alt rock with nasally vocals, please continue giving me more albums like this!

Was fine.

Bland, forgettable, in fact I have no recollection of this band even existing. Are we sure this wasn't some weird A.I. Mandela effect / Baader–Meinhof phenomenon (pause for irony) where they take the sonic signature of a dozen bands and try to make the most pleasing sound out of it in a lab but instead this heap of boredom lurched out instead.

there's nothing wrong with cribbing from your inspirations, lots of great art and especially music does it, but you do have to put something interesting or novel into the mix, or what's the point? i liked Idiot Brother at least

I enjoyed this album. Another one I had not heard of previously

4/5

Kinda my thing, but way to plain for me to love it.

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?).

The darker and more intelligent cousin of early britpop. It’s not without its flaws and it might also be part of the britpop fatigue this list gives birth to. It’s nonetheless both charming, funny and well written.

I enjoyed how the album started but it's honestly mostly generic Brit rock from the era. I was pretty done with it by the end and none of it really pulled my attention to really focus on it. How Could I Be Wrong or Show Girl got to be my favorites here.

Solid Brit pop that rolls on the darker side (which seems like it should be the norm, not the exception). I’ll revisit. 3.5/5

Rather nice.

A bizarre combination of T-Rex and proto Vampire Weekend sounds. Very nice and enjoyable but maybe not that memorable.

Why is it called New Wave if it sounds nothing like the genre? Sounded a lot more like generic alt rock to me. Was a fine album but went in one ear and out the other.

ok, his voice was nice at first but never really changes. oof.... Steve Albini did a great job recording and producing it...but he's limited which means the album/songs are limited. Pass.

I'm a little confused as to why this is on the list. Enjoyed it enough.

Nothing special and some strange songs.

Didn’t get much out of this album, except this guy really hates his job parking cars.

kinda mediocre

5/5

Forgettable

This was alright, I guess. Nothing special, or memorable.

I've never heard of the Auteurs, or this album before, but I've enjoyed a majority of the Britpop albums on this list, so I feel confident that I'll like this album. Well, I wouldn't say I particularly liked this album, but I didn't hate it either. I think it's a good album, especially the songwriting, but the music itself is like cloud on a summer day afternoon, in that it disappears from your mind quickly. The arrangements are nice, especially the piano playing on "Bailed Out," and there were some other nice little moments, like the harmonica on "Housebreaker" and the xylophone on "Valet Parking." But overall, musically, this album just wasn't doing anything that sets it apart or pushes things in a new direction. The songwriting was really solid from start to finish though, and I really liked "Junk Shop Clothes" and "Don't Trust the Stars." Overall though, this album just kind of plodded along, and I don't really see a lot of value in it, outside of the songwriting.

Not something I would normally listen too

This is offensively bland. The musical equivalent of watching paint dry. I wanted it to be over from about track 2.

Ich habe bisher Interpret und Album nicht gekannt, was im Nachhinein nicht schlimm ist. Für mich plätscherte das Album so vor sich hin. Aber zwei Nummern haben mich sehr überzeugt: "Boiled out" und "Junk Shop clothes"

This album does not earn the level of pretentious that the band name, album name, and cover presume.

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.

the way these guys sing and play their tunes is a fusion between the beatles and the pet shop boys. this is almost... indie new wave, but refined. fancy. the punk band from high school but it's a very prestigious private school. if you like your melodramatic rock like the cure and morrisey, you might get a real kick out of this one. i thought it was alright!

Why are they always droney

not one song on here was that good

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

Never heard of the group.

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

Nothing interesting or new

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

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

me gustó. ideal para trabajar, naiss

Another Britpop band. It's not bad, not great either.

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

I can't believe I've never heard this. Luke Haines has a kind of Al Stewart/Robyn Hitchcock vibe which is right in my wheel house. I almost ranked this a 5, but it's too soon--it's a 4.5, but going with 4 for now.

Nice to listen to and enjoyable. I bet it was indeed important for Britpop, but in 2024, it sounds like any other Britpop we can get from Soptify's recommended playlists.

Quite enjoyed

I’m not sure how some of these albums make it on to this list. Not for me 1/5

Ah, we've found "The Shitty Beatles" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPIpeW581rE

Day214 - whiny nasally brit pop that i hope im about done with

Rubbich

Hey, if you’re into completely forgettable 90s Brit rock, have I got the album for you. But don’t worry if you don’t like it, there are plenty more of the exact same kinds of albums on this list!

Intriguing though mediocre, the album's distinctly British indie-retro-glam identity predates Britpop, sidesteps nostalgia, and avoids sounding too of its time.

Boring

3.5

Laulutyyli on vähän semmoista tykkää tai ei. Semmoista kuiskaavaa. Mutta hyvä vanhempi alt rock levy. Parhaat: How Could I Be Wrong, Early Years

Aucune idée pourquoi c'est là. Rien de mémorable, rien d'unique, clairement un gros biais UK. Ce n'est pas mauvais, mais il y a absoluement rien dans cet ablum qui m'a accroché et qui m'y fera retourner. 4/10

That was a pretty fun listen. Kind of a bridge between late 80's indie like the Pixies to Britpop.

As all have said, this is just ok. I do hear a bit of modern indie influence being offered, but meh

Mijn god, wat is dit weer een ontzettend saai en nietszeggend album. Het speelt een beetje op de achtergrond en ik kan je geen enkel nummer hiervan vertellen. Was het goed? Geen idee. Was het slecht? Eigenlijk ook niet echt een idee Was het saai? Ja absoluut. Ik verveel me kapot, wat een slechte weekstart. Gelukkig is het niet een lang album! Maar dit is wel weer een album in de hoek van: "Serieus? Dit moest ik voor mijn dood horen? Waarom?" Super saai album, verdoe je tijd er niet mee. Dit is even spannend als de kleur grijs. FAVO: Bailed Out

It's a decent album, but does it belong on this list? I seriously doubt it. It's neither revolutionary nor particularly good for its genre; maybe just a touch above average. I saved a song or two, but I'll probably forget these guys exist soon enough. 3 stars

I've had enough britpop for one lifetime tysm

generic forgettable whiny 90s brit rock. first song was the only memorable one, but still not particularly good. i could die happy if this website never assigned me another one of these again, alas, i know better.

The impact of a great debut album can spawn a whole original genre. The introduction of lesser first albums lay no claim to even a stylistic revival. New "New Wave" waves, waives new new wave wave.

Not nearly enough synth or fun to call itself new wave

After the first song, I thought I might have finally found an unknown brit pop album on this list that I like, but that was easily the high point of the album. Just derivative stuff after that. Every time I thought I liked a song after that I realized it was because it sounded exactly like another song that I already knew and liked, mostly Al Stewart.

Not the best of the britpop bands of the time....just ok...

I hadn't heard of this one. It was fine, but the singer's voice kind of got on my nerves after awhile. They'd probably be a pretty good opening band.

Blehhhhhhh

Thankfully this passed me by in 1993. Dull as dishwasher!

Had never heard of this band before - after listening I know why.

2.5

I like home again, but there wasn’t anything that really stood out for me on this album.

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

Completely meh, might feel different on a second listen

Good solid album of early "britpop" which passed me by at the time (I was 11). Not a bad track, elements of The Smiths, Beatles. Solid song writing good lyrics, the last track Home Again has a great indie groove. Stand out tracks: - Show Girl - American guitars - Junk shop clothes - How could I be wrong - Housebreaker - Idiot brother - Early years - Home Again

this just didnt click with me. There is an underlying depression throughout, and the music doesnt do anything to keep me engaged. maybe I'm just not an English rock guy. its like a really sad Blur album.

Totally fine! I’m not huge into this kind of music but I get how it’s appealing to some people. I’m just not depressed or English enough to connect

Nothing about this album's particularly offensive except maybe the vocal delivery. At times it sounds like a bad Lou reed impression. Regardless it’s uninspiring. I find it repetitive and emotionless. Some of the playing is good and there’s a couple catchy licks here and there but nothing really broke through and tunneled into my brain. 2.3

Just ok. Nothing exciting

Plodding and unremarkable. So what are we doing here? Did I hate this? No. Its listenable and my ratings are based on how much I liked it. But this is a list of albums you should hear although we aren't rating them on whether we think you should hear them. We just listened to NWA. I hated it and gave it a 1. But I know that it belongs on the list simply because it was important for pointing "music" in a new direction. This album is like several others we have reviewed, ie White Denim. Clean production without any real emotion, innovation, tension, or musicianship. And the songwriting is uninteresting: "Parking Cars?" The more I see this list supposedly made by a panel of "experts," the more it seems to me to be made by a bunch of provincial Brits.

Neither new wave nor auteurs

new wave the auteurs 1993 1. show girl: 9/10 2. bailed out: 8/10 3. american guitars: 7.5/10 4. junk shop clothes: 8/10 5. don’t trust the stars: 7.5/10 6. starstruck: 7.5/10 7. how could i be wrong: 7.5/10 8. housebreaker: 8/10 9. valet parking: 6/10 10. idiot brother: 7.5/10 11. early years: 6/10 12. home again: 6/10 overall rating: 7.47/10

This album managed to "redeem" itself halfway through somehow. Am I the only one who heard a little Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars in this? Maybe even a little Pixies?

1.5/5

Indie rock? Sounds kinda like Beatles I guess. I don’t have much to say about this one. Didn’t really stand out for me.

Its a band you hear in the background of a coffee shop that thinks its cool, but hasn't been cool since 1998

Really like this.

Forgettable

British indie rock or new wave or whatever you call it, I think it is vastly over represented on the list, which has been mentioned a few other times. Pretty good album, nothing too crazy or notable to me other than being good background music to work to.

Big bowl of early 90s meh. Very background music nothing stands out

I guess I didn't hate this, but I also am not sure why it's on this list. It didn't seem particularly interesting. Maybe it was influential?

I can hear a little George Harrison influence here—which is nice. But the album sounded too repetitive to me.

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 honestly don't have much to say about the technical aspect of this album's sound. This is very similar to several other records contemporaneous with this one. It comes from England, it sounds alternative, beautiful melodies, heavy sound... Nothing that I haven't heard in the Brit-pop scene of the 90s. But what caught my attention in a curious way, is that throughout the album I I can feel the sensation of coming home, from somewhere far away. And whether you know it or not, the last song on the album is precisely about that. Like I said, I can't say if it was intentional. But if it is, it's an impressive detail.

it's okay, a little bit better than generic Brit Pop that's on the list

Quite nice.

New Wave was a pretty good album. Most of the songs did sound fairly similar to each other but was all that indie rock sort of sound that i do like. The album also didn't go on for too long for that style to get repetitive enough. It did get to the point where it (like the Louvin Brothers album i did a while back) was pretty tough to pick out a favorite and least favorite song due to all of them sounding really similar but i was able to pick some for this review. This album is good at what it does, it just has the issue of being a bit too much of the same thing throughout most of it. Best Song: Starstruck Worst Song: Bailed Out

Nicht wirklich schlecht, aber jetzt auch nicht der Brüller.

whatever man. some people should not be singers

Proto-Britpop, paving the way for the likes of Blur and Oasis. Rubs out of steam by the end, but still has a handful of decent ideas.

Many of the reviews have properly covered this - it is fine. I liked Valet Parking!

It's fine 🤷‍♀️

it was ok.

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

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.

Kinda cool, but can't get into it

An ok album, most tracks sounded alike

Favorite Track: Show Girl

I liked it. Sure. Not all that original. Not all that exciting. Nothing wrong with it. Here it is, an album from the early ‘90s. Yes. There it was. 3/5

Another meh Brit pop album

Fuck britpop. I could save a lot of listening time by auto rating all good britpop to 1 or 2 stars. 1.41

I really like the 2nd track, “bailed out”. This was a good album. I would not seek it out for a second listen.

NOT NEW WAVE. It's actually another britpop album. While not the most popular band from the scene, they're still pretty good. New Wave is a rather tender album that leans heavily into it's jangle pop influences and a bit of glam rock too. My god though, this album is a lot of the same. It often feels as though they found a groove that worked for them and then stuck to it as long as possible.

Not a bad album, but didn't really connect with it. Solid 3/5, but probably won't listen again.

Good start with show girl and bailed out. But then the album went down from there. Shame really, i love brit pop, but this album was very plain and below average as it went on. Shame really. Maybe ill come back to it. But for now its a 2/5.

At first I thought I would really dig this one, it has a very 90's sound which I typically like. But it really drug and didn't really go anywhere. I wasn't 100% sure what he was whining about most of the time, maybe being too famous and how hard that is (not sure where he was famous...).

This kinda sucked. Pretty unremarkable.