A mixed week in terms of our assessments. I doubt we’ve had many where everyone had at least one dud and every album was felt to be a dud by at least one person.
Congrats to Wunderhorse though, who excited most consistently - into our top 10 for the year, top 50 overall, plus they have our TOTW.
Marianas trench looked like they might be propping up the year, but a couple of last minute backers rescued them from that ignominy.
Erol has his first😃 for almost 4 months. Phil’s back in ☹️ world.
OMD was a nice reminisce for many, and spookily sit on the same score as 2 of Simon’s other choices - Massive Attack and Ride.
Guy
Wunderhorse – I was a little underwhelmed by this after the Rolling Stone review and the excellent Reading Festival set. It’s good but perhaps not great. I gave it two solid listens to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. I still can’t get it out of my head that they’re Indie Rock by numbers a la Snow Patrol – although I’d give them the benefit of the doubt and there is some decent variety – 7.5
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds – A veritable cornucopia of sounds which became more of an aural experience than an album. I wasn’t necessarily expecting to like this but it really was quite well put together and felt like a real ‘journey’ of an album – best listened to in its entirety rather than track by track – 6.8
Los Bitchos – Again a very odd album in lots of ways but once again, I enjoyed it. It reminded me a bit of The James Taylor Quartet without the Hammond organ. It was probably the instrumental nature of it. Arguably dragged a bit towards the end but most of the music was catchy stuff – 7.2
Mariana Trench – Christos. This was like an album of Eurovision hits. There were bits of Queen in here but lots of it felt over-blown and self-indulgent – 5
OMD – Mark’s summed it up. Some classic early synth stuff with a number of hits of the highest quality. A fun listen and a good choice - 8
Andy
Wunderhorse - I really liked this, there's a certain dourness to it that made me fear it was heading in the Fontaines direction but it turns out they have more than a touch of Nirvana to them (apparently it was recorded in the same studio as In Utero, whatever difference that makes) and that's just grand. Nice of someone to knock out a track called Cathedrals, even if it doesn't quite fit the genre 8
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - I've never really got on with Nick's voice but his decision to go full spoken word here is welcomed, backed as it is by some pretty epic choral and orchestral work. Lovely stuff 7
Los Bitchos - Didn't get on with this at all, not sure what the point was really 3
Marianas Trench - WOW! That was a LOT! Tonally all over the place although on the whole it seems to be the rock opera that they want it to be, with for some reason a Michael Jackson track in there too. It's all a bit silly and I didn't totally hate it 5.5
TotW - Conversion from off of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
OMD - Absolute corker, some top pop and dark broodiness too 8.5
Phil
Wunderhorse
Interesting to read Andy’s point about this being recorded in the same studio as In utero because, if I hadn’t known that Steve Albini had popped his clogs a while back, I’d have sworn it was him in the producer/engineer’s chair. The album has the raw immediacy of his best work.
I really enjoyed this one and I might even go out and buy it. I’m definitely up for seeing them live. Best non-classic album I’ve had to listen to so far! 8
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
I am going to begin by reviewing this album as if I know nothing about Nick Cave. What I’m hearing is a series of increasingly overproduced songs, mostly downbeat if not actively morose. The narrator – and it is mostly narrated not sung – sounds distracted, confused, in pain. Is it a pleasant experience for me? Even allowing for the fact that a lot of the music I love is similarly downbeat, no, it isn’t.
OK, now to apply what I do know about Cave. He has suffered a lot of tragedy in his life, most specifically the death of his teenage son. Is he entitled to make art of such misfortune? Of course he is. Does knowing all of this make it easier to relate to, and ultimately enjoy, the album? No it doesn’t. 3
Los Bitchos
At first this sounded like lounge music and five tracks in I was in danger of dying of boredom. Happily, it did improve and the last three or four tracks came close to kicking ass. This lot may well go on to be huge but I won’t be clamouring to hear their next release. 5
Mariana’s Trench
Proof, were it needed, that prog rock never completely died. Pass me a pillow though and I’ll happily finish it off. It’s in no way a compliment to say that this reminds me of Queen. Where’s the door? I need some air! 3
TOTW: Wunderhorse - Arizona
OMD
I was never much of a fan of synth pop although I always did like Souvenir. Hearing the album that it and the two Joan of Arc homages came from doesn’t make me feel like I missed out at the time. Kudos for the fact that the rest of the tracks are more experimental than I was expecting but the overall effect is still somewhat bland. 6
Simon
Wunderhorse: impressed by this - sounds like a band with a very clear sense of what they're doing and there's plenty of interesting sounds to get stuck into. I can see why Nirvana/Steve Albini have been mentioned in previous reviews, not least because there's a definite hint of Kurt in some of the vocals. 8
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: I'm not that familiar with his output but he's certainly a distinctive and enigmatic character even if his music isn't necessarily everyone's cup of tea - this is possibly an album to admire rather to enjoy, with its grandiose sounds and storytelling, although Frogs is magnificent. 7.5
Los Bitchos: don't object to an instrumental album per se but like Andy didn't think much of this - it was just a load of hammy and instantly forgettable guitar noodling and by the end it was just annoying. 3.5
Marianas Trench: overblown cheese-fest full of over-the-top orchestral flourishes and synth/sax sounds straight out of the mid-80s - the vocal sounds like something from a Disney musical. Ludicrous. 2.5
OMD: one of the albums that left a big impression in my formative years, at the time because I loved the singles, but these days it's the other tracks that I find most intriguing, from the urgent percussive rattle of The New Stone Age to the wide open spaces of Sealand and the title track. Take the singles away and it's quite an experimental album, and it's to the band's massive credit that it all sits together so naturally. 8.5
TotW: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Frogs
Justin
Wunderhorse - I didn't enjoy them at Reading and I didn't like this. I don't think they sound like Nirvana, but I don't like Nirvana either. 5
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - I always have time for Nick Cave and I thought this was a real classic album. Moody music and moody lyrics delivered in a moody stylee. 7.8
Los Bitchos - There is a risk of this stuff being novelty, but I did enjoy all the guitar twiddling albeit it did sometimes feel like just a collection of reworkings of Apache. 6.5
Marianas Trench - this was shocking. Don't understand the Queen comparisons as I love Queen. This was just TV musical stuff. Point added for last song having some merit. 4
Totw Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Wild God
OMD - OMG I still don't really get OMD. Neither ambient nor banging synth music. Although better than I recall 6
Sam
Wunderhorse : love a bit of angsty rock ( thought they were American ) and this ticked plenty of boxes : 7.7
Nick Cave : I never liked his voice or his music , however this is better but still a bit jarring . 5
Los Bitchos : pretty fun and upbeat then very samey and a bit dull : 6
Marianas Trench : why all the hate for pop rock ? I’d be surprised if Erol doesn’t like this . I enjoyed it . Great fun . 7.1
OMD : an inspired choice Simon . It sounds way ahead of its time in parts . Was an absolute joy to listen to . 8.7
TOTW : Cathedrals: Wunderhorse
Mark
Wunderhorse - slamming slab of great indie guitar rock, the likes of which there isn't enough of anymore. Nods to The Hold Steady, Pixies and Nirvana (especially 'July' which could have come off Nevermind or In Utero. Thought they were ace at the festival and I'd go see them again - 8
Nick Cave - musically I thought this had a lot going for it, plenty of Spiritualized epic strings and piano build ups, I just struggled with the vocal, probably sacrilege but I also found some of the lyrics a bit irritating - 6
Los Bitchos - well this was a bit different, I was expecting some glam girl punk but this was more like Tom Tom Club, quirky, loose and funky. Maybe could have done with more vocals to provide a bit of variety, but a more than welcome break from the norm - 7
Marianas Trench - I mean, really, this was pretty ridiculous. The guy clearly doesn't lack ambition but it's just all so pretentious and OTT, I couldn't take it seriously - 3.5
TOTW - Midas by Wunderhorse
Jim
Wunderhorse 8
High quality indie. Not breaking much new ground but they walk on that ground with some swagger. Super tight live and this came through on the album. Nice big dollop of Primal Scream at the end.
Nick Cave 4
Jeepers, this was dull. Just one decent tracks in the middle, Conversation, when there were 1 - some tunes and 2 - some singing, but the rest did nothing for me.
Los Bitchos 6.5
Live they had great energy and put on a top show, but here it suffered with some repetition , although it picked up in the end. Interestign enough though.
Marianas Trench 4
What a cheese fest. A very poor man's Muse
TOTW Wunderhorse- Midas
OMD 7.5
Can't quite make my mind up on this. A few absolutely delightful gems but also some weirdness - the 7min Sealand for example. Credit for being so influencial however many of the young Padawans have taken this genre to another level recently.
Annette
Wunderhorse: 7.5
Nick Cave: 3
Los Bitchos: 6.5
Marianas Trench: 5.5
TOWT: Wunderhorse - Arizona
Erol
Wunderhorse - inventive, raw and exciting. A really good offering of powerful indie-rock, blended with some more subtle tunes. This band is one to watch. 8
Nick Cave – beautifully poetic and moving. I’m not normally a fan of semi-spoken word music but this works really well. His voice is so full of depth and angst, perfectly offset by gorgeous strings, pianos and backing vocals. A thoroughly engaging piece of work. 7.5
Loss Bitchos - the last few tracks have an air of Santana /funky 70s disco about them. The rest of the album however is just a lot of meandering guitar fiddling which left me rather bored. 5
Marianas Trench – I really quite enjoyed this. It’s a bit OTT at times and does drift in to Disney sound track territory but there’s nothing wrong with a slice of overly dramatic rock-opera in my book. 7
TOTW - Emily by Wunderhorse
OMD - apart from Enola Gay (which I know is not on this album), I’ve never really got on with OMD. To my uncultured ears, it’s all a bit too basic, like it’s been put together in a teenager’s bedroom in the 1980s. I get that this was perhaps a formative, seminal album of early synth music but it’s not really for me. 6
Matt
Wunderhorse - Decent enough, if downbeat, indie guitar but nothing particularly distinctive for me. 6.5
Nick Cave - the eponymous second track has the lyric 'efficient gloom'. Too right. 4
Los Bitchos - really good fun and genuinely different. Apparently this style of all guitar and no lyrics is based on Colombian 'cumbia' (every day's a school day). Another musical discovery... 7.5
Marianas Trench Gloriously over the top, full afterburner, operatic prog rock with Queen and ELO running through it. Never a dull moment. 8
Totw Don't Change Los Bitchos
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