The Album Review Club - Week #145 - (page 1923) - Tellin' Stories - The Charlatans

[mancity1]

Am I hearing this wrong? The bouncy pop, slick guitars and vocals on show for the first three tracks sound not unlike Busted. Whilst I’m not a fan of Busted, there’s nothing wrong with this: it’s a great way to kick off the record and thankfully, Fountains of Wayne show that they are more than capable of tackling a variety of styles over the course of this album.

“Stacy’s Mom” is a fantastic song – great chugalong guitars during the verses and an epic singalong chorus. After the onslaught of the power pop, the downbeat “Hackensack” makes for a welcome change of gear. I love “No Better Place”, with its jangling start, the isolated strumming and superb background vocals. I don’t listen to a lot of upbeat pop, and I don’t know if anybody is familiar with his work, but this sound reminds me of Matthew Sweet. What a great three-song run this is.

The quieter acoustics of “Valley Winter Song”, “Hey Julie” (“He’s got me running ‘round the office like a gerbil on a wheel” – nice lyric) and the opening of “All Kinds of Time”, which builds into something bigger, again show off the variety that the band is capable of. Plus, is that a few soft jazz chords on “Halley’s Waitress”? They even throw in a bit of country on “Hung Up On You”, but whilst I like Americana and this is a pleasant enough song, it’s not this album’s finest moment.

“Peace and Love” has a lovely laid-back vibe and some nice background organ in the coda.

The sequencing towards the end of the album is interesting because with “Bought for a Song”, “Supercollider” and bonus track “Elevator Up”, it sounds like they’ve thrown in the optional Oasis tribute module! This is in no way a criticism because all three songs are great.

I think when a band gives you this much variety on a single album, you can’t help but applaud. For the same reason, it can feel “all over the place” and lack a single cohesive theme that marks out the truly great albums. As much as I enjoyed “Stacy’s Mom”, the first three songs had me wondering whether they were a one-trick pony, but the Fountains of Wayne more than demonstrated that this is not the case. I really enjoyed listening to this, and I’m happy to give it 8/10, which for me, puts it alongside Oasis and Led Zeppelin on this thread.

Thanks @FogBlueInSanFran for a great choice.

Very good choice and not one I would have thought Fog would rate highly but this one should grow on you the more you play it IMO.

Just shows you how little one can predict and shouldn't predict regarding what floats one's boat.

To date for me no stand out tracks but all of them and I mean all of them are consistent and great to listen to not a weak song amongst them and that is saying something for me at least for so many tracks.

This one could go all the way to the top if not extremely close to it and on reflection despite some reservations I have perhaps it deserves this status.

For some strange reason when Fog said he was going to focus on post 2000 I thought he was going to pick the band Seether albeit they formed in South Africa.

 

[RobMCFC]

Wow! I'm glad you liked it Rob. I feel the same -- other than the NY metro setting and sketches about carefree youth is there isn't a lot to say message-wise, which is why it's not a 10 for me, but more a 9, and as I noted there are a couple of tunes that could have been cut (and I prefer "Elevator Up", which was left off the original record, to "Hung" or "Peace"). But the eclectic nature of this is really appealing I think and, given the breadth of musical tastes on this thread, why I thought folks would enjoy it.

What? You’re picking things you knew we’d enjoy? I’ve been selecting stuff to torture people with!

By the way, does anybody know what Stacy’s Mom has got going on? Late night Poker? Is she organising a Subutteo tournament? If she’s running a rival Album Review Club, I won’t be pleased :)

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Very good choice and not one I would have thought Fog would rate highly but this one should grow on you the more you play it IMO.

Just shows you how little one can predict and shouldn't predict regarding what floats one's boat.

To date for me no stand out tracks but all of them and I mean all of them are consistent and great to listen to not a weak song amongst them and that is saying something for me at least for so many tracks.

This one could go all the way to the top if not extremely close to it and on reflection despite some reservations I have perhaps it deserves this status.

For some strange reason when Fog said he was going to focus on post 2000 I thought he was going to pick the band Seether albeit they formed in South Africa.

My favo(u)rite post-2000 record is unfortunately on BlueHammer’s top 1,100 already but if he doesn’t start that up and this thread keeps going it may be my next one :). May be time to go dancier and more electronic . . .

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

Had a quick listen and on that first listen, it didn't really appeal to me. Not unpleasant but there just wasn't anything about it that really grabbed me. I hope to have a better, more focused 2nd and 3rd listen at the weekend when life has returned to something like normal. It's quite possible that it'll be one of those that grow on me with time and more listens.

Leaning more towards your direction at the moment, Knaresborough.

 

[mancity1]

My favo(u)rite post-2000 record is unfortunately on BlueHammer’s top 1,100 already but if he doesn’t start that up and this thread keeps going it may be my next one :). May be time to go dancier and more electronic . . .

Dancier??

I like your expression of movement.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

First three songs just aren’t my cup of tea, although the riff in Bright Future in Sales offers so much promise.
Never was into the Stacey’s Mom sounding bands that I really couldn’t tell one from another at the time. I probably blindly or ignorantly just lumped them all in as white/college/frat bands that didn’t have anything to offer me.
Even though individually you could pick out really catchy tunes that you would play, no problem.

Anyway the album takes an upturn in my opinion after these three.
Hackensack’s sounds a bit like Crowded House.
No Better Place is a very decent tune, much more to my taste.
Lovely guitar sound at the break.
Not sure who it reminds me of, but there is a comforting familiarity there.
Valley Winter Song is pleasant enough.
All Kinds Of Time is another that has me thinking of Crowded House.
It’s pleasant enough.
Little Red Light is catchy without being special.
I really like Hey Julie and Halley’s Waitress. The latter is probably the best thing on the album as far as I’m concerned. That one is a real grower. All a matter of taste, I know.
Hung Up On You- well I ended up skipping it on the third or fourth playing of the album. It either doesn’t belong here or just not my thing.
Fire Island could be Gilbert O’Sullivan - Claire!

From there on in I just think the album is too long. I’m not into Oasis so their seeming tribute to them in a few of the remaining songs really does nothing for me.

All in all this is a pleasant enough listen but my problem seems to be that I have absolutely nothing invested in them. They don’t speak to me in any way and although individually I would gladly listen to any of the songs, they are not something I would reach for personally.

I recognise how good or appealing the album is, not to give it a 5 but don’t have it appealing to me enough to go as high as a 7, which is in the realms of scores I’ve marked on other albums that peaked my interest more.

It’ll have to be a 6/10 from me.

 

[RobMCFC]

Had another play today and still enjoying it. We've come across this a few times on here already, and I know I have come across it from time to time, but how the hell did the bonus track ("Elevator Up") not get on the album - it's superb.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

First three songs just aren’t my cup of tea, although the riff in Bright Future in Sales offers so much promise.
Never was into the Stacey’s Mom sounding bands that I really couldn’t tell one from another at the time. I probably blindly or ignorantly just lumped them all in as white/college/frat bands that didn’t have anything to offer me.
Even though individually you could pick out really catchy tunes that you would play, no problem.

Anyway the album takes an upturn in my opinion after these three.
Hackensack’s sounds a bit like Crowded House.
No Better Place is a very decent tune, much more to my taste.
Lovely guitar sound at the break.
Not sure who it reminds me of, but there is a comforting familiarity there.
Valley Winter Song is pleasant enough.
All Kinds Of Time is another that has me thinking of Crowded House.
It’s pleasant enough.
Little Red Light is catchy without being special.
I really like Hey Julie and Halley’s Waitress. The latter is probably the best thing on the album as far as I’m concerned. That one is a real grower. All a matter of taste, I know.
Hung Up On You- well I ended up skipping it on the third or fourth playing of the album. It either doesn’t belong here or just not my thing.
Fire Island could be Gilbert O’Sullivan - Claire!

From there on in I just think the album is too long. I’m not into Oasis so their seeming tribute to them in a few of the remaining songs really does nothing for me.

All in all this is a pleasant enough listen but my problem seems to be that I have absolutely nothing invested in them. They don’t speak to me in any way and although individually I would gladly listen to any of the songs, they are not something I would reach for personally.

I recognise how good or appealing the album is, not to give it a 5 but don’t have it appealing to me enough to go as high as a 7, which is in the realms of scores I’ve marked on other albums that peaked my interest more.

It’ll have to be a 6/10 from me.

The Crowded House shout is a good one -- I hadn't thought of that comparison but you're right. I agree with you on Hung Up On You too. Thanks for listening!

 

[bennyboy]

First three songs just aren’t my cup of tea, although the riff in Bright Future in Sales offers so much promise.
Never was into the Stacey’s Mom sounding bands that I really couldn’t tell one from another at the time. I probably blindly or ignorantly just lumped them all in as white/college/frat bands that didn’t have anything to offer me.
Even though individually you could pick out really catchy tunes that you would play, no problem.

Anyway the album takes an upturn in my opinion after these three.
Hackensack’s sounds a bit like Crowded House.
No Better Place is a very decent tune, much more to my taste.
Lovely guitar sound at the break.
Not sure who it reminds me of, but there is a comforting familiarity there.
Valley Winter Song is pleasant enough.
All Kinds Of Time is another that has me thinking of Crowded House.
It’s pleasant enough.
Little Red Light is catchy without being special.
I really like Hey Julie and Halley’s Waitress. The latter is probably the best thing on the album as far as I’m concerned. That one is a real grower. All a matter of taste, I know.
Hung Up On You- well I ended up skipping it on the third or fourth playing of the album. It either doesn’t belong here or just not my thing.
Fire Island could be Gilbert O’Sullivan - Claire!

From there on in I just think the album is too long. I’m not into Oasis so their seeming tribute to them in a few of the remaining songs really does nothing for me.

All in all this is a pleasant enough listen but my problem seems to be that I have absolutely nothing invested in them. They don’t speak to me in any way and although individually I would gladly listen to any of the songs, they are not something I would reach for personally.

I recognise how good or appealing the album is, not to give it a 5 but don’t have it appealing to me enough to go as high as a 7, which is in the realms of scores I’ve marked on other albums that peaked my interest more.

It’ll have to be a 6/10 from me.

I liked Hung up on you,remembered me of Elvis Costello's Almost Blue LP.
So from Hackensack to Hung up on you I enjoyed.
Apart from that I agreed with everything you posted.
A 6 from me but cannot see me following up with anything else by Fountains of Wayne.
Another good choice though.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

The Crowded House shout is a good one -- I hadn't thought of that comparison but you're right. I agree with you on Hung Up On You too. Thanks for listening!

It’s another pick I’m glad I’ve listened to Foggy, even if my review sounds more downbeat.
If a mate of mine had it on in the background when at his place, I would have no problem with it at all.
It’s just not something he’d hear in the background at mine.
If that makes sense.