So Much for the City

Okay, so this album is kind of a mixed bag. On the one hand, it's a cool, sunny indie pop (some might say landfill indie) record from the early 2000s, capturing that California vibe perfectly, even though it's Irish guys doing it. The melodies are nice, the music is chill, and songs like "Santa Cruz" and "Big Sur" are definitely catchy as hell. It's a bit nostalgic and almost too sickly sweet.

But, it hasn't held up super well. It feels more than a little generic, they were definitely one of the weaker "The" bands that came out around this time. The singer's voice can be a bit much, and all the place names get a bit tiresome. It's alright for a lazy day, but not a must listen level classic, you know?

It grew on me by the end tbh

I was torn between a 3 or a 4 for this one as I did genuinely enjoy it but I also found it oddly grating at the same time. Something about the record seems affected and insincere to me; maybe it's the ostensibly Irish singer's weird faux American accent. It's certainly a fun album in spite of that though. If the style of the album cover didn't give it away, it soon becomes obvious as you start listening how influenced these guys were by the big 60s pop rock acts. It's far from a novel sound but I feel like The Thrills gave it just enough of their own spin to make the album worth listening to. That said, I don't really see what's so special about the album that earned it a spot on the list. It's not really unique, nor was it noticeably acclaimed or popular, and it doesn't seem to have been particularly influential or have a big cult following either. Strange.

Favourite tracks: One Horse Town, Big Sur, Santa Cruz

this was terrible!

Eh. It’s alright

This is so wet; never was a band more poorly named. And it's comical that almost every track references California; did their manager hand them a Lonely Planet guidebook and say "write about that, lads"?

Not my favourite but there are some hidden gems

The album cover says it all; bunch of pale folk in a cold field in Ireland singing about California sunshine.

solidni indi prosjek, pomalo dilanovski. sve u svemu okej, ali ništa posebno. ne bi mi nimalo smetalo

Meh

This album is a love letter to California. Not the California in America. Nor the California of Hollywood movies or on the OC or 90210 either. Or the one of the Beach Boys, Black Flag or the Minutemen. This album is a homage to the California that only exisits in the minds of kids that grew up in cold damp towns on the banks of the Irish Sea.

This is terrible. This might be the absolute peak of the hipster shit. Banjos and beards and tight rolled jeans, and high pitched country-adjacent whining.

I did not like it.

Somber but fun, couldn't get into the voice initially, but it before the tone well

Say It Ain't So? Like Weezer? THEY THINK THEY'RE BETTER THAN WEEZER?!?!?!

Oh this OC crap.

That was pretty fun, I'm surprised they are in the 2000's, they feel like a much older era.

I found this album to be completely unremarkable in every way. Like I just listened to it and I couldn't really tell you much about it. Plus the vocals were grating. Like a severe annoying version of Wayne Coyne.

I was really happy—and a little surprised—to see So Much For The City by The Thrills included on this list. I loved this album when it first came out, and I can’t believe it’s now 23 years old. It made me wonder: where are The Thrills now?

At its heart, this record feels like a whimsical trip to California, remembered fondly from a cold winter’s day. It’s sweet, nostalgic, and very of its time.

Musically, it’s good, easygoing indie—nice to listen to, but perhaps not groundbreaking. That said, the opening run of tracks is fantastic. “Santa Cruz,” “Big Sur,” and “Don’t Steal Our Sun” make for a strong start, and “One Horse Town” is another highlight. Toward the end, though, my excitement began to fade. Slower songs like “Plans” and “Till The Tide Creeps In” felt weaker and lost some of the early momentum.

Favourite track: “Santa Cruz,” “Big Sur,” “Don’t Steal Our Sun,” and “One Horse Town”
Least favourite track: “Plans” and “Till The Tide Creeps In”
Album artwork: A really cool cover that captures the spirit of the album.

Some rather vapid soft rock. Heavy use of piano interspersed with some guitar and organ. Nothing here really feels that good or
interesting, it's just meh.

This was not great. Not sure what the singer is trying to do.