Fuzzy

This could be the dictionary definition of meh

Didn’t make a much if an impression. Nothing in the lyrics really grabbed me, most of the singing wasn’t very strong, and the music was fine

His voice is nice and the music is competent so is it a 2 or a 3

Not bad but will I listen to it again? I doubt it…

Bland music, with mediocre vocals. It’s not bad enough to give only one star, but I’d bet good money you’ve been more entertained by a local cover band than you will be by this album. I think this guy is the author’s godfather’s nephew or something. That’s the only explanation for this being on the list.

I rather enjoyed, and was pleasantly surprised by this. It's an accessible take on moody, atmospheric alt-rock fused with elements of country and folk, where the latter two don't encroach too heavily into the experience; positively accentuating the songs which generally place a greater emphasis towards the vocals.

The album began to feel more expansive in the second half, and specifically from "Stars n' Stripes" onwards, where the back end of such a track felt like it had a greater amount of room to breathe, and where the instrumentation took the reins with a slight sleaze and drifting style to it. The first half, whilst good, occupied a similar space from to track, although not in an unengaging way.

Grant Lee Buffalo, in a vocal sense, has a slight grunge/alt twang to him which brought several other 90s contemporaries to mind - a bit of a softer voice than the likes of Layne Staley, but operating in a comparable ballpark with the emotive quality to his vocals. Michael Stipe or Neil Young might be closer points of reference.

I can imagine this album pairing well with a beer over a summer sunset. I might actually make a purchase and explore further.

I've already heard plenty of "guy with acoustic guitar singing in a voice so raspy you want to offer them a glass of water" music from the nineties, thanks.

Also, what's with the Boomer selfie on the cover?

Beautiful mostly acoustic album. I knew the title track from radio play back in the 90s, but had never dived into the whole album. It’s all pretty similar, but presents a dreamy melancholy that’s just right for late nights

Honestly, this album serves as a bit of a Rorschach test for your tolerance of 90s alt rock. It’s got a warm, “fuzzy” atmosphere that sits somewhere between grunge and Americana, think R.E.M. jamming with Jeff Buckley. Grant Lee Phillips has a voice that really carries the record, and tracks like "Jupiter And Teardrop" and "Dixie Drug Store" are genuine standouts that pull you in.

However, I can totally see the complaints about it being a a bit boring. For every moment of atmospheric brilliance, there are stretches where it risks blending into the background as pleasant, but forgettable, noise. It teeters on the edge of being soporific. If you’re in a moody, autumnal headspace, it’s a hidden gem, but if you need high energy or sharp hooks to stay engaged, it might just put you to sleep. A solid, if slightly sleepy, 3 stars.

'I propose a toast / To the memory of the horse who carried King Tut and his gold'; 'And she nicknamed him her teardrop / For the tattoo by his eye.' What's so functional and perfected about this record is its Americanness, the way the band manages such a gorgeous tribute to this country's self-defining features. And it's American in a way that Woody Guthrie or Bruce Springsteen aren't: this is pure symbolism, pure imagery, and pure history. That would have its limitations if it weren't for Phillips powerful singing, his heavy guitar-playing (matched by Joey Peters's percussive instincts), and his uniquely poised lyricism. Underlying the project is a flimsy obscurity & a lack of direction, but for the most part, this succeeds concretely, wholly.

I mean, the melodies are kind of there? For the most part they aren't really, but the opener's okay. The lyrics are what really mess it up. They're so cheesy. Like I think he said something about being chocolate cake at one point. It's kind of bland and very cheesy, to sum it up, and I lost a lot of interest after the first song.

Surprised to see this one on the list, though I enjoyed it a lot upon its release. Highlighted by a few great songs, but probably not epochal enough for consideration on this list.

Makes me want to sit in an American roadside cafe drinking a coffee while I listen. More of a mood album than one I'd continually revisit, but solid nevertheless.

Die Band um Sänger verbindet Americana, Folk-Rock und Alternative zu einem atmosphärisch dichten Sound. Besonders hervorzuheben ist der Titeltrack „Fuzzy“, der mit seinem melancholischen Ton und der markanten Stimme überzeugt.

I had a good time with this one! The music is pretty typical 90’s Americana, and the lyrics were just fine. I enjoyed the more political songs, you could’ve told me they were written yesterday and I would’ve believed you. My favorite song might be the one where he fucks a ghost.

Jeg har sikkert fått alle låtene fra Fuzzy servert av Discover Weekly en eller annen gang, men aldri giddet å høre hele albumet. Nå skjønner jeg hvorfor algoritmen maser. Dette 90-tallsverket, jevngammelt med meg selv, er visstnok også midt i blinken for meg. Og den ondeste strømmetjenesten hadde jo rett.

Det smeller i gang med den Waterboys-aktige «The Shining Hour», og derfra er det bare å lene seg tilbake: Tittelsporet er gigantisk, «Jupiter and Teardrop» er basically lyden av 90-tallet jeg ønsker å huske, og «The Hook» er låta som får hele salen til å holde pusten og deg til å ville holde rundt noen.

Fuzzy er melankolsk, men samtidig håpefull. Altså som å våkne dagen derpå, du har vondt i hodet men tror fortsatt livet kan ordne seg etter en burger og en bekreftende melding om at du ikke sklei så langt ut som du trodde.

Mejor de lo que pensaba. Aparte de Fuzzy no conocía otras canciones de este grupo, fue una época con mucha música, aún sin el P2P ni el streaming en, tenías que ser selectivo a la hora de comprar. Este disco pasará al olvido y entiendo que está en este libro como una foto del momento en que se editó. Me ha gustado escucharlo.

I got a push notification that Trump was deploying the national guard in DC because crime is “out of control,” even though it isn’t. About a minute later, as I was finishing reading about the deployment, America Snoring began playing. Eerie.

This was maybe a 3.5. I liked the title track a lot.

I've never heard of this one (as far as I know... actually Spotify says I've liked one song by them from a different album) but sometimes those are the best records and the main reason this is so much fun. Let's jump in shall we?

This reminds me of something but I can't really put my finger on it. I feel like it's pretty standard early/mid 90s rock. But like, no more genre-specific than that. I wouldn't call it alt, indie, pop, etc. It's just kind of generic rock music. There are a couple songs I actually did really like - Stars N Stripes was really interesting and maybe more alt/grunge inspired. It was just ok, I wouldn't listen again or seek out anything else they've done based on this one. 2.5/5

R.E.M.'s Michael Stipes calls Grant Lee Buffalo's “Fuzzy” the best rock album of 1993. Apart from the fact that he obviously doesn't have exactly the same taste in music as I do, this shows two things: 1. 1993 was a rather disappointing year in terms of newly released music albums, and 2. “Fuzzy” is clearly not as bad as I honestly expected it to be, based on the band's name and the cover. Unlike other largely acoustic alt-rock albums from the early nineties, it is actually quite varied, and Grant's distinctive voice gives the songs (apart from a few uncertainties at the beginning of “The Shining Hour”) a nice individual flavor. Not bad!

Grant Lee Buffalo is a group I started hearing about within the past year, having listened to a few songs off their sophomore album, Mighty Joe Moon. They're an alternative country rock band that uses American iconography and personal narratives in their lyrics, courtesy of singer-songwriter Grant-Lee Phillips. Their debut album, Fuzzy, gives a clear example of their sound from the get-go.

This album gleams with the strum of the distorted guitars along with Paul Kimble's melodic basslines, Joey Peters's spare percussive punch, and Phillips's hauntingly chill vocal presence. The lyrics may appear abstract upon a cursory glance, but some truly visceral lines paint a darker picture of America as seen through Phillips's lens. "Wish You Well" addresses propaganda and how news coverage can be spun for a differing narrative than what transpired, "Jupiter and Teardrop" tells the tale of two star-crossed lovers on the run from the law, "America Snoring" goes into the lack of inaction to combat the slow transformation of the country into a hellscape, and "Stars N' Stripes" outright mentions the underlying antisemitism rooted that needs to be called out. Probably the most vivid of these tracks for me was "Grace", using icons like the Lone Ranger and Harry Houdini to chronicle a reckless lifestyle that ends prematurely.

Fuzzy is the sort of album that feels timeless and poignant in its storytelling, bolstered by a gritty Americana sound that suits it well. Not a moment felt wasted on this record, which is remarkable for a debut. It's absolutely worth the listen.

Nothing special. Yet again, why would you include this on the list?