Customer Reviews

New Wave

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am simply flabbergasted that there are only four previous reviews of this incredible album. I'm just as amazed that anyone could give this less than the highest rating. This truly is one of the best albums I've heard in a long time. Since listening it to it for the first time I've probably played it from beginning to end at least 25 or 30 times, having a copy at home, a copy I burned to have at work for my workplace DVD player, and having it on my iPod. On more than one occasion I've listened to it at home on my home stereo, listened to it again on the EL to work, and then played it two or three times at work.

Even if you are an avid fan of music, there are always going to be some good ones that you miss. I've long been a serious fan of rock music, especially indie, alternative, and garage rock, but having a limited pocketbook, a myriad of other interests competing for time that would otherwise be spent listening to music, and never listening to the radio (except for NPR, not a great source of rock music) has meant that while by and large I'm knowledgeable about what's going on in the rock world, the occasional disc slips through that shouldn't have. I'm almost embarrassed-heck, I AM embarrassed-to admit that I've only recently learned about this album. How in name of Pete Townshend did I miss this one? This isn't merely a good album, it is a great one. To think that I've gone over a decade without having heard it is a tad humbling. It also makes me wonder what else I've missed.

What most gets me about having missed this album ere now is how stunningly good I found it even on a first listen. The Auteurs remind me of a lot of other bands like the Kinks, the Smiths, Suede, and even George Harrison. Several of the songs sound like they could almost have been written by Ray Davies, and it is difficult to imagine some of his songs were not in the back of Luke Haines's mind when he wrote them, especially a number like "Starstruck," which almost sounds like a Kinks cover.

Haines is clearly the reason to listen to this band. In addition to guitar duties, he both sings and writes all the songs. Even if the band as a whole wasn't so incredibly musical-each song is played to delicate perfection, though that isn't to say they can't rock when they need to-the songs are so strong that they could have produced a great album even for much lesser musicians. There really isn't a bad cut on the album and several stand out. My favorite cuts include the opening cut, the quirky "Show Girl," "Junk Shop Clothes," the aforementioned "Starstruck," "Housebreaker," and "Early Years." But picking favorites is kinda stupid, because truth is I like "Parking Cars" as much as any, coming across as a softer version of the Clash's "Career Opportunities," only melancholic, sad, and bored rather than angry and bitter.

As strong as the songs are, the playing and arrangements make the perfect. I just find the interplay between voice and guitar irresistible in the same way that I was blown away by the interplay between Morissey and Johnny Marr in the Smiths. Here the guitar plays beautifully off the singing, frequently offering its own counterpoint to the voice, producing a host of glittering moments.

I truly do like this album as much as any album as I've discovered in quite a while. I'm just a little shamefaced that I hadn't discovered it before now. But judging by the number of reviews here, maybe these guys were the superstars I'd assumed they were based on this album. Listening to this I would have guessed, "These guys were obviously huge but somehow I missed them." If so, that truly is a shame. This is big league material by an absolutely first rate band. Anyone else who doesn't know this album should get it immediately.

What Luke Haines and the Auteurs acomplished here was an erudite, melodic, largely acoustic set of songs that perfectly capsulated the early brit pop scene in a way to which only the Auteurs could. This album is fairly perfect and is a wonderful treasure of simple, yet wonderful songs.

Great pop record, not quite as refined as later Auteurs releases, but a good record nevertheless.

Highly recommended if you already own the other two full length CDs.

This Brit discovered The Auteurs when the NME included a copy of Junk Shop Clothes on a tape of miscellaneous indie songs with one of their issues - way back in the early nineties. The other songs were throwaway, but JSC blew me away from the opening few bars. It still does today...all these years later.

All four of the albums are superb, but for me New Wave just edges it. Whispy, whimsical lyrics combine with hypnotic, tuneful guitar work - its delightful stuff. Subsequent albums had a harder edge, this feels just a tad more innocent.

Fits perfectly in any indie lover's collection, but definitely not derivative.

Enter the world of Mr. Luke Haines and let the words & music do their thing, this realease back in '93 was largely ingnored and it is easily one of the finest rock n'roll recordings of the 90's. Sinister lyrics, wonderful instrumentation - a nice mix of punk, pop and glam ratchet this relaese up to magnifico. Be real happy you discovered this, his best release with this band and check out Black Box Recorder for a slightly different bent on Luke et al. Choice cuts on this; Early Years, Bailed Out, Showgirl and don't forget the killer hidden track after # 12.
Brilliant.

Landmark album by one of the most original and uncompromising artists of the past 50 years. The self-declared genius behind this group is of course Luke Haines, and, as will aready be obvious, I agree with his declaration. I like his worst music and love his best. This album from 1993 and the first in the Auteurs series contains some of his very best. Tracks like Showgirl, How can I be wrong and Starstruck are standouts. Showgirl gets to a point where you don't think anything could get any better - but then it does just that during the guitar solo which makes up the last 30 seconds. He's been likened to the Kinks and Bowie, but, while the influence may be there, he does not sound like them; he sounds like Luke Haines, and, if there is any justice, which there is not of course, he'll eventually be remembered as just as important.

If you already knew this was a great album and would like it made more widely available in the USA, then please MARK THIS REVIEW "HELPFUL".

The Auteurs, led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Luke Haines, struck gold with their critically acclaimed debut, New Wave. Bristling with sharp, intelligent lyrics, soft floating acoustics, retro vocals, simple, yet effective arrangements accompanied by evocative melodies and harmonies (which were even more brilliant when Haines delivered them with hints of subtle melancholy), The Auteurs, in all their self-conscious glory, were indeed a rare breed of pop back in '93. Over a decade has passed and this album sounds just as fresh and invigorating as it did upon its initial release.

The Auteurs, vehicle for singer/songwriter/guitarist Luke Haine's curmudgeonly poetic vision, received quite a bit of praise over the past decade. And rightfully so, emerging as they did in an era overrun by moronic grunge and insipid Brit-pop, since Haines focused on the one thing many bands in the early to mid 90s completely overlooked: subtlety. And for that, they stuck out. Not quite like a sore thumb, but enough to warrant some attention. "New Wave" isn't quite that, but it does strive for a certain subtlety, maturity, and erudite sophistication with its attention to detail, i.e. - evocative and moody melodies, semi-baroque arrangements, intelligent, acid-tongued, college-prat lyrics, etc...

When the album works, with some of the prettier songs like "Junk Shop Clothes", "Bailed Out", "Starstruck", "Show Girl", and "Housebreaker", you've got a sound that approaches an attractive combination of early 70s Bowie, the Go-Betweens, and the Beatles (yet witout ever equaling the brilliance of said artists). When the album doesn't work, as with "Valet Parking", "Early Years", and pretty much the rest of the album, you've got uninspired dross that could've been created by any run-of-the-mill indie-pop band, i.e. - aimless riffing, pleasant but very trite chord progressions, overt preciousness, glaring holes where melodies should have been, a pointless need to rock out just because it's '93 and grunge is everywhere, etc. So, it's a mixed bag. But if you're into the brand of subtlety and sophistication that only bands like the ever so brilliant Go-Betweens know how to pull off, you *might* like about half the tunes on this album.