So Much for the City

Amazon.com
One might assume that a band from Dublin called the Thrills would sound a certain way. And one might well be wrong. If northern garage grit is what you're looking for, skip So Much for the City, because this quartet sounds owes less to Northern Ireland forbearers such as Stiff Little Fingers, the Undertones, and Thin Lizzy than to gentle Southern California denizens like the early Eagles, Harvest-era Neil Young, and, strange to say, the Carpenters. More contemporary cousins would be the Jayhawks at their sprightliest. An Irish Americana band with a taste for the lighter side of the country-rock/'70s pop-rock spectrum is certainly an anomaly, and not necessarily an appealing one, but the Thrills approach the California myth with a winning guilelessness and plenty of talent. The story is that that the foursome settled in San Diego and set about soaking up more than just the sun. Songs such as "Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far)," "Big Sur," and "Hollywood Kids," tell a kind of love story--one between some lads and a beautiful setting, or maybe a state of mind. --Steven Stolder

Product Description
Dublin Has Produced a Fair Number of Bands that Make Music with a Universal Appeal to Many Far Beyond the Banks of the Emerald Isle. The Thrills Join that Roster with this Debut Album. Their Sound Though May Be a Bit Surprising to the Uninitiated as it is Unabashedly Rooted in the California Sounds of Brian Wilson Mixed with a Fair Amount of the Beatles and 70's Pop Bands as Well. Derivative? Maybe...but It Really Works...and Works Quite Well, Thank You Very Much. EMI Are So Proud of These Guys that They were Ushered Into Abbey Road to Record the Album on Much of the Same Equipment as Many of their Heroes. You Can Now Hear the Results on this Sparkling Initial Bow to the World.

So Much for the City,The Thrills,Virgin,Alternative Country-Rock,Chamber Pop,Ireland,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

So Much for the City

Average customer rating:

Pre-Chewed Bubble Gum
Far, Far Away (From Dublin)
Better than most but incomplete
End It!
Love it

So Much for the City
The Thrills
Manufacturer: Virgin
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Chamber Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00009AQM9
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

Santa Cruz (You're Not The Far)
Big Sur
Don't Steal Our Sun
Deckchairs And Cigarettes
One Horse Town
Old Friends, New Lovers
Say It Ain't So
Hollywood Kids
Just Traveling Through
Your Love Is Like Las vegas
'Til The Tide Creeps In

Amazon.com

One might assume that a band from Dublin called the Thrills would sound a certain way. And one might well be wrong. If northern garage grit is what you're looking for, skip So Much for the City, because this quartet sounds owes less to Northern Ireland forbearers such as Stiff Little Fingers, the Undertones, and Thin Lizzy than to gentle Southern California denizens like the early Eagles, Harvest-era Neil Young, and, strange to say, the Carpenters. More contemporary cousins would be the Jayhawks at their sprightliest. An Irish Americana band with a taste for the lighter side of the country-rock/'70s pop-rock spectrum is certainly an anomaly, and not necessarily an appealing one, but the Thrills approach the California myth with a winning guilelessness and plenty of talent. The story is that that the foursome settled in San Diego and set about soaking up more than just the sun. Songs such as "Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far)," "Big Sur," and "Hollywood Kids," tell a kind of love story--one between some lads and a beautiful setting, or maybe a state of mind. --Steven Stolder

Album Details

Dublin Has Produced a Fair Number of Bands that Make Music with a Universal Appeal to Many Far Beyond the Banks of the Emerald Isle. The Thrills Join that Roster with this Debut Album. Their Sound Though May Be a Bit Surprising to the Uninitiated as it is Unabashedly Rooted in the California Sounds of Brian Wilson Mixed with a Fair Amount of the Beatles and 70's Pop Bands as Well. Derivative? Maybe...but It Really Works...and Works Quite Well, Thank You Very Much. EMI Are So Proud of These Guys that They were Ushered Into Abbey Road to Record the Album on Much of the Same Equipment as Many of their Heroes. You Can Now Hear the Results on this Sparkling Initial Bow to the World.

Customer Reviews:

Pre-Chewed Bubble Gum.......2006-12-16

Take anything by the Beach Boys and filter through anything by The High Llamas and this is what you will get. Seven boys and girls with goofy retro haircuts have spent some time with their older cousin's stylish record collection and So Much For The City is the result. So, what do we learn fromt this collection of re-heated Beach Boy tunes? We learn that California is so very cool, as if the LA riots and crack houses never existed and if the US wasn't turning into police state. No, these kids have been touring in their gas guzzling Buick Roadmaster wagon, sucking on their Bud and Marlboro Lights and, sadly, writing all about it. Avoid this stale, pre-chewed bubble gum at all costs and head directly to the High Llamas and then on back to Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys. This is perfect music for anyone unconcerned with creativity and how it might be used to report back to us about real life and experience. Your friend with the centre parting and no political views will love it though.

Far, Far Away (From Dublin).......2006-07-18

Imagine for a moment if Wilco hailed from Ireland and harbored a fixation with California sunshine pop. Sounds intriguing, huh? Trust me, it's not.

So Much For the City is an almost entirely dull affair, full of uninspired songwriting and generally devoid of memorable melodies. In a comically affected "American" accent, singer Connor Deasy croaks about the banalities of life in paradisiacal Southern California. He's laughing and dancing "'til the tide creeps in", offering to pay people off if only they'll promise not to "steal our sun", fretting that his "baby" is contemplating a "move down to L.A." because he's such a slacker. His band plods along behind him so listlessly that the listener feels almost obligated to fast forward through many of the tracks.

Every once in awhile the grim proceedings are enlivened unexpectedly by a song suggesting the Thrills have some potential. At least half the people who try listening to this album, will probably not even make it all the way through the lugubrious opener "Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far)". However, those that persevere will be rewarded with the quality beach pop of the next song, "Big Sur" - ignore the nonsensical Monkees-referencing lyrics and you'll find yourself enjoying a song that could have been a radio hit in the 1970s. Unfortunately, there are only a handful of other songs worth repeated listening scattered throughout the remainder of the album - "One Horse Town", "Your Love Is Like Las Vegas", and "'Til the Tide Creeps In". The common theme of the good songs on So Much For the City is that all but "'Til the Tide Creeps In" are up-tempo, a style that clearly suits the Thrills more than the dreary dirges they seem to favor.

Despite my generally negative review, the Thrills show some promise for the future - the several quality songs really are very good, which is certainly preferable to an album packed with consistently mediocre songs. Still, unless they come up with an album full of Hotel California-quality songs at some point, it is probably always going to be difficult to get past the pretentiousness of four Irishmen pretending to be SoCal beach bums.

Better than most but incomplete.......2006-05-01

Like so many albums these days, this one is front-loaded, with the better and more completely-produced songs at the beginning and the degree of finish tapering off as you go. Why they didn't spend the time to make the whole thing equally "good," I'll never know. Anyhow, the melodies are catchy, and the gimmicky production is fetching. Better than 95 percent of the music I've been connected to through Amazon. The recording on some of the songs is quite crystalline, with very clear sonic placement and character. An unusual choice of voicings and locations in the harmonies adds a mysterious appeal.

End It!.......2005-12-10

We're living in lucky times. This kind of sunny day pop had no outlet just a few years ago. Thank god the music business seems to be growing up a bit.

The Shins, School for the Dead, Fountains of Wayne, The Decemberists, even Iron and Wine fans will eat up this delicious pop-cake.

Break out the tamborine and acoustic guitar and roll down your car window. This is the music of the new generation.

Love it.......2005-11-07

Top to bottem a perfect album. Every song is good. I love the retro vibe. The beachboys esq harmonies are cool . Perfect pop joy.

Average customer rating:

The Thrills: Aptly Named
A real Thriller
More charming than thrilling
One of my all time favorite Albums
To "Sur", With Love

So Much for the City

Manufacturer: Emi/Virgin
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00009YXAN
Release Date: 2003-07-01

Tracks:

Santa Cruz (Youre Not That Far)
Big Sur
Dont Steal Our Sun
Deckchairs And Cigarettes
One Horse Town
Old Friends Now Lovers
Say It Aint So
Hollywood Kids
Just Travelling Through
Your Love Is Like Las Vegas
Til The Tide Creeps In

Album Description

'So Much For The City' is the debut album by Dublin five-piece, The Thrills. Their sound is influenced by US West Coast acts of the 60's & 70's such as Buffalo Springfield & The Beach Boys - & the majority of the album was recorded in California. The singles, 'Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far)', 'Big Sur' & 'One Horse Town' are all included. 11 tracks. Virgin. 2003.

Album Details

Customer Reviews:

The Thrills: Aptly Named.......2004-12-09

There is nothing about this recording that I don't like. The band is tight, and using a variety of instruments including synthesizers and banjo with a steel guitar sound drifting through the background of several songs, this Irish group can do the West Coast and Middle America scenes really well.

Much of the music is quiet and wishful, expressing a desire for the California scene: "Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far)", "Big Sur" and "Hollywood Kids" - "Those Hollywood kids have it made". That continues on "'Til the Tide Creeps In": "I was surfing this tidal wave/ of faded glories/ A San Diego pad./ and five, six years walked straight by me".

The yearning for the California sun is coupled with a tinge of regret for what is, best expressed in, "One Horse Town" and "Your Love is Like Las Vegas": "You're like Pete Best/ Bitter after all these years, just let it go."

The recording is for everyone. Older listeners will be reminded of other groups who could harmonize: Buffalo Springfield, Cryan Shames, Poco and the Beach Boys. For younger listeners this will be really fresh, expressing universal sentiments. Much of it is quietly contemplative although the band does rock out on a couple of numbers. It features a good booklet, great lyrics and excellent music. You have to like it.

A real Thriller.......2003-10-30

The Thrills are inexplicably able to evoke memories of both immense jubliance and nostalgia. Stand out tracks are Big Sur, Santa Cruz, Deck Chairs and Cigarettes, One Horse Town, Till the Tide Creeps In and Your love is like Las Vegas. The album is such a pleasure to listen to from beginning to end, with Conor Deasy's voice shining all the way through. These guys from Dublin will go on to bigger things. Don't say i didn't tell you so

More charming than thrilling.......2003-10-25

The Thrills have a folk rock sound with a retro 70's approach which they seem to capture in their cover for 'So Much For The City'. It's like these guys sat around listening to alot of AM California rock from the late 70's, eg, The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. Breezy sounds with the occasional organ, mandolin/banjo, piano, and harmonica. Just think the lazy melodies of Belle and Sebastian, the acoustic/folk tendencies of Badly Drawn Boy, meets the last 2 CD's of The Delgados.

One of my all time favorite Albums.......2003-08-26

The Thrills are from Dublin ireland, but this album has a 1960's beach boys american rock feel to it. Every track is fantastic and so uplifting. Its the perfect album to drive to on a hot summery day. The stand out tracks are Santa cruz, Big Sur, Deckchairs and Cigarettes and just travlleing through.
I really cant recommend this album enough to anyone! Even my parents like it, now thats a triumph!

To "Sur", With Love.......2003-08-10

There was a time in the early 1970's when music like this was so common we took it for granted. Poco. America. The Doobie Brothers. The Eagles. The Byrds. That easy-grooving, mellow rock that never sounded even remotely like a compromise between rock and mellow. That was, in the purest sense MUSIC.

Those times have gone, and only on rarest of occasions do we spot a glimmer of that which was. Acts like Split Enz who became Crowded House. The Housemartins who became the Beautiful South. Songs to tap your feet to without embarassment. Melodies to lift the soul. Hooks to sink your ears into. Words to carefreely join along with.

Welcome to this elite group, The Thrills. God knows where kids this age ever learned how to play like this - or even how a band from Dublin managed to score a magnu cum laude California sound.

Like David Gray's "Babylon", don't expect to even notice tracks like "Big Sur" the first time you hear it on the radio (unless your ear pricks up at that line about "Hey, hey, we're the monkeys"). At about the 3rd or 4th play, you'll start to pick up on it and by the 20th play, you'll be running out to buy the album.

And then it won't leave your CD changer for about a year.

Tracks:

Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far) [DVD Audio]
Big Sur
Don't Steal Our Sun
Deckchairs and Cigarettes
One Horse Town
Old Friends, New Lovers
Say It Ain't So
Hollywood Kids
Just Travelling Through
Your Love Is Like Las Vegas
'Til the Tide Creeps In

Album Description

Japanese edition of 2003 debut album is pressed onto an enhanced CD & includes a video to their latest UK single 'Big Sur', plus 2 audio bonus tracks 'Blue September' & 'One Horse Town' (SBN Session) which are not available anywhere else. 15 tracks. EMI.

Album Details

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