The Soapbox Album Club 2018 Editon

The Spotify edition has 40 fucking songs on it. 30 of them are bonus tracks.

Can we just review the first 30 please?

Or maybe even the first 10

The Soapbox album club rolls on to round 3, will it last to Krburg? (probably not) only time will tell.

It's a 10 track album lads. No one cares about the bonus tracks. But by all means hit me up with me a 1000 word review

This is round 4! already making it more successful than last time around. I hope we continue our wonderful form until its Kevin's turn.

Nice pick Rocks Man. it's an album I gave a handful of listens to about six years ago. From memory I was a little mixed on it at the time though I'm due a re-listen with fresh ears so look forward to giving it a go. I really enjoyed Robyn Hitchcock's solo record from last year, a LOVELY psychedelic pop LP.

Two listens in and really enjoying this, good choice!

May as well post about this now as i've listened to it loads.

I thoroughly enjoyed this album. As Columbia_Rocks_Man! says, it's a really hook heavy album. It just powers along so quickly, none of the songs outstay their welcome and everything is effortless. I love the array of influences on it, some are very outright as on You'll Have to Go Sideways they sound like Television, the next track is Old Pervert which is pure Captain Beefheart then the following song is Queen of Eyes which is a lovely jangly Byrds type song. You can see that it's influenced others too as I think I Got The Hots sounds like a great lost Ariel Pink tune. I think I Got The Hots was probably my fave tune off it, although Tonight and Underwater Moonlight are absolute epics too. Great stuff, 8/10.

After two editions of the soapbox album club, this is so far the only thing that's deffo made my regular rotation (although I think I possibly listened to Ton's Denim album once since the last album club). 

PS. Titch's choice drops tomorrow, so get your reviews in you shit rats

Luvly record, aye. Easily my favourite of this club's era but nothing I will remember on my dying moment. I Wanna Destroy You starts it all with a bang. Second track is like Syd Barret fronting Television. Or was it Lou Reed fronting The Byrds? It doesn't keep the quality all around the record but it's pretty enjoyable anyway and (most of) the production doesn't sound too attached to any particular era, which is nice. The other highlight is obviously Queen of Eyes, everywhere I've read seems to agree with that.

Although I'm a bit surprised by the huge support it has (as a cult album), because it's just a collection of decent tracks (hardly brilliant) but I don't feel like it has an identity of its own. Which surely could be said to many of my favourite records, but you know, each to their own.

low7/10

good pick chrissie - i enjoyed this.

i'd listened to bits by robyn hitchcock before but never checked out the soft boys despite seeing their name around for years. i was surprised when i listened to this to see that it was from 1980 as it felt more like a 60s album to me in a good way. can 100% see myself revisiting this in the future and whilst i kinda agree with barny's comment that there's no major standouts i think this works well as just a solid collection of good songs with catchy hooks and interesting instrumentation. old pervert cracked me up too

It's funny, I'm not sure I'd ever heard anything by robyn Hitchcock before, mainly because I mistakenly thought he was one of those old-timey half-folk troubadour types like John Martyn or nick drake. shows what I know. this was a pleasant surprise. Not sure I'd listen to it on repeat a million times, but I liked it well enough. Reminded me of rockpile in some places, which for me is high praise indeed. 6.5/10

nick drake is better than anyone this thread will ever feature.

Felt a bit indifferent about this. Like others I've never listened to any later Robin Hitchcock and also for some reason assumed he was a folk singer songwriter.

To be honest though this didn't get a fair crack of the whip from me as I've been so busy the last couple of weeks. But after two and a half listens there were no somgs on there that made me desperate to listen again but likewise none that I felt I had to turn off. The only one that stuck was the Byrdsy effort near the end.

If I spent a bit more time with it, especially the lyrics which I didn't really concentrate on it might score a little higher but I can't give it more than a completely middle of the ground 5/10.

After tomorrow you will revise your thinking (but I do love Nick Drake as much as the next man)

This wasn't a new album for me as Columbia_rocks_man has been banging on about it for a decade or so. I'd dipped in and out of it in that time, but it never really fully grabbed me. I'm pleased to say that the listens I've given it over the last fortnight are the most I've enjoyed it. I still think it dips in quality in the middle (I Got the Hots/Insanely Jealous both annoy me quite a bit) but otherwise it's a solid record. 7/10.

Such a killer opening to the record IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII WANNA DEEESSSTROY YOUUU!

Parts of Kingdom Of Love sounds like late 70s Stones.

Positive Vibrations I can imagine being an Undertones A-side, nice sitar solo!

I got the Hots is a bluesy plodder, this one really drags & only becomes interesting in the final minute.

Insanely Jealous reminds me of Julian Cope, perhaps a bit of early Echo & The Bunnymen, again for an upbeat tune it doesn't really go anywhere for the first three quarters until it picks up at the end.

Tonight, nice slow build leading to the big chorus, really like this one. good power pop.

Sideways.. guitar intro irritates me for some reason though I like how the organ gradually overpowers it. Always surprises me a little as it doesn't feel like something that should work for this record but I always enjoy this unusual instrumental.

Old Pervert, the frantic guitar could be The Magic Band, I keep expecting Beefheart's vocals to kick in. Reminds me a lot of The Birthday Party, with both groups being Australian & releasing their debuts around the same time I'd assume they're paths would've crossed a few times. One of the highlights.

After that one of the more simpler tunes in Queen of Eyes, great Byrds inspired power-pop. 2 minutes of bliss, love it.

& the title track to finish things off is excellent stuff, out of the 4 minute + numbers this is the one that has the most ideas & makes best use of its time.

I think the way the record bounces from post-punk to power-pop from one track to the next makes it a little hard for some people to really attach themselves to, especially if they favour a particular style. Works well for me, though perhaps they could've combined both sounds & given themselves a more uniform sound, though personally I like the variety on the record.

I've enjoyed this record a fair bit more than my initial listens 5-6 years ago. I'm with rod that there's a couple of duff tracks in the middle which let the record down a bit, but still plenty of gold throughout. I'm gonna score this a 7.75, very close to receiving an 8/10 tbh

It doesn't look like Krburg will get this review in on time. Just for that you can pick last you cunt

I Wanna Destroy You is one of the best opening album tracks by anyone, ever.

My review will be up at some point today, men.