Jangle Pop
Noah’s Barks pages relating to the jangle pop music genre.
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The Go-Betweens – “Tallulah”
It’s depressing how lame Tallulah is, because it takes steps in the right direction. A lot of people complain about the production dragging this album down, but that’s only partially true. The Go-Betweens have always had bad production before 16 Lovers Lane. Albums like Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express were good in spite of their production, not because… (read more)
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The Go-Betweens – “Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express”
Calling music “jangle pop” should be considered a misnomer when that jangle doesn’t glisten. Isn’t that the whole point? You know what did glisten? 16 Lovers Lane. Or in particular, the sun-soaked ray riff of “Streets of Your Town.” Every single Go-Betweens album that isn’t 16 Lovers Lane has this exact problem, including Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express. A… (read more)
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The Go-Betweens – “16 Lovers Lane”
’80s jangle pop is truly a marvelous thing. I don’t know what it is about it, but it seems to me many of the best lyrics in pop rock music come from jangle pop. 16 Lovers Lane‘s lyrical imagery is as aflutter as its brightly shining guitars, but can quickly change to a cold wind… (read more)
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The Smiths – “The Queen Is Dead” (1986)
Catchy jangling guitars, fantastic lyrics and delivery, and the very understated yet very fantastic additional string sections make The Queen Is Dead as pleasant to listen to as it is touching. People who defend “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” being the closing track are off their rockers. “There Is a Light That Never Goes… (read more)
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The Smiths – “Meat Is Murder” (1985)
Yes, the title track of Meat Is Murder is really stupid and just a shortsighted version of “How Soon Is Now?” (which is even on the American version of this album), but pound for pound, I consider this the best Smiths album after The Queen Is Dead—no question. Lyrically, Morrissey trades in some of his trademark… (read more)
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The Smiths – “Strangeways, Here We Come” (1987)
Strangeways, Here We Come is an admirable attempt by The Smiths to explore new sonic territory, understandably so with the limited structure and format of the jangle pop genre. Here, the jangle is all but gone. Without a doubt, the highlight of Strangeways, Here We Come is the synthesized string arrangements by Johnny Marr. They… (read more)
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My Bloody Valentine – “The New Record by My Bloody Valentine” (1986)
The New Record by My Bloody Valentine is a great step forward for the band, who previously performed derivative post-punk that imitated The Birthday Party and The Cramps. On this EP, the band moves a bit closer towards their recognizable noise pop and shoegaze sound. But they’re still not quite there yet. There’s an undercurrent… (read more)
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My Bloody Valentine – “Sunny Sundae Smile” (1987)
Early My Bloody Valentine’s cheeky noise pop has its appeal. Every track on Sunny Sundae Smile has a nice undercurrent of guitar distortion hinting at the band’s future shoegaze works. Only four-tracks long and clocking in at under 10 minutes, this is an excellent release despite not being a good representation of the sound My… (read more)