New Wave | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 22 February 1993 | |||
Genre | Alternative rock, indie pop | |||
Length | 43:41 | |||
Label | Hut | |||
Producer | Phil Vinall, Luke Haines | |||
The Auteurs chronology | ||||
|
New Wave is the 1993 debut album by British rock band the Auteurs. In 2014, British independent record label 3 Loop Music re-released the album on 180gsm Vinyl and as a 2CD Expanded Edition which included b-sides, rarities, radio session tracks and the original 4-track demos that led to the band's signing with Hut Records.
After the demist of the Servants, musicians Luke Haines and Alice Readman formed the Auteurs; former Dog Unit drummer Glenn Collins joined soon after. The trio made their live debut in April 1992 at the Euston Rails Club in London, signing to Hut Records, a subsidiary of major label Virgin Records. British press saw the band as part of a potential glam rock revival, while American press would plainly compare them to Suede. [1] Author Dave Thompson wrote in his book Alternative Rock (2000) that New Wave laid the groundwork for what would subsequently become Britpop. [1]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Alternative Rock | 8/10 [3] |
Drowned in Sound | 9/10 [4] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [5] |
Entertainment Weekly | A− [6] |
The Irish Times | [7] |
Record Collector | [8] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [9] |
Select | 4/5 [10] |
The Village Voice | A− [11] |
"Show Girl" was released the lead single in December 1992, ahead of New Wave, which appeared in early 1993. By this point, celloist James Banbury joined the band. By mid-1993, Collins was replaced by Barny C. Rockford. [1]
Thompson referred to the album as a "university thesis on how to build Brit-pop, shot through with such startlingly intelligent perversity that the end result is more of a template than a tribute." He singled "Show Girl" and "Junk Shop Clothes" as highlights. [3] Stereo Review wrote that "Haines is a brooder who tends toward minor keys and bleak but arresting lyrics that obsess on the darker side of showbiz and celebrity." [12] The Washington Post concluded that "not all these songs are as catchy as 'Bailed Out' or 'Early Years' but those who empathize with Haines's self-mocking boho sensibility will find New Wave immensely appealing." [13]
In a retrospective review, Jake Kennedy of Record Collector said it was not the band's best effort, but considered it a "canny time capsule, bundled up with all the retro glam of the era", with a number of lyrical topics which "confuse and charm in equal measure". [8]
Thompson said that it was one of the most acclaimed albums in 1993. It was shortlisted for the 1993 Mercury Prize. [1] It is now included in the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die list. [14]
All songs written by Luke Haines. [15]
Personnel per booklet. [15]
Citations
{{
cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link)
Sources
New Wave | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 22 February 1993 | |||
Genre | Alternative rock, indie pop | |||
Length | 43:41 | |||
Label | Hut | |||
Producer | Phil Vinall, Luke Haines | |||
The Auteurs chronology | ||||
|
New Wave is the 1993 debut album by British rock band the Auteurs. In 2014, British independent record label 3 Loop Music re-released the album on 180gsm Vinyl and as a 2CD Expanded Edition which included b-sides, rarities, radio session tracks and the original 4-track demos that led to the band's signing with Hut Records.
After the demist of the Servants, musicians Luke Haines and Alice Readman formed the Auteurs; former Dog Unit drummer Glenn Collins joined soon after. The trio made their live debut in April 1992 at the Euston Rails Club in London, signing to Hut Records, a subsidiary of major label Virgin Records. British press saw the band as part of a potential glam rock revival, while American press would plainly compare them to Suede. [1] Author Dave Thompson wrote in his book Alternative Rock (2000) that New Wave laid the groundwork for what would subsequently become Britpop. [1]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Alternative Rock | 8/10 [3] |
Drowned in Sound | 9/10 [4] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [5] |
Entertainment Weekly | A− [6] |
The Irish Times | [7] |
Record Collector | [8] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [9] |
Select | 4/5 [10] |
The Village Voice | A− [11] |
"Show Girl" was released the lead single in December 1992, ahead of New Wave, which appeared in early 1993. By this point, celloist James Banbury joined the band. By mid-1993, Collins was replaced by Barny C. Rockford. [1]
Thompson referred to the album as a "university thesis on how to build Brit-pop, shot through with such startlingly intelligent perversity that the end result is more of a template than a tribute." He singled "Show Girl" and "Junk Shop Clothes" as highlights. [3] Stereo Review wrote that "Haines is a brooder who tends toward minor keys and bleak but arresting lyrics that obsess on the darker side of showbiz and celebrity." [12] The Washington Post concluded that "not all these songs are as catchy as 'Bailed Out' or 'Early Years' but those who empathize with Haines's self-mocking boho sensibility will find New Wave immensely appealing." [13]
In a retrospective review, Jake Kennedy of Record Collector said it was not the band's best effort, but considered it a "canny time capsule, bundled up with all the retro glam of the era", with a number of lyrical topics which "confuse and charm in equal measure". [8]
Thompson said that it was one of the most acclaimed albums in 1993. It was shortlisted for the 1993 Mercury Prize. [1] It is now included in the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die list. [14]
All songs written by Luke Haines. [15]
Personnel per booklet. [15]
Citations
{{
cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link)
Sources