- Audio CD (16 Feb 1998)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Epic
- ASIN: B000024A0J
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Audio Cassette | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 58,388 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The second commercial album for Headswim, ignoring EPs and mini-albums, was seemingly lost in a melee of new grand theories from well-known bands. Possibly the result of a suicidal, or naive, bad release by Epic, Despite Yourself came at the wrong time.
Accused of being another Radiohead post-Bends imitation (principal prosecutor NME) the album was dogged with comparison, albeit unfairly.
Had anyone truly listened to their first major outing Flood, they would have paid more attention to the stylistics, and the way that, once again, the band was heralding a sea change in mainstream rock.
Their work, far from being imitation, was nothing less than sublime melodic development. It may well have been within the confines of an envelope that that was already established, but it was groundbreaking nevertheless.
Comparisons to early Del Amitri may be abound on this album, as is the heavy Radiohead burden, but it is a truly gorgeous work. Full of sweeping vocals, and clear cut guitar work, although it is not necessarily innovative, it makes clear how low-grade some of this sort of music that we put up with really is.
To take a genre in the way that Headswim does, and develop it in such a perfectionist and yet aesthetically pleasing manner, is the sign of greatness.
'Envelope Pushing' may be en vogue. But real insight can require taking these models and showing what is right, and what is wrong, with these ideas. This is indeed what Despite Yourself does.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is a great, great record.
They really deserved to make the big breakthrough with this album but, sadly, despite the consistency of the songs and arrangements and the excellent singing of Dan Glendinning, it didn't happen.
In 'Wishing I was naive' they produced a song which stands up alongside the very best of the 1990's. With the rest of the material not too far behind this really should have been a springboard to much greater things.......
Buy it...and they might make a comeback.
Headswim RIP...sadly missed.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I first heard this album more than a decade ago, whilst at university. My housemate wanted to play me a song he was really enthusiastic, which was the opening track on this album. I was so enthused that I borrowed the album, fell in love with it and never returned it (I think I bought him another copy in the end). Some albums from my younger days are lucky if they get wheeled out every few years; this one is an album I return to at least once a year, which is very often for me because I have a large music collection. The tracks are haunting, beautifully crafted and memorable. For some reason I associate the album with Christmas - songs about angels and devils and a sense of trying to combine the innocence of childhood with the realisation that the adult world is scarred. I played it for the first time to my boyfriend last year and he was blown away. This album is proof, if ever you needed it, that commercial success is not an adequate measure of quality. Buy it; you will not be disappointed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A fantastic re-discovery
What a beautiful, haunting, melodic, ethereal album this is. Comparisons with Radiohead are obvious but, in my opinion, misplaced. Read more
Published 16 months ago by LM BUTCHER
Despite Yourself
Headswim were a little known band during the late 90's and deserved more success than they originally got. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Chris W.
One of my favourite albums
One of my favourite albums. With every track being so distinctive, enduring and powerful, it's sad to think that the band were dropped by Sony before they could release another... Read more
Published on 25 Jan 2009 by J. Gibbins
Brilliant but never recognised
I'll make this short. If these guys had released this album a few years earlier they would have been huge. Big guitars and big melodies. Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2005 by "yorkiecd"
Blinder
I can remember listening to these lads years back when they were called "Blinder" at The Standard in Walthamstow. Read more
Published on 7 Aug 2002 by "jjoneway"
Mellow but fierce
This album is one of the best I have heard for ages. It means a lot to me personally but just to hear it makes me feel like I can calm down and not think about the whole world... Read more
Published on 8 Dec 1999 by j0016@highsted.kent.sch.uk
calming
What a sorted album... absolutly excellent... not at all like their other albumns... but excellent anyhow, very mellow and calming... a definite must!.
Published on 6 Dec 1999
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