Your Favorite Records (that underwhelmed you)

Any of you guys have a favorite record or two (or three) that initially underwhelmed you?

Able Bodies by From Indian Lakes comes to my mind immediately. First time I listened I honestly didn't think it was anything special. Nothing remotely stuck out to me. Now it's become one of my favorite records of all time and I wonder why I didn't see the genius of it first time around.

 

Is This It by The Strokes is probably the biggest example for me. Thought it was really boring the first few times I heard it but I love it now. If it didn't have that "classic" status though I probably wouldn't have bothered giving it another chance.

 

not a record per se but Björk Tom Waits and Radiohead all took some getting used to vocals wise

 

Haim took me way too long to get into, but now Days Are Gone became one of my favorites from that year.

 

I dismissed Interpol's Our Love to Admire at first, and now it's my favorite (although not their objectively best/most important)

 

Cope, Panic Stations, Bloodflowers

 

Couldn't get into Converge because of Jake Bannon's vocals. Took years. Love them now

 

So many....where do I start? Some notable ones off the top of my head:

The Dangerous Summer - Reach for the Sun
Bon Iver - BI, BI
One Direction - Four
The 1975 - The 1975
Transit - Listen and Forgive
Yellowcard - Paper Walls
Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
Taylor Swift - Red
Jon Hopkins - Immunity
Deafheaven - Sunbather

So basically, many of my favorite albums from the last 5-10 years. In each case, I'm eternally thankful that I took the time to listen more, trying to "get it", instead of just giving up.

There are probably a lot more that are escaping me right now. Also, great topic.

 

The Everglow by Mae is another. Had no idea why the record was so hyped when I first heard it. It just seemed like a by-the-numbers alternative rock record. Then the subtle brilliance of it suddenly hit me and I would consider it a top 20 album of all-time.

 

Cope still hasn't hit me. Need to go back to it soon.

 

Kamelot - Epica
Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism
Say Anything - Is a Real Boy
Frank Turner - Love, Ire & Song
The Hotelier - Home, Like Noplace is There

 

I don't think I loved any of my current favorite albums on first listen

 

I'm usually pretty good at knowing right away what albums are going to be favorites. All of my top albums from the last few years (Ledges, Afraid of Ghosts, Southeastern, etc.) were very, very immediate for me. With that said, it does still happen from time to time that an album/artist does nothing for me at first and later becomes a favorite. Probably most notably, it took me a little while to really appreciate The '59 Sound and American Slang, and The Gaslight Anthem/Brian Fallon are probably top 15/20 artists for me now.

 

Same here.

 

Pet Sounds

 

First one off the top of my head would be Agent Fresco's Destrier. That album disappointed the shit out of me at first and now I'll kill anyone who dare speaks ill of it.

 

Great band, great album.

 

You forgot one, SpyKi:

Anberlin - Dark is the Way, Light is a Place

 

Let's start a new list: Your Favorite Records That Underwhelmed SpyKi.

Mine would be long.

 

Haha. I'm sure everyone would have a decent sized list. I'm bad at music.

 

Very much this.

 

Kanye.