"I must admit that it took me many listens to This Is Our Music before it truly sunk in as a piece of slow-moving dream-pop genius. Galaxie 500 create a lush epic where guitars both acoustic and electric swirl together in a gorgeous haze. The record opens with the incredible "Fourth Of July," which for a long time ruined the album for me. This song is perhaps Galaxie 500's strongest, and to me, everything that followed just could not hold a candle to it. But after a while, and after getting heavily into the work of My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, The Velvet Underground, and Low, the other songs on the record began to show themselves as unique, brilliant entities. "Hearing Voices" and "Spook" are surreal pop tunes, while the superb "Summertime" and a cover of Yoko Ono's "Listen, The Snow Is Falling" are lavish guitar epics that give Dean Wareham a chance to let loose while all the sounds build to a monumental crescendo. If you decide to explore this record by Galaxie 500, do not let initial disappointment scare you away. Like all great records, This Is Our Music takes time to infiltrate one's consciousness as a piece of extraordinary artistry."
A full round of 5 stars
SilentJealousy | Doomsday,Westfalia | 09/27/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've sat in the middle of conversations about this band: "Are they SHOEGAZE or DREAM-POP?" I've seen people get in scraps about this. Go all Francis Begbie to hell on this. It's nonsense!! Who cares? It's just good indie music, when "indie" meant what it was intented to mean. If your a fan of Unrest or the Bomb-pops, I highly suggest buying any of their albums. There is no reason why you shouldn't at least check it out. This american college band was a HUGE influence on many European bands in the early 90's. As powerful as the Velvet Underground?(tick that under "yes").**I know there's some Jesus and Mary Chain fan who wants to lamp me one!! But errm, at least Galaxie 500 didn't use drum-machines!! gawd no they're not the Cocteau Twins!!"
There's a reason Galaxie 500 broke up after this album...
Penstrome | Los Angeles, CA | 05/13/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"...Dean realized he and his bandmates could never top it. In parting, Galaxie 500 left their short-lived career without a blemish. A perfect end for a near-perfect band.
Essential in every respect."
I wrote a poem on a dog biscut, but your dog refused 2 look
loctgruv | phila, pa | 06/08/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"at it. And so begins "4th of July", probably one of my favorite Galaxie 500 lines ever, next to "I stayed @ home on the 4th of july, and i pulled the shades so i didn't have to see the sky, and i decided to have a bed in , but i forgot to invite anybody"
Only Dean Wareham's fractured genius can paint a picture of isolation and self-doubt in this way, and his detached storytelling verses remind me of "The Gift" in a sillier setting. "Sorry" has this cool dreamy haze going on, as does "melt away", and "king of spain pt. 2" with its delicate percussion and waves of guitar gently drifts along. Find your own classics, own this lp. I can't speak for the reissue because I have the rough trade orig."