The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society

I adore this album. The lyrics explore nostalgia and British culture in a way that doesn’t feel pandering in the slightest but shows emotion and care. The melodies are simple but amazingly effective, I find nearly every song on this album catchy. At the same time however it employs complex instrumentation and rhythms. Songs like Sitting By The Riverside are unexpectedly crazy. The album combines a ton of influences including folk, blues, psychedelic rock, and even country. Yet it never feels too sporadic, the album flows very nicely. Some might find this album repetitive and dull but if you connect with the style enough then you will like this album.

This album reminds me of the early Beatles albums: a few great songs, and the rest is filler. The last 5 songs in particular are very, very mid.

Favorite track: The Village Green Preservation Society