Advance Base Horrible Occurrences
Advance Base's Horrible Occurrences arrives as a hushed catalogue of loss and small-town darkness, a collection of lo-fi lullaby melodies and intimate domestic tragedies that asks for close attention rather than instant hooks. Across two professional reviews the record earned a 79.5/100 consensus score, with critics highlighting how memory, leaving, and interconnected characters stitch these quiet vignettes into a cohesive mood piece.
Critics consistently praise specific moments where the subtleties sharpen into real emotional payoff. Paste Magazine singles out “Big Chris Electric” and “The Year I Lived in Richmond” as the standout tracks where Ashworth's storytelling lands hardest, while Sputnikmusic points to “Brian's Golden Hour” as the album's single burst of momentum. Reviewers agree that the best songs on Horrible Occurrences trade anthemic ambition for domestic specificity, making tracks like “Little Sable Point Lighthouse” and “How You Got Your Picture on the Wall” complementary moments of memory and quiet devastation.
While some critics note the low-stakes approach can leave the pacing deliberately restrained, the professional reviews converge on the record's emotional clarity: intimacy and small details carry the weight here. For readers searching for an Horrible Occurrences review or wondering whether the album is worth listening to, the consensus suggests a rewarding, if understated, listen for anyone drawn to melancholic, character-driven songwriting.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Big Chris Electric
1 mention
"Deciding which song is the most evocative may be a matter of personal taste, but for my money, it’s “Big Chris Electric.”"— Paste Magazine
The Year I Lived in Richmond
1 mention
"Ashworth sets the scene with the twinkling opener, “The Year I Lived in Richmond.”"— Paste Magazine
How You Got Your Picture on the Wall
1 mention
"The lone hopeful moment on Horrible Occurrences, the plinking “How You Got Your Picture on the Wall,” takes place from the perspective of someone who doesn’t live in Richmond."— Paste Magazine
Deciding which song is the most evocative may be a matter of personal taste, but for my money, it’s “Big Chris Electric.”
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
The Year I Lived in Richmond
The Tooth Fairy
Big Chris Electric
How You Got Your Picture on the Wall
Rene Goodnight
The One About the Rabbit in the Snow
Brian's Golden Hour
Little Sable Point Lighthouse
Andrew & Meagan
Premonition
Richmond
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Advance Base's Horrible Occurrences is a hushed, affectionate set of small-town vignettes that rewards close listening, and the reviewer's ear keeps returning to “Brian's Golden Hour” as the album's one true burst of momentum. The record excels at low-stakes storytelling and lullaby-like melodies that feel like private conversations rather than pop songs, which makes the best tracks - chiefly “Brian's Golden Hour” - stand out as moments where the mood briefly intensifies. If you are searching for the best songs on Horrible Occurrences, expect intimacy and specificity to be the measures of success rather than anthemic hooks. This is music for leaning in, for noticing details, and for appreciating how small, haunted occurrences can add up into something quietly affecting.
Key Points
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The best song, “Brian's Golden Hour”, is the album's one clear burst of momentum amid mostly hushed vignettes.
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The album's core strength is intimate, lo-fi storytelling that makes small, domestic moments feel haunting and real.
Themes
Critic's Take
To say that Advance Base's Horrible Occurrences is a collection of moving vignettes would not surprise anyone, and the review makes clear the best songs - especially “Big Chris Electric” and “The Year I Lived in Richmond” - are where Ashworth's storytelling hits hardest. The writer's measured admiration highlights how “Big Chris Electric” unfolds with loving detail and how the twinkling opener “The Year I Lived in Richmond” sets the unsettling scene. In the reviewer’s voice, these tracks embody the album's core of leaving, memory and quiet devastation, making them the standout tracks listeners searching for the best songs on Horrible Occurrences will keep returning to.
Key Points
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“Big Chris Electric” is the best song because the reviewer calls it the most evocative and praises its loving, detailed storytelling.
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The album's core strengths are interconnected small-town narratives about leaving, memory, and quiet devastation balanced by cold instrumentation and gruff vocals.
Themes
