"This Is Our Music" is the third and final studio album by American indie rock band Galaxie 500, released in 1990. The album showcases the band's playing-together philosophy and unique, dreamy sound driven by fuzzy guitar work, precise drumming, and bewitching, almost-haunting vocals.
Though their previous albums had received critical acclaim, the band was not commercially successful at that time. Hence, the title, "This Is Our Music," presents a declarative statement from the band about what they have, as per the note of defiance embodied in it.
Galaxie 500 continues their exploits in mood setting and tone painting with this album, pushing their innate ability to intertwine the ethereal with the mundane. The band covers several themes in the album, with songs touching upon love, longing, isolation, and a general sense of melancholy. However, the instrumentation and overall ambiance evoke a sense of beauty and nostalgia.
The principal members of the band, Dean Wareham, Damon Krukowski, and Naomi Yang, ensure their unique, stripped-down dream-pop style is maintained throughout the album. It contains tracks like "Fourth of July," "Summertime," and their cover of Yoko Ono's "Listen, the Snow Is Falling," which gained critical praises and are still loved by fans.
Despite the band's breakup shortly after the album's release, "This Is Our Music" has remained a gem in the indie rock genre and is often referenced as an influential work in the development of the slowcore and dream pop subgenres.
