Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Another gap filled in my musical education -never heard any of these songs before. I liked it musically but often found the lyrics and singing style hard to take seriously.
The synths and keys in this were epic. Lyrically okay but I was really on board with the weighty instrumentals that built really well in every track.
Really really enjoyed this so much more than I expected to.
Nice tunes thx
was pretty good
I was expecting this to be dark and rocky, but it's pretty poppy (and synth-y). That's not a bad thing - This Is the Day and Uncertain Smile are bangers.
Bright jangly and bouncy pop with a vocal that varies from soft crooning to dramatic post punk snarl. It's super smooth sounding: extremely clean production gives it a light breezy feel - there's plenty going on, but it isn't cluttered or chaotic. The guitars are great - jazz chorus sounding clean tones ringing out catchy leads and arpegios - the best bits are when they take the lead in the mix. The synths sound cool, but tend to wash out the songs and don't get used well when they're at the forefront though.
Can’t describe it but it’s great.
lol this is such a time capsule for those of us that lived through it. That it starts with a drum machine beat is classic. This is the Day is so poppy I couldn’t help but smile. It is youthful optimism in musical form. The only other track that stood out to me was Uncertain Smile, which has some killer keyboards. However, I am impressed by some of the ambition shown on this album. The songs all sound different from each other, which this project has led me to appreciate. For that reason, despite some very average vocals and honestly some tracks that miss the mark, I’m going to raise it from 3 stars to 4 (knowing it’s really a 3.5)
Wow really great stuff. Looks like lots of reviews single out the piano in Unforgettable Smile. I’m doing the same. It rules. I could bend this to a 5, but the band name irritates me so much. Anything but The The! Did they not try saying it out loud before committing to it??
Quite enjoyed this one, very weird sound similar to xtc
Extra point for being on the Empire Records soundtrack
This is some really good stuff. Very thoughtful, and simultaneously dark and optimistic. Musically lots of fun too.
Took a bit to grow on me but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Will definitely be coming back to it.
This is the Day is a near perfect slice of pop music. I’d actually purchased the first record, Burning Blue Soul by Matt Johnson after having discovered it as a DJ for a junior college in Vancouver in 1981. I discovered today that Matt had requested reissues to beat The The as the artist so they would be filed together. When Soul Mining came out in 1983, I was unprepared for how good this record sounded. When it blew up and became a Canadian hit record I was not surprised. The difference between Burning Blue Soul and Soul Mining is tremendous in terms of sound. The best elements of the first record are carried over with the mix of synth pop and post punk influences, but gone are the heavily filtered vocals. The songs on Soul Mining resonate with Matt’s distinctive voice and the lyrics are sharp and inciteful. Uncertain Smile gets my vote for the best track on the LP as of today. I have played this record numerous times over the past 43 years and my favorite changes between several songs. This Is The Day, Soul Mining and Perfect all make the list. Soul Mining’s lyrics are fascinating and the organ pattern predates Tears For Fears shout by 4 years. If you close your eyes you can hear the gentle lift by Tears For Fears from The The. Giant is further evidence of the cloning a few years later by TFF. All that said, what made The The so interesting was Matt’s sense of melody and vocals. A thoroughly enjoyable record from start to finish. Was it earth shattering? No. Did it alter the trajectory of music? No. Did it make you sing? Certainly. Can you imagine yourself in a dark nightclub dancing to This Is The Day? Yup. I did that. You just have to know that this is the day your life will surely change when things fall into place…
this is what I want all of these other 80’s post-punk bands on this list to be. some real moments on this album - “this is the day” is an all time classic and ending with “giant” - the whole thing is cool as fuck. also, clearly a top-5 in the band name hall of fame.
I knew these guys would be a bit more of a psychedelic experience, I only knew 'This is the Day', so I would have to be a little patient. I think this album calls for more than one listen-- at the start I was getting a little bored, but the piano solo in Uncertain Smile caught my attention, so I listened in more to the rest of the album and by the time Giant rolled around I was really grooving along with it. But dear lord, these songs do not need to be so long. 8/10 Update: yep, definitely needed another listen. damn, that piano hits harder the second time around!!
I really enjoyed this weirdness.
I’ve heard of the band because of the outrageous name. Not sure if I know any songs. First track is not familiar so far. I’m digging the opening track so far. I know the second track! I think it was used in “Empire Records”. I really like this album
No estaba yo ayer ni para esuchar más música en inglés ni más hombres, pero de lo poquito que he escuchado esta mañana me ha gustado mucho.
Saw The The in the late 80s beaten generation album tour. Can’t remember the name of the album at present be wrong to google. They played uncertain smile and this is the day. Only thing wrong with The The albums only 7 or 8 songs and over in 50 mins.
7/10
- I liked it quite a bit and more each time I play it. I only knew This is the Day and Uncertain Smile, which are great. Now, I also love the title track and Perfect. - Giant starts out really great, but hard no on the long drum solo & chanting in the outro - the funky bassline helps when it kicks in because I was getting angry. That said, it would be way better half as long. - The other songs are less melodic and meander more, but I think they’re still interesting. I’m not really into very experimental music (or jazz), but I like this album and definitely the piano and other instrumentation.
First time hearing a song in this generator that made me go "oh, that's them!" I feel like I've heard This is the Day in movies and commercials a bunch. Immaculately produced. Cool piano playing on Uncertain Smile. Get into it.
Good album. Not as hard hitting as the first.
Pretty good! Fun '80s music, I didn't realize "This is the Day" was The The.
Very funky, mostly in a good way. Very much Talking Heads-ish.
I once saw The The were selling tickets for roughly $150 to a world tour show over a year early. I've liked their music for a long time (particularly this album) but I found this a bit much for an indoor gig. Wish I'd gone now but I was never going to pay that. Also I get the band name is sardonic but it's a little too new-wave for my tastes. Nonetheless this is a really good album. Post-punk with a lot of groovy synthetic flair and a lot of lyrics about feeling guilty about wanting to kill yourself. This Is The Day in particular is a banger and I like the more experimental looping you get, especially out of the latter half. fav tracks: This Is The Day, The Sinking Feeling
Overall has a cool, interesting sound to it, though This Is The Day still stands a good pace above the rest. There's some robotic aura to the drums on most of the album that almost makes it feel like some machine in a factory is playing me music. Except it's on standby for the title track and that's why it's the worst track
Fav: This Is The Day Least Fav: The Twilight Hour Always appreciate an accordion in a song, so it’s natural I like this album
This Is the Day for you to listen to this album.
Great album.
Another pretty good one, could’ve gone 3 but a few songs, This Is the Day chief among them, bump it up to a 4. Or fore. If this were golf.
08/10/2025 Never heard of this or them, but i liked it 👌 Spotify listeners: 1.1 million
A bit of the Cure?
8/10 Solid offering. I'd only ever heard this is the day for the Empire Records soundtrack. This album is full of surprises. The industrial licks in the first track made me think that they got some early ministry samples. Their instrumentation on some of these tracks are great. I'm glad I listened to it. 10-07-2025
Een staple album voor de 80s verzameling. Het is eigenlijk gewoon een ijkpunt als je new wave wil duiden, als een muziekstroming waar elementen samenkomen van synth-pop, post-punk, art-pop enzovoorts. De eerste helft van het album heeft de drive, en de singles, waardoor kantje twee niet zo goed mee kan komen. Toch vind ik het kwalitatief behoorlijk compact. Het is een album die voldoet aan veel eisen voor een 80s pop hit, maar het is weird genoeg om zich te onderscheiden. De afsluiter 'Giant' is daar het schoolvoorbeeld van. 7,5/10 Highlights: This Is the Day Uncertain Smile Giant
Weird but entrancing. I tried to think about how to mentally categorize this album, and I couldn't -- the variety in sound/genre was fascinating.
This Is The Day When Things Fall Into Place 1001 Albums Generator 131 (10/02/2025) The The is one of the dumbest band names I've ever heard. But their debut, Soul Mining, is pretty dang cool. Soul Mining is definitely new wave, but it has more of an artsy edge than a lot of other new wave that I have heard. The intro grew on me a lot. It is very repetitive and at times mechanical, but it's really cool. This Is The Day is The The's biggest hit, but I had never heard it before. It's pretty good. The other hit, Uncertain Smile, is absolutely my favorite song on this album. The whole song is great, but of course, the piano solo is now one of my favorite things in music ever; I can't believe how good it is, and in the midst of the largely electronic sounding instrumentation, it stands out even more. The title track starts out really slow but when the silly little synth and drums come in during the second half, it's good. The album ends with the nearly 10 minute Giant, which is fantastic, especially its drum solo. The Sinking Feeling and The Twilight Hour don't do anything for me, but besides that, Soul Mining is really great. It's got just the right amount of experimentation with strong pop sensibilities. 4/5. Favs: This Is The Day Uncertain Smile Giant Least Fav: The Sinking Feeling
The first in the fantastic 3 album run that includes Infected and Dusk still sounds good unlike many albums from the period. Uncertain Smile has to be one of my favourite songs ever, I love the Jools H bit (Can't think of another pop song that culminates with a with three minutes of piano like Uncertain Smile). The first song and Giant are a little too long is my only gripe
Some solid stuff. ALWAYS a big fan of a 9 minute plus closer for an album :)
Much better than the follow up Infected. This is just the exact kind of weird synthpop that I just can have any day and be pretty happy with. Idk how I hadn't gotten to this one quite yet, I love this genre.
The first nu-wave album that I didn't know on this list that was actually decent. Didn't think that would happen 3.5*
Super charming album with really good production, hard to put into words the way it stands out if you look closely enough, because from a distance it sure does just look like an average album of its time, but I think this one will be on repeat for a long time for me.
This list got me into New wave and synthpop. I had never heard of this band but it was a refreshing introduction. The first few songs are the best on this album. It cannot really compete with my introduction into Talking Heads for instance. 3.6 stars
I don't know why, but I was kinda surprised by how solid this was! Uncertain Smile in particular was fire
Peak new wave. It maintains everything that's cool about the genre while also accentuating it with rich, layered instrumentation. The accordion & violin harmonies on This Is the Day and piano solo in Uncertain Smile were particularly choice.
The vocals took a bit to warm up to, but I think they work really well with the rest of the ambience. It helps that I actually listened to the lyrics for once and found them surprisingly real (if a bit depressing). What really elevates this to a 4 is the consistently excellent synth work, complemented from track to track by guitar riffs, piano solos, accordions, and other really cool experimentations. I loved it! Standouts: I've Been Waitin' For Tomorrow (All Of My Life) • This is the Day • Uncertain Smile • The Twilight Hour • Soul Mining
Day623 - doing drugs and writing song= good. doing drugs and naming your band= bad
great album from a great artist
Still need to listen to it more to form a full opinion but I quite enjoyed this. Very diverse album musically with a lot of pleasant songs
Now and then and forever I have had the reoccurring thought "must get some the the" and just didn't. Listen to it and said "oh - eh" Then listened again. There is a problem with 1001 that is inheritant in out disposable culture. 30+ years ago you would buy it and if it was a bit "meh" you would listen again - because $30+ in local money was a bit rich so you tried to get some value out of it. Now we listen once - if that - and if it doesn't set out pants afire we dump it. On the second listen it clicked. This is summer music - by the beach or with friends at the park playing touch rugby. On my -100 to 100 patented scale if once was zero then the second time was 70
One of my exes loved this album, ergo I hated it. You shouldn’t. I’ve grown to love it
Rating: 3.7 I’ve never heard post-punk like this before, it’s no wonder this band was never huge in America as far as I know because this is a perfect example of weird music that isn’t weird enough to garner a significant amount of attention. If not for The Twilight Hour (the weakest song by far) and a couple of the songs at the end being too long and repetitive this album could have pushed into the upper echelons of those included in this project.
I not entirely sure why I like this album but I do. It has a quintessentialy 80s sound but between the lyrics and his deep voice you get drawn in. Almost a touch bowie-esque?. Highlights include "this is the day" and "giants"
Good, new wave Brit album. First four tracks are all pretty solid then slogs towards the end. The brilliance of “This is the Day” brings it up. Top tracks: “This is the Day,” “Uncertain Smile,” “The Sinking Feeling”
I had a lot of fun with this! Loved the grooves and melodies. Need to relisten to figure out my feeling. Name of the band sucks, though. 4/5
****A good album . Good vocals, good instrumentals, and easy listening
In the middle of this album is the hidden pearl 'Uncertain Smile'. Fantastic album, not always easy to listen though.
Cool album van een coole band met een coole naam! 3.8
Hadn't heard this beyond "This is the Day." It's one that I wished I had heard back in the early 80's but fit much more into the "college rock" pantheon which emerged later on. Much more than synth-pop, this has a full-bodied sound (despite being a one man band plus session musicians) and some great autobiographical lyrics. Matt Smith is a very good songwriter and this is a great example of a DIY approach that works wonderfully.
Gotta be one of the worst band names, but really good collection of songs. I love the playfulness of the instrumentals, you've obviously got the synth throughout but then they do the extended piano solo on Uncertain Smile, the funky percussion at the end of Giant, just entertaining the whole way. I also like songs with dreary lyrics and upbeat instrumentals for some reason, singer having an existential crisis over some grooves is just amusing to me, and theres a lot of that here. Talking about walking past a graveyard and the crushed hopes and dreams of the dead over the downright bouncy sound of steel drums? Cmon, thats funny
Je m’attendais pas à ça du tout c’était cool !
Pretty awesome
Big fan of the band, good album, not as good as "Infected" or "Mind Bomb" though it has moments for sure.
I know the band by name, but couldn’t place them into any context at all, so this turned out to be a pleasant surprise. That nice spot between post punk/ new wave into the more synth sounds of the 80s. Oh and I got to hear this as a new first time album today. 4 Star
на удивление оказался очень прикольный интересный альбом! необычный вокал, интересные мелодии. время с ним пролетело незаметно, действительно что-то интересненькое
Kinda mid tier album. It was better than the crap I've been listening to the last couple days, so I might be too generous here. I didn't love it, didn't hate it.
Really great album, thought-provoking and a combination of many styles of music, though mostly 80s sound similar to the Cure.
Great album 👌
Hell ya
Very 80s in the best way 3.75
Clearly so so influential for modern indie. Really enjoyed “Uncertain Smile” and also the first track “I’ve been waiting for tomorrow”. Really catchy album and fab lead vocals. Could repeat listen for long time and I want to check out their other albums.
Turns out I’m a bit of a fan of The The
Synthy post punk, veering into pop territory here and there with nervy energy - fits well with the neurotic and disillusioned vocals! Great lyrics, felt way too relatable.... Really bloody good album - absolutely of its time but not cliched! Favourite tracks: I've Been Waiting For Tomorrow, The Sinking Feeling, The Twilight Hour, Giant
Interesting music with creative/unexpected moments and great melodies. 4.0/5.0: Great
very different from the first album we had from them. some very cool ideas on this album. it was a strange mix of groove and gloom. enjoyed this one a lot
I was looking forward to this as This Is The Day is one of my favourite tunes (and one that that I know all the words to). Despite this I have not listened to much else by The The. It did not start well as really did not like the bombast of I've Been Waitin for Tomorrow - thereafter things did pick up. Bizarrely the lyrical delivery that I love on This Is The Day does grate a little on some of the tracks - particularly The Sinking Feeling. On second and third listening I was starting to really enjoy the 80's vibes and in particular have added Giant to my play list. Scores a low 4.
I was really surprised that this is what The The sound like. Thought they were gonna be yet more 60-70s british beatles-inspired rock but absolutely loved this! looking forward to when their other album appears on the list :)
A fun listen. You can hear its influence on loads of modern artists. Uncertain Smile is the standout — that piano outro is magic.
Rv/G
I want to preface everything by saying that "This is the Day" is one of the greatest new wave songs ever written. I was admittedly not too familiar with the rest of this album coming into today, however. With the small tracklist, the group is able to have some fun with the song structures. Pretty angsty & gloomy lyrics with some interesting instrumental fill & outros in many of the tracks here. The The doesn't seem to be talked about as much when it comes to analyzing new wave/post-punk groups from the 80's. They certainly set themselves apart and carved out a little spot of their own during this era of music.
Gear: Letshuoer S12 PRO Artwork: 🚬💄😒 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎛️🎹🍒 Rating: 👾👾👾(👾)/5
I'm already familiar with this one, and it's great. Groovy and cerebral.
Great album! Piano on Uncertain Smile was amazing, pleasantly surprised by this one.
I dig this. They're some peculiar fellows
I really wanted to like this more but it just wasn’t doing it for me. I think I could like it tho, so I’ll give it 4
This album is great but also not great at the same time. Tracks like "Uncertain Smile", "Soul Mining" and "Giant" are gems, others not so much and often the same song could turn out great or not so great. It's really hard to give a rating for this album. But I did enjoy it and it is certainly vibing right. It's all 80s but not at the same time. Oh, don't make it so hard for me to rate this!
Why did I think The The was a punk band? I do like punk, but this was a pleasant and unexpected surprise. Boot scootin toe tappin synth pop grooves. Nothing on here is standing out to me in a huge way, but as a whole it's a great listen. Sets a cool vibe, good to work/stroll to. Would revisit! 4/5
Great case of "never judge a book by its cover". Great groovy upbeat and soulful new wave sound. Great vocals, synthwork, drums and even the bass and guitar were on point. Will come back to this one.
pretty good 3.5/5
Some cool 80s synth stuff combined with a vocal style from a new wave singer that I can actually enjoy, take the 4 stars
ive been waiting for tomorrow sehr cool sehr synth. ha auscho vo ihne ghört glaub aber kei vorstellig gha wies töned. this is the day het mi weniger begeisteret. defür the sinking feeling scho. coole bass und so. und 1983 HUERE früe für so sache? alles in allem no cool, bin bim title track und chume recht drii eigentli. isch huere speziell und chli extra weird aber doch gnueg poppig und catchy zum fun sii. ha etz au giant recht cool gfunde. isch sicher e vieri. nöd es meeega begeisternds aber bi froh hanis mol glost und finds innovativ, und afoch fun?
s albumcover isch ja villversprechend hahahah ohh sehr funny synthis this is the day hetmer chlii z vill tüdürüdü s klaviersolo isch ja sooo geil bi uncertain smile the twilight hout hani megaa gfunde!! baut uhuere uuf und iwie sehr smooth, au mit dere harfe(?) "how could anybody know me, when I don't even know myself" sind herti nothing,nowhere lyrics hahahah isch aber no es cools lied, allgemein flowt alles guet und d synthis werded cool ihgsetzt, au wenn jz keis lied würkli en "banger" gsi isch für mich perfect hani gad seehr cool gfunde, iwie en naiv-vertrauliche schluss vomene album schwanke zwüscheme 3 undeme 4. han sehr vill sache kreativ und cool gfunde, jedoch isch relativ wenig hange blibe ussert twighlight hour und perfect knapps 4i? wills vhli öppis anders isch
First time properly listening to The The. Great vocals and music. None of the tracks overstay despite being relatively long, and each feels unique. Reminds me of Supertramp. The piano solo on 'Uncertain Smile' by Jools Holland is a jam, 'This is the Day' a beautiful track and the 9 minute 'Giant' an excellent album closer. Excited to get to know this album better - my favorite 'new album' I've listened to through 1001 so far. 9/10
pretty good omg wish I got that record arghh
Always got time for Matt Johnson, and all the influences he brought in - pop, synth pop, post punk, funk, electronic, maybe even a little prog - to make his own idiosyncratic thing. It comes out both romantic and cynical, entertaining and intelligent, nerdy and cool. The albums have aged so well, too. 4.5⭐
Groovy, dynamic, interesting, but so aggressively 80s
****
Miksi kaikki vihaavat brittiläisiä albumeja, albumeja jotka tulevat britteinsaarista? Sanoisin: että vittumaisia kaikki.. ehkä vastaus vois olla: vituttaa kaikki ne.. BTW: ÄLKÄÄ TAPPAKO ITSEÄNNE... ok tää on aika hyvää. näistä uusi aalto punkinjälkeisistä brittibändestä the the on noussut näihin hyväksyttävien joukkoon. pystyn nielaista ja meditoida läpi kärsimättä. en tunne mitään ja lopetin muistamisen vissiin. päivät tuntuu hetkiltä tai jotain sinnepäin. 955 päivää? minne ne katosivat. taakse. unholaan. en kuule ääniä, hiljaiset kasvot maassa... uncertain smile
This album has a summer vibe to me. I like the minimalism and slow build up of the songs, along with Matt Johnson's emotional vocals. Perfect would've been a liked song too, but didn't appear on my version of the album. That Jools Holland solo on Uncertain Smile is epic! Liked Songs Added: This Is The Day Uncertain Smile
this record is so real fr fr
bangers across the board, good album
Interesting to hear some Duran Duran sounds in here. Seems like if they had broken through a little more and had more charisma could have gone the same way. I think being a kid of this era I find the music nostalgic even though this is my first listening.
A solid rock/new wave album with great vibes! I really dig “This is the Day” so I was very excited to listen to the full album and I was not disappointed. I would highly recommend this to others!
Whoa, this surprised me! Starts with kinda flat synths and vocals and then goes on a musical ride, though always staying in the new wave lane. Is new wave jam band a thing? (Or a the, I guess?) Really enjoyed it. I agree with some of the other reviewers who called it Bowie-esque.
I enjoyed this. I will need many more listens to digest it.
Loved this, such a strong set of tracks to open the record.
Very fun, funky and synthy with interesting singing and lyrics. I like it a lot.
Funky synth pop. Don't hear the punk though.
This is the Day makes me feel so nostalgic. I need to now go watch Empire Records again. The rest of it was pretty fun too but this song is amazing.
Ok. "This is the Day" gives this album all the stars. What a fucking epic jam. This should be on everyone's top 100 songs playlist (don't @ me).
This is the Day is a rrreeeeaaaallllyyyy good song and so is Uncertain Smile.
Love the name!
A very good debut album. The 80s-ness of the album keeps it from being a 5, but there's a lot to like: Uncertain Smile is outstanding and that Jools Holland piano solo at the end is fantastic; Soul Mining is a very cool song and Perfect is a surprisingly fun sounding song for an album that is generally pretty dark, although the lyrics belie the sound ("Passing by a cemetery / I think of all the little hopes and dreams / that lie lifeless and unfilled beneath the soil")...I was amused to learn that Matt Johnson didn't even want it on the album. Nothing bad on the album, it's just a little dated (e.g., I've Been Waiting for Tomorrow and The Sinking Feeling). Would definitely revisit.
4 stars for Uncertain Smile alone, a classic record of its time
Went unconscious while listening, but enough to know it is good. I love this, it has everything from cathy tunes to energetic noises and of course recognizable basslines. Probably a 4/5, I like this. Both "The Twilight Hour" and "Giant" are brilliant.
Favourite Tracks: Uncertain Smile, This is the Day Honourable Mentions: I've Been Waiting for Tomorrow, Soul Mining This is one of those albums that slowly grows on you with repeated listens. The album itself is atmospheric, nostalgic, and almost bittersweet with it's catchy happy melodies but sad and darker lyrics. I almost ascended at Jools Holland's double piano solo in Uncertain Smile, and the guitar tones in Soul Mining are butterrrrr. Each song in this album is so unique and memorable. I'll be listening over and over again.
What a funny experience - at the start of my first listen I didn't really like it, but by the end I was sold. On my second listen through I was digging it from the start. I typically don't like cheesy 80's production, but it just works here. Soul Mining was the stand out track for me.
Between a 3 and a 4 for this. I like the lyrics which have some really nice poetry in places. Introspection, yearning and anxiety.. it's not songwriting one would normally expect from a synth pop act (knowing nothing of The The as I do) The hits are really good...This Is the Day is a great song and the outro of Uncertain Smile is really stunning, it could've gone on for another 5 minutes without being boring Second side is not as good as the first but still enjoyed it overall
Houmous & Chuntey met Matt Thompson backstage at a festival in Nuneaton in ‘79 He was just a stage hand and was yapping on about his band. Len wasn’t in a good place that day. He hadn’t had his afternoon nap and someone got him fruit pastilles instead of opal fruits! Matt bumped into us and was a bit star struck. He was trying to talk about his band but Len was putting pressure on him to ‘spit it out’. He couldn’t seem to say the name. He just kept saying ‘The The’ and Len was getting more irate! We laughed a few years later when we realised that was the name of his band. Looking back, I think Matt was the one in charge of the sweets that day. Maybe that’s why he was under such pressure? 4.2
BEST SONGS: - The Sinking Feeling - Uncertain Smile - The Twilight Hour
feels like post-punk formed in a jazz lounge. funky. vocal delivery that is very different (much more composed, melodic) from other new wave bands (talking heads, devo). 'this is the day' is a classic, very dramatic with its exaggerated synths and accordion. intricate layering of sounds/influences throughout the album, including psych and dance music.
An oddball moment (relatively speaking) in '80s new wave. The vocals and lyrics are definitely atypical and stand out in a good way, and some of the progressions are pretty interesting. Definitely worth a listen even if it's not my favorite thing I've ever heard.
Very strange, in a wierd way feels like a side project of a famous band member, but it isn’t, parts are great and parts are less so. Favourite songs: this is the day, the sinking feeling, uncertain smile, giant. Overall around 7/10
I had never heard of this group and was like whaaaa when I saw how many followers they have on Spotify. At first, this album was too Wedding Singer for me, like background music at a costume party. But there are some bangers. I really liked Giant in particular. The last song makes me think of that scene in The Breakup when Jennifer Aniston’s gay brother is like “come come on the kick drum.”
Excellent album and very consistent sound. I’ve always loved This Is The Day and Uncertain Smile. The rest of the tracks have a very similar vibe with some nice details in the production, especially on the layered Giant.
This is the Day is such a bop. Ohh Uncertain Smile too. This is low key a bopfest. 4/5
Känns som han är i min hjärna, önska bara att jag kände mig lika kopplad till musik
This one was kind of fun. I really enjoyed the very sharp and punchy kick drum on 'I've Been Waiting For Tomorrow (All Of My Life)' and the intense piano and xylophone on 'Uncertain Smile' Standouts I've Been Waiting For Tomorrow (All Of My Life) Uncertain Smile Giant 4/5
Wow, what a voice and point of difference. The The is a great name for a group that seems almost too self aware of it's own position in the music scene at the release of Soul Mining. 7 songs, but all of them work HARD to establish something... cool. They are cool and try to be cool, and once again in 2025, trying has become cool again. It's refreshing, which is a contridiction for an album released 42 years ago.
I really enjoy this album. Standout track: This Is the Day
Pretty cool mix of pop and punk. My first thought is Propaganda (A Secret Wish), but with more guitar and more dimension, with perhaps some influence on Chris Huelsbeck. I think this is another good slow burn as the immediate appeal is not fully apparent.
I enjoyed it
This was interesting. Don't know if I'd say I need to listen to it again, but I was enjoying the journey. 3.6.
Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5
Weird but I liked it Lots of great instrument solos - especially the piano in Uncertain Smile. And loved the drums at the start of the album 4 ⭐️
What the, The The? This was great. I don’t remember much of the other The The album we had but it wasn’t a patch on this. Real surprise.
An unexpected really good album
I used to be super into this album but it kinda didn’t hit the same this time for some reason. I don’t remember the fiddle being so prominent on “This Is The Day”… But it’s still really good! *fav tracks: this is the day; giant; the sinking feeling*
i loved this a lot!! i don't really have an explanation. sometimes music is just awesome
I've been a fan of The The for a long time, but this was the first time listening to this album. This is the Day is definitely the standout, but Uncertain Smile is a close second with a great piano solo at the end. The Twilight Hour offers an interesting take on obsession, and Soul Mining has a nice trippy vibe. Overall, a good album.
Very Bowie in singing. This is the Day is playlist material.
"The The"? Nie gehört. Durchaus interessant und abwechslungsreich.
норм, вайбово. напомнило депе шмонт, подойдет для дискотеки в стиле 80-х
Really enjoyed this. Felt like a "Pretty in Pink" 80s time capsule.
This is fantastic. I want to play this all the time
Definitely an interesting album. Not really my cup of tea but after all the tired music I've listened from this website at least these guys are doing something different and it's making me want to find out how the band has evolved since this album.
Nice album
This was a pretty cool album to listen to. I like the programmed drums and the songs are great. Not much else to say, I just rather liked this record
Proof that the 80s wasn't all just synthetic garbage. Thoughtful, introspective, mutlilayered, and timeless
Didn't "love" the last album from The The, but I remember it growing on me as it played out. The Sinking Feeling has an oddly modern-retro feel to it. Like I get this is the original "retro" that modern reboots are trying to capture, but the production is very clean. Uncertain Smile is a solid mid-album jam. Vocals are a little campy across the board, but the song itself is very pretty from the familiar sounding guitar melody to the piano + layered synth through the back half. I really do love Giant as a closer. It doesn't really go anywhere necessarily, but the synth + vocals through the outro are so cozy I could stay there all day. Went through this one twice -- on first listen it was mostly backgrounded and I found it "fine." Second listen I was still pretty distracted, but there were more shining points than not. This was a pleasant ride and low 4 for me.
Sick another The The album.... I actually loved this album. I might need to go back and revisit the last one we had a few weeks back. Sure, it had some 80's sounding bullshit but it also sounded fresh and love the electro-rock aspects of it. Singer sounded better from what I remember, had a Bowie vibe.
An 80s lost gem within a sea of classics. Super happy to have discovered this and all the related artists generated afterwards.
This is a great album. The The have a great sound that feels unique. Another example of why the 80s was so good. Favourite song: Perfect Least favourite: Not a bad one on the album Album artwork: Cool cover
Reminds me a bit of Depeche Mode's Violator or maybe even Disintegration by The Cure, although in my opinion not quite as good as either. Still quite enjoyable though.
Nice! Never heard of this band before, but they have a really interesting sound. I'll be listening to more of them.
Thoughtful, melodic, enjoyable. Maybe a bit precious, but never boring.
Just yes, yes, yes. I hadn't really listened to The The loads, apart from a little spate after reading Jonny Marr's autobiography and getting his glowing review of yer man from The The. Anyway, I'm going to listen to them loads now, because this was absolutely great.
Great album and a good vibe to have in the background.
Surprised at how I found myself enjoying this despite it being very cheesy. Much better than the other The The album I've had.
Fantastic! My personal tastes would have chosen Mind Bomb. But this album is a great peek of what's to come. The The is really something special
I enjoyed this record a lot. Favorite track: Uncertain Smile. That piano solo was killer
Pretty good.
Where the the vocals end the real enjoyment begins. It took a few songs to get past the 80s tropes, but when “Uncertain Smile” turned into a piano jam session, I was drawn in.
v successful collaboration between Shining Sparkling new wave and utterly caustic acidity. every track is rly great and surprisingly distinct on first listen for me, it usually takes me a bit more familiarity to pick tracks apart cuz new stimulus is overwhelming and scary. last track in particular is one of the coolest new discoveries ive made in this project...rly hypnotic and spiraling. matt johnson's commanding voice is one of the most impressively corrosive ive heard because somehow it doesnt feel at all like he's Doing A Bit, just feels like all the darkness in his soul is spilling out his mouth on top of these fun flashy rhythmic rants
Like it a lot. Defitnetly want to listen more
Busy
I came to this album via Infected, which is a more polished album. The drum machine still grates a bit but the album itself stands up really well. Very much enjoyed going back to this.
Pretty enjoyable. I'd say it's not really quite a 4 but 3 feels too low to give it that score.
Way different and way cooler than I was expecting! Interesting and effective blend of organic Americana instruments/sounds with more standard British new wave and synthpop. I underestimated these guys! Excited to return to this and see if I go higher with my score. 3.5/5
Not at all what I was expecting, having never listened The The but having vaguely categorised them as "post-punk" in my mind. I suppose that speaks to how amorphous that term is. The piano on Uncertain Smile and the percussion (and chanting) on Giant are the standouts.
Introspective and goofy, I really liked it. It hits on a personal level with some of the themes explored. A couple songs can be a bit tedious and that's keeping it from being a 5.
better than a lot of the new wave/post punk on this list, lots of interesting and varied sounds, but also a very good example of what i call 'post punk voice' (guy who mostly can't sing and instead puts on a flat affectation as if he's the second coming of ian curtis)
Kind of boring at times but pleasant to listen to at work. Low 4.
Made me feel cool
Well this album surprised me. I thought The The were a completely different genre to what I was presented with and as a result have never listened to them before. Turns out they are pretty good and this album is very enjoyable.
a pretty solid new wave album. i had always seen this band's name in the cd racks at my local music store but never really gave them a thought beyond, "oh that's an amusing band name." I did enjoy what I heard here, although I felt like nothing here was super remarkable. not that there wasn't quality here, it just did not leave a huge impression on me. good, not great.
Enjoyed this one quite a lot, fun to find out where that one song came from
Funsies
Great album! I loved the Uncertain Smile track. That piano solo was amazing. I also really enjoyed (the whole album, but:) This is the Day. Wonderful album!
Good. Really good. I looked the touch of industrial in this.
I enjoyed this, though I admit I couldn't give it an especially close listen. This kind of music is really not my bag, with the drum machines and 80s production, but the songwriting was pretty great, and I enjoyed his singing. My daughter loves this album and gives it 5 stars.
I resisted this band back in the 80s simply because I disliked the band name. Happy to hear this today. I still get The The, Echo & They Bunnymen, and Psychedelic Furs mixed up.
Well, this was relatively strange, huh? Ahead of its time in some ways, this album has a sound to it that would blend right in with 80s pop radio, but those bits and pieces underneath the surface would surely cause the casual listener to question what they were listening to. The synths here can be bloopy and goofy, just like any 80s pop album, but when it wants to get it in to high gear, it will. Helping things is Matt Johnson's oddly seductive voice that seems to go all over the track, messing with your sense of security. As if the whole album is a collection of 80s pop tunes from a slightly different, but more devious dimension. I think I'm a fan? I like whatever Johnson's got going on in the vocal department, it just felt like the album took a second to kick it into gear, and with each track being pretty hefty, you can find your opinions going all over the place within the span of one track. I think that's the message at play here, which is breaking out of your comfort zone, and this certainly would be a good stepping stone for that. I liked it, but it'll take more time in the oven before I truly have a takeaway from it, but if you love 80s new wave synth-pop, and you haven't heard this yet, give it a whirl. It may just be the thing for you.
This is great. A really nice blend of pop music. 4
Had two of these on my Spotify liked playlist before I listened which says it all really.
Oh wow! An 80s British synth-pop album?!? What a surprise, it's not like that's every other album on this damn list! Jokes aside I liked this one better than others though.
A very effectively catchy album. I usually don't care much for synth pop or new wave, but this album has such a unique sound that I felt captivated the whole listen. Not every song lands for me, but this was definitely a fascinating and eye-opening listen. Top tracks: I've Been Waiting For Tomorrow, This is the Day, Uncertain Smile,
had a ton of fun with this one, will definitely be revisiting
One of my favorite parts of this project, and generally listening to canonical albums for the first time, is getting to hear songs you kinda know through osmosis in their original context. That happened here with “This is the Day”, which I loved! The album is kinda shaggy but hey it’s a lot of fun! I dug it!
A fun and groovy slice of new wave/synth pop with some absolutely stunning production. I first heard this maybe three years ago and got a lot out of it, but was quite disappointed by their follow-up album Infected when that came up on this list, so it was really nice to revisit this first album and experience those highs again Also a big shout out to the surprise Jools Holland piano solo on Uncertain Smile, absolutely hooting his nanny all over that track
Good tunes
80s joy! Love it!
I've heard of these guys but couldn't name a single one of their songs. Hard to define what kind of music this, genre-wise, but it's quite 80s and I love that about it. 3.5 rounding up
Never heard this album. Great album though.
I loved this record when I first got it in maybe 1985 or so. Very different from what I was into at the time but my cousin urged me to give it a listen. Strong tracks top to bottom.
I knew a couple of songs off this album. The rest of the album was as good as the songs I knew.
"Soul Mining" is the debut studio album by English post-punk and synth-pop band the The. The The is Matt Johnson who plays the synthesizers, percussion, all instruments and is the vocalist. A host of other musicians contributed. There was a label bidding war for Matt Johnson due the recent commercial success of synth-pop specifically Soft Cell's "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret" and he was signed to CBS Records. The lyrics on this album deal with relationship insecurities and social alienation. The album received positive reviews but, commercially, just did OK, with the album reaching #27 in the UK. "I've Been Waitin' for Tomorrow (All of My Life)" opens the album. A countdown to an industrial drum beat to a weird synth to Johnson singing in the background. A synth carries melody with a lot going on. The music is hypnotic and unnerving and fits the lyrical message of confusion and dissonance with the media. The mood changes abruptly with the uplifting sounding "This is the Day." Great synth melody, drumbeat and especially the fiddle/accordion combination. I don't even want to know what this is about but I think he's self reflecting on life...one of my favorites of the 80's. The first single "Uncertain Smile" is another song with a great melody and uplifting vibe. Acoustic guitar and electric guitar bridge. It's a song about unrequited love. Oh, and then there's Jools Holland giving an epic and very jazzy three-minute piano solo which also ends up being the outro. The album closer "Giant" begins with a repeating mechanical beat and a clock ticking. This song does a nice job of adding and layering instruments, most synths. The music builds and ends with people chanting. Johnson is looking back regretfully at his life and is afraid of dying. This album covers a fair bit of ground stylistically going from unnerving post-punk to happy synth-pop to more chill. The music is synth heavy but every song seems to feature a different instrument. Johnson keeps things interesting. I've always really liked "This is the Day" and "Uncertain Smile" but, for some reason, had no desire to check out the album. I don't know why; this is a very good album and motivates me to check out his other albums.
The weak vocal melody of the opener had me wondering about the hype surrounding The The, but the rest of the album allayed any concerns. A classic.
Interesting
I saw this album pop up before I fell asleep & woke up to Uncertain Smile playing in my head. This is the best of alt 80s. This Is The Day is their only hit, but they deserve more recognition. Giant is my favorite & this album definitely belongs on this 1001 list.
Ooh this is fun.
Love The The Infected is the better album.
06/19/24 S Tier—————————5 This Is The Day A Tier—————————4 Sinking Feeling Uncertain Smile I’ve Been Waitin For Tomorrow B Tier—————————3 Soul Mining C Tier—————————2 The Giant D Tier—————————1
Soul Mining by The The Wednesday 6/19/24 9:15 S Tier————————— Waitin’ for Tomorrow This Is The Day A Tier————————— Uncertain Smile Giant B Tier————————— The Sinking Feeling The Twilight Hour C Tier————————— Soul Mining
Heard of this band, didn't know if I knew any songs of theirs. Then I heard "This Is the Day" and the memories hit hard.
Simply a classic. Precision cold songwriting, but nonetheless thrillingly emphatic. Rarely has a record about alienation and relationship troubles provided so much joy for the listener. Unfortunately sometimed of its brilliance gets washed away by 80ies production cheesiness.
- off to a superb start. very 80s combination of drums & bass & synth that I’m a fan of - ‘sleeping boys catch no fish’… the new ‘you snooze you lose’ - i feel as though I’ve heard the riff from uncertain smile before.. - after googling, curious as to whether the spotify version of the album has the sax solo or the piano solo - piano, as it turns out - “i’ve seen an old man fingering his perishing flesh”. oh! quite the absurd / out there lyrics - perfect feels like an abstract painting against a canvas of repeating bassline, synth, and some occasional trumpet. ‘oh what a perfect day to think about myself.’ real - 4/5. adding to library
winning
Love listening to an album and going I KNOW THIS SONG! Some weak points but a pretty solid album overall.
This has all the trappings of a typical 80's sound, and I love it. The songs are strong but still have that element of cynicism and weirdness that makes them all feel slightly uncanny to listen to. Can't fault the hooks though! Best Tracks: This is the Day; Uncertain Smile; Soul Mining
Rating: 8.5/10 Great album overall. Even though it is poppy and has many of elements of the 80s, it is very unique and interesting in sound and structure. The melodies and instrumentation are incredibly catchy and the songwriting is quite varied in structure, making it a very fun listen from start to finish. Favorite songs: I've Been Waiting For Tomorrow, This Is the Day, Uncertain Smile, Soul Mining, Giant, Perfect. Worst song: The Sinking Feeling.
nice
Really good
From what I listened to (half) it was very good
This came out my senior year in HS, and I've seen this in a lot of friends' collection, but don't know it well/at all. Let's see how some synth-pop sounds now. "I've Been Waitin' for Tomorrow (All of My Life)" initially left me cold, but warmed up slightly as it progressed. Very much the sounds of the time - drum machines and synths of the early 80s. Bleak, bleak lyrics over a dance beat. Low replayability. "This Is the Day" A warmer instrumental accompaniment than the previous track, and lyrics that actually speak to me, oddly. I think I've heard this before, but didn't know who it was. Wikipedia says it's been used in a bunch of soundtracks, probably why it's familiar. Wix from McCartney's band on accordion! High replayability. "The Sinking Feeling" Again a warmer instrumental than the opener. Very 1983 dance music, but Jesus the lyrics are so angsty and bleak. "Uncertain Smile" If this isn't on the soundtrack to a John Hughes flick, I'll be very surprised. Oddly romantic lyrics. Excellent Jools Holland piano solo. High replayability. "The Twilight Hour" Bongos? pizzicato synths as it builds. Vocals like Iggy Pop or Ian Curtis over very wordy lyrics. Works well! Low skipability. "Soul Mining" More angst over slowly pulsing moody synths. Tempo picks up 3/4 way into it. If you're after this mood, it works, otherwise it's pretty dull musically. "Giant" Chill vamp, nicely ties together the album. Good track to close it out. Good replayability.
Tema favorito → This is the Day. No lo había escuchado. Me gusta en general.
Classic New Age/Alt. Great stuff!
This album was a pleasant surprise to me. I had heard of the ungoogleable band "The The" but had never heard anything by them. I went into this entirely blind and was happy to have enjoyed the music. The songs are long at times, which would be a lot of what prevents me from adding this album to my favorites, but I would revisit the album on occasion. This is fun post-punk and there are some hits on here that are spread out among the other tracks like "The Sinking Feeling" which have choruses to sing along to.
Just great, artful post-punk with a synthpop chaser. I bought this album shortly after it came out, on the strength of "This is the Day," a song I obsessed over for much of my teen years. It's been a long time since I've listened to the whole thing, as I'm not a fan of The The's later music. I will admit to being wrong about this one though. It's far more musically clever than I remember it being, more nuanced than what similar artists were doing at the time. The subject matter here gets pretty gloomy and nihilistic, but Matt Johnson sure has a flair for vivid lyrics. The album is arguably Johnson's best work and I enjoyed hearing it again today. High 3, rounding up for that brilliant piano solo in "Uncertain Smile." Fave Songs: This Is the Day, Uncertain Smile, Soul Mining, The Twilight Hour, Giant
First off, I just want to say that "The The" is kind of a dumb band name. It's not the worst band name that exists, but I just think they could've come up with something better. Anyways, Soul Mining is a pretty good album. I really wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. The album does start with the worst song, but it gets significantly better after it. The sound is very 80s, but it's not bad. I think the instrument usage is solid. The singing is quite different than what I expected from an early 80s English rock band, but that's also a good thing. Sometimes it's good to listen to different styles of singing. What really stands out about this album is the writing. This album really does have a way with words that turns songs like "The Sinking Feeling" and "Giant" from good songs to great songs. Overall, I think this album is quite good. Light 4/5.
This album is worth listening to for This is The Day alone.
Een beetje een synthpoppy album? Ok ok ok ok. Ik ken hun niet echt eerlijk gezegd, dus ben wel een klein pietseltje benieuwd! This is the day met een soort mondharmonica?? Klinkt leuk! Godsamme, dat blijkt uiteindelijk dus ook hun bekendste nummer te zijn... Ik blijf een ontzettende basic bitch zeg. NEVER MIND IK KEN UNCERTAIN SMILE! Loev dat nummer ook echt trouwens. Die piano solo halverwege gaat zo dom hard he. Och, fantastisch! Het laatste nummer, Giant, gaat ook al zo dik. Een soort drumsolo aan het einde van het nummer. Supervet! Ik kan niet anders dan toegeven dat ik me best wel heel erg vermaakt heb met dit album: 4 sterren! FAVO: This is the day, Uncertain Smile, Giant
This type of music wears on me, but this was an excellent album. Creative and varied. Favorite tracks were Soul Mining and Giant.
"Well, you didn't wake up this morning / 'cause you didn't go to bed. You were watching the whites of your eyes turn red" I once thought about it for a while, and I decided to pick a 'favorite track of all time,' because although my current favorite song constantly changes, I wanted to decide on a song that I would always connect with. I came up with "This is the day" off of this track as that song. Because of this choice (which I stand by), I once decided to listen to this album in it's entirety, and I remember being pretty disappointed. It was probably caused because of my inflated perception of that one track, so based on that experience, I went into listening to this album today expecting to be disappointed again. "I've been waiting for tomorrow" began and confirmed my internal bias to prove me right. I dislike the loud, obnoxious drums overwhelming the track, and the beginning minute 30 of the track, and the vocals coming in didn't help at all. The bass and other instruments made it bearable, but this was the toughest 6 minutes of the album. "This is the day" is a divine track, and the dichotomy of the terrible sounds that preceded it made me question if it was the same band who wrote both these songs. The synths, drums, chimes, buzzing chorus, and vocals all come together in this track beautifully to create a bittersweet song full of hope, that I relate to very fond memories. Much like the pumpkins' hit track "Tonight, Tonight," the underlying message is about realizing that the past is forever unchangeable, and dealing with that realization. But despite that, maintaining hope that the best is yet to come, and with the idea of living one's life to the fullest, I really enjoy this message. "The sinking feeling" was beginning to disappoint, and then the drums and bass came in. Super groovy track, I enjoyed it a lot. "Uncertain smile" is the record's second stand-out track, and lands directly in the kind of music that attracts me, in the intersection of the cure, the smiths, and david bowie, and holds it's own standing against those idols. "Giant" is really the only other track worth mentioning, and serves as an epic, morphing wall of sound to carry the album out to it's end. I also listened to "Perfect," which was only included in one of 3 releases of "Soul Mining," but I can see why it wasn't included in the rest, pretty lackluster track, but has a cool island feel. I didn't know until today that The The is a solo project of one Matt Johnson, and later joined by Johnny Marr (guitarist of the Smiths)! Cool addition to the group, but the stuff they put out was pretty lackluster, unfortunately. I'm glad my favorite song 'of all time' was joined by an album that wasn't as terrible as I first perceived it to be. 4/5
I have never heard of "The The" until now. Overall, its a pretty great synth-pop, punk album and there were several songs that I enjoyed. Not bad for a short album! Favorite Song(s): "This Is The Day", "The Sinking Feeling", "Giant", "Perfect"
Hmm… ok I’m thinking that this is a banger
Intricately rendered synth-pop with introspective, heartfelt, and dream-like poetry sung with feeling and verve, The The immediately caught my ear. This is a band I can get behind. Definitely interested in digging in deeper to this album, as well as their other work. This is the reason I am slogging through so much mundane and tired music: for these hidden gems.
Great one from my old collection. Holds up well.
Me gustó más de lo que esperaba.
Didn't know this artist, pretty good vibes
Another one of those albums where i'm not sure how it passed me by. Synth-pop and post-punk, this should be right up my alley but somehow I think i've only heard the band's name in passing a couple times. What a great treat to listen to this was, huge drums and catchy beats, wasn't bored for a second of it. The longer closing track was a real epic, love an album that ends like that. Will be revisiting this one again very soon.
pretty good 80s music cringe lyrics
What a beautiful album. It’s hard to believe this came out in 83. The lack of synth pop drums Really blurred the lines of time for me. There were some canned drum beats, but just overall was really really good. I learned of the the from my wife. They are her favorite band.
Reminded me of a lot of different bands. i don't know that any of it was masterful, but it was all interesting.
This Is the Day, obviously. Really enjoyed Uncertain Smile as well.
kinda weird but would listen again - def one to listen the whole album
Shit band name, good synths,
This was a pretty decent album. The style is a cross of Depeche Mode meets Simple Minds. They lyrics were deep, though a little repetitive. All in all, a solid album.
Okay so this album is great. It's really good. I think it could also grow on me even more over repeat listens. The track 2, the most famous track, is amazing. The rest is great too I'll go with a low 4, but time could prove it to be better 4/5
Vraiment mieux aimé que l'autre que j'ai eu d'eux, je devrais peut-être aller lui redonner une chance. Mais les inspirations post-punk/rock et new wave étaient vraiment bonnes et l'album avait un bon flux. Très belle finale aussi. 8/10
I really liked this, sort of like a happier The Cure sound. This is the Day is a particularly catchy and joyful track.
Really interesting, I enjoyed it.
cool shit
Wow, right off the bat, "I've Been Waitin' for Tomorrow (All of My Life)" is one of the best songs I've heard in a while. Energetic, catchy and fun. But it also captures an anxious feeling I get sometimes of being trapped in a world that won't stop spinning while my life rushes past me. The lyrics are great and the music matches the anxious energy. "This is the Day" has similarly existential lyrics but it's wrapped up in a pop song. I love that. That jazzy piano on “Uncertain Smile” is awesome. Excellent album and one of the more exciting discoveries for me on this list. I’ll definitely listen to this more! Hilarious band name too. Kudos to that.
I really liked this one. I previously heard "This is the day" on a tv show and liked it, but didn't realize it was on this album. Its a really fantastic track. Overall a solid synth/80s album, with some surprising textures and sounds, but overall pretty catchy.
Yeah kinda 80s I think? Probably should have listened more closely.
I really like this. If I had discovered this in college I might even consider it a classic today. It’s like a more abrasive Squeeze. A more chipper the Cure; well the Cure meets the jangle pop of Teenage Fanclub. Somewhere in there. And with all the post-punk spirit of the Wire, hell even the dance-punk of Gang of Four or Talking Heads plus the synth pop of Human League/Heaven 17. One song reminded me of Tom Tom Club percussionists. This album kind of does everything you could hope for from an 80s album.
Agree with Charlie! I was surprised I had never heard of this. I haven't gone this deep down 80s New Wave world, but this album has an immediacy and undeniable hooks. It seems simple, minimal, sticky, and experimental. I love it! What's going on with the Wikipedia of The The? There is one current member (Matt Johnson, who seems to have singlehandedly made this album) and... *19* past members of this band. Does this man just burn through band members???? I must know more! 4/5. Good fun
Surprised: I saw the band name The The and immediately thought I would be listening to a comedy album which is just meh but yk what I dug it. Some familiar progressions and lyrics led this album to feel recognisable and enjoyable. Added a couple tracks to my liked and will definitely be revisiting it sometime soon. Strange but enjoyable.
P good shit. I never heard this before. I feel like this is good on the face of it, but also I'd like it more on repeated listens, so it gets a 3.5/5 from me, with room to grow.
A neat mix between soul and new wave! I get why people rave over this band now. C+ for now
perhaps not one i would come back to but managing to do 80s synth in a way that doesn’t sound like a caricature 40 years later is a feat in itself surely?
Very cool album, had never heard of this band before
I've always liked "This is the Day" but wasn't familiar with anything else on this album. It was really good, but I'll stop short of saying it blew me away. It's great new wave, but even within a genre that is quintessentially '80s, it sounded very '80s. If you can look past that, though, there are a lot of very smart pop songs here. I would like to spend more time with the lyrics on future listens. Also cool to learn that it's Jools Holland playing the piano solo on "Uncertain Smile".
I got into this
uh uncertain smilen pianosoolo <3 muutenkin yllättävä ja virkistävästi erilainen levy. 4/5
groovey as fuck yoooooo. got those grooves and moves. very nice. likey.
Great upbeat angsty pop record. The record features some great guest musicians. My favourite moment is probably uncertain smile, just a fantastic outro! 7 out of 10
It’s classic but dated. 3.5
the the the the the the the the the the
Oh man, that fuckin' piano on Uncertain Smile is so damn good
The Sinking Feeling sounds like it was made in the early 2000s, I'm sure I have heard the same melody at the start in Drum and Bass tracks. Just has a very modern (or timeless?) feeling to it. Good stuff.
It's giving underground disco meets punk and I dig it
8/10 as much as I enjoyed this and WANT to give it a 10/10, it’s just missing something that’s bothering me, idk still a fantastic album tho
really enjoyed this!!
Original, varied and compelling
V good
Really liked #2 This Is The Day, #4 Uncertain Smile, & #8 Perfect. But was pleasantly surprised by the whole album!
Whoa. This album was incredible. I ended up saving 5 of the 8 songs. I knew This Is the Day (from the incredible Sex Education soundtrack) and it wasn't wholly representative of the rest of the tracks (though not entirely unrepresentative either), but this one really breezed by. Standouts: This Is the Day, The Sinking Feeling, Uncertain Smile, Giant, Perfect
3.5/5
It’s not as good as infected but this is still my favorite synth pop band I’ve discovered on this list. The song writing is interesting and the production is still super groovy and unique. Also the cover art for this one is among the weirdest I’ve seen so far. This is the day was my fav; mid to low 4.
Love that sound
These are some incredible New Wave compositions. The use of synths (and other crazy instruments) is lush and diverse, and the vocalist puts similar-sounding New Wave vocalists to shame. It's catchy and dancey and overall a fun experience that knows when to back up and let the synths fill the space and emotions. There's something I love about every track that makes them stand out. Even a deep cut like "The Twilight Hour" has cool metallic synths, punchy drums, and eery vocals and lyrics. "Soul Mining" stands out to me for its basic yet entrancing guitar work and synths that for some reason illustrate images of the ocean. It's a coherent experience, with a puzzling yet mysterious opener that dives directly into the pop tracks to the more intimate ones, closing with a melancholic finish. It all feels essential to provide a complete experience, never repeating itself much, and encompassing a natural flow such that each song felt essential in its composition and placement.
Exquisite. I'm a sucker for any of this 1980s post-punk stuff in any case, but this is right in the sweet spot. Smart lyrics, cool synth noises (especially the pillowy synth-bass sound) and a cracking Jools Holland piano solo on 'Uncertain Smile'. Could've been five stars on another day.
Three songs in and I'm really enjoying it. My favorite song so far is The Sinking Feeling. Super fun walking bass and nice rhythm all around.
The instrumentation and sound 🤌 so good. Loved it. That piano solo(uncertain smile) hit me in the right spot and I loved the back half of the album. I guess I like new wave?! But lead vocals killed me. B grade David Bowie was taking me out of it.
like dusk litt bedre, men bra album uansett
Egentlig ganske bra, men treffe meg ikkje heilt likavel
Very 80’s, very cool.
When I listened to the first song on the album, I was afraid the sound of the whole album would be too synth pop, but I was wrong. It's a genuiely fresh sounding album considering it's from the early 1980s, an era its sound is so dated nowadays. Overall, it's a good post-punk, synth pop album.
Insane debut album by Matt Johnson and company. 'This Is The Day' is one of the best songs ever written, plain and simple. 'Uncertain Smile', 'The Twilight Hour' and the title track are solid as well.
Really enjoyed this, nice mix of poppy new wave and a synthy punk vibe, will definitely check this out again sometime.
I initially wasn't sure what I'd think of this album - it initially seemed like any other 80s New Wave album, of which I've heard a few of in close succession on this list. However it sort of changed throughout the course of the album, and throughout individual songs also, into this interesting post-punk sort of thing. A bit strange, a bit unsettling at times, but really interesting and quite unique. I'm unsure about why I've never heard of The The before! Favourite: Giant
Really enjoyed this, never heard their stuff before. They’re like an 80s The National
I liked this one a lot! I already knew and loved the song "Uncertain Smile" going into this, but hadn't heard any of the other songs, so this was a real treat. I think that "Uncertain Smile" remains my favorite, but "The Sinking Feeling" is a close second. There were a couple of songs I didn't enjoy as much (mainly the opening track, "I've Been Waiting For Tomorrow (All Of My Life)" - not a bad song, just nothing special in my opinion), but nothing that ruined the experience for me. I could definitely see myself listening to the entire thing again. Very glad to have heard this album.
My life got easier when I admitted that I straight up like new wave. This was fun. This is the Day was my fave.
Actually really enjoyed! 80s sound and meaningful
This isn't something I normally like, but I really did. A short and very enjoyable album! 4 stars instead of 5 because of that tedious ending to Giant
4.1 - Having hated "Infected", I was surprised at how much I liked this record, especially the minimal electronic beats paired with clever lyrics delivered with a dry British affect (see "The Sinking Feeling"). At turns there are also instrumental surprises, like the jazzy piano solo on "Uncertain Smile", as well as the extended coda on "Giant."
This album is awesome. Xylophone solo, bongo solo and piano solo on the same album. Plus very emotional, sensual singing. This is the best the 80s has to offer, and I think it’s time y’all admit it
Enjoyed this, will definitely give it another listen. The two songs I knew already (This Is The Day and Uncertain Smile) are pretty perfect, so kind of overshadowed the rest. But I didn't hear anything I disliked. The only negative I'd have is that the overall sound is very "of the time". But it was the early 80s so I think that can be forgiven.
First time listening to this album. Great album in a pop genre that isn't really my style. The piano playing on Uncertain Smile is super.
I didn't think I was going to like it because of the first track, but the other tracks were way better. Love the instrumentals in most tracks, especially the piano in Uncertain Smile. Not a fan of the album cover, though. Fave track(s): Uncertain Smile, This Is The Day
Chill 80's pop vibe
Fantastic 80’s classic. 5/5
Strong opener and overall sounded quite modern I thought.
Good album. Liked it Sot I’ve been waiting for tomorrow… The sinking feeling This is the day Uncertain smile Giantt
A mix of Soft Cell and Talking Heads, some interesting lyrics. Great piano solo at the end of 'Uncertain Smile'.