Soul Mining

The album is fine. Maybe better than the other The The album is that’s on the list. But that begs the question why there’s two The The albums on this list. Probably could get away with NONE, if I’m being honest!

Nothing interesting here. My daughter thought the name was stupid and then told me about some podcast guy who does YouTube shorts that deals with issues like when will We run out of band names.

Oh no

pay attention to the music not the lyrics here

Not great. Not terrible. Not my thing.

Как не пародоксально для пост панка, музыка от которой хочется жить

Liked it more than I thought it would. The band's name is annoying

One good song and it appeared at the end of Empire records. Synthy sameness as kinda boring

Pretty gosh darn enjoyable. I think I hit play in the right mood.

I guess it’s ok if you really loved the 80’s. 2.5⭐️

meh.

It was very cool. Showed me that there is depth in a genre that hasn’t shown much depth.

JL : 3, I've Been Waitin' For Tomorrow (All Of My Life)

Decent

Can’t believe that Matt Johnson was so young when this came out. It’s a truly classic album and leads perfectly to Infected and further on.

Never before have I changed my opinion so quickly between the first and second songs

Loved the songs “This is the day” and “Uncertain Smile”

Had to listen twice. Didn't land first time and I didn't know what to rate it but I enjoyed it second time. Really unusual and interesting

Way better than the first one I heard from this list

Good record. Has the sort of intellectual vibe that for me can go horribly wrong but in this case doesn’t. Not a sound that I gravitate toward but quite good.

Never listened to this band, just a name to me. The sound of these songs can be compared or related to a number of the more interesting bands of the period, none of which I listened to very much, and this, too, is not really my thing. But the songs are all pretty strong, and there is an impressive variety to the approach, song to song. Good album.

I saw them live in the late 80s. they were great. this was a nice blast from the past. i like the entire vibe of the album, some songs hit better than others, of course.

The The! I was pretty into this band for a while (saw them at Great Woods or whatever it's now called), but never actually had this first record of theirs. I can't really pretend to objectivity here; I just will always have a soft spot for this band despite the overwritten lyrics and the overlong songs. And I really love the two big songs from this record, "This Is the Day" and "Uncertain Smile."

Thought I would hate this but adored it. Even the first lyricless track was brilliant.

Eh

I didnt mind this a bit of New Wave a nice melody in most songs a little early depeche mode in places talk talk and Chameloens very 80s synth. I knew one song already which I liked This is the Day. i thought Giant may be too long for this type of music but it diverted quite a bit which kept it fresh.

This album rocks. This Is the Day and Uncertain Smile are 10/10 iconic tracks for the rest of time. It feels like it hasn't really aged at all. Banging.

This was an enjoyable listen to. Some really good songs on here and only 7. Too many releases in the 80s n 90s had too many songs weakening the bands content. Not this one though

Absolute parels op deze plaat

For me, as a teenager in the 80s, The The were one of those bands that seemed to come out of nowhere and sounded like no one else. Like so many bands I love, especially from that era (I'm thinking Cardiacs, Blue Aeroplanes, Felt, etc) they just seemed to exist in complete isolation and if you were lucky enough to come across them in the first place, you either loved them or you didn't get it at all. All these years later, this record still only sounds like The The. Some of the production styles aside, it sounds like a record that could have been made at any time in the last 45 years. Something of a masterpiece, to these ears.

It's an OK album. The vibe is definitely early 80's, not quite as dancy/poppy as Duran Duran, and somewhat eclectic but not as much as Talking Heads.

When I recognized the second song, I was excited and thought I’d be in for a not of post-punk/new wave fun. But, most of the rest of it was B-side filler that almost tempted me to give this a 2. But, the last couple songs where punchy enough I’ll stick with 3.

The dude kind of sings with that breathy, dramatic bent that the dude from 'You Spin Me Right Round' does - but none of the music is as catchy. Maybe a low 3, high 2 kind of situation - but going with a 2 because this is *not* required listening.

high 3 stars a new wave album from the 80s, this one was pretty neat, though when i was listening to some of the songs i couldn't help but feel like there was something missing, but i couldn't put my finger on exactly what. so i guess the songs felt a little empty on first impressions idk. i especially felt this listening to the first track. the 3rd track "That Sinking Feeling" was also pretty weird, i feel like half the ideas on that song actually worked but the ones that did were pretty cool. my favorites were "This Is The Day" and "Uncertain Smile"

I don't really know how to categorise this: it wasn't offensive but I didn't click with it

An interesting album with a unique style. It does not sound like much else from its time. The songs move between sharp, slightly nervous energy and quieter, more reflective stretches, and that mix gives the whole record a distinct personality. Matt Johnson’s voice and songwriting sit at the center. There is a restless, slightly bitter edge to a lot of the material, but it never becomes one-note. The arrangements are inventive without turning cluttered, and the band finds a space somewhere between post-punk, pop and something more personal. It feels focused even when the moods shift. The production is clear and well balanced. Everything has room, the rhythms stay tight, and the overall sound still feels fresh rather than locked in the early 80s. Nothing is overdone. Soul Mining is a strong and distinctive record. Interesting from start to finish, with a style that stands on its own.

På sina håll ganska kul lyssning men tyvärr inte så förtjust i sången vilket drar ner det en del. Stabil trea.

Hann inte riktigt lyssna klart en andra vända men känner att jag verkligen gillar det här! Är underhållen och titelspåret var asballt. Känns som en 4a

Svårbedömt. Det är absolut inte bjäring. Stark trea får det bli.

At first I had expected Goth Meets Hillbilly. But then some fun weird stuff got added, and I was very impressed. The single "This Is The Day" might actually be the worst song on here with the last half of the album showing Side B was the superior side.

We have to listen to a LOT of mediocre shit to finally find that diamond in the rough that actually deserves to be included in a book about the best albums you need to hear (and probably never heard of) before you die. THIS is one of those albums. Exceptional writing and the songcraft is excellent. If I had to give Soul Mining a down grade it would be for Johnson's voice that has that English post-punk drone that was popular with the groups of this era. But that's reaching for something that's not even that bothersome. This will be in regular rotation for me.

Uncertain smile is the highlight. The rest of the album is well crafted, but not 5 star level.

Debut album from The The and the start of a great run of 4 albums. This is the Day and Uncertain Smile are near perfect 80s art pop songs and I can listen to them on repeat forever.

No one will be surprised when I rate this lower than Mateen does

It is engaging to listen to. Interesting album.

totally forgettable

Another british new wave/post-punk album. This one had a great bassline in the first song and a great piano part in Uncertain Smile. Otherwise, not very memorable.

this is the day is a high high for sure

I only knew the song This is the Day from The The. It's a song I've liked, but it never led to me to listen to more of their stuff. I was interested and open to checking them out this morning. And I really dug this album. It's new wave, but also kinda post-punk too. Musically I thought every song was perfect. There were some songs that worked better for me than others, but there wasn't a bad one in the bunch. Standouts were This is the Day, Uncertain Smile, The Twilight Hour, and Perfect.

Not mad in this 80’s sound

meh, normalito 5/10

Previously had Infected about 270~ albums ago. The The is one of the more innovative postpunk bands that simultaneously definitely sound like they were from the 80s, and yet standout sonically and sounds much different than other postpunk/synth pop of its time. Soul Mining has a little something for every kind of 80s music lover, and holds up very well overtime. Truly an underlooked gem from its era.

просто ахуенное соло на пианине, жаль нет в яндексе((

I've been waiting for this album (all of this list).

This album was very fun! This is the Day is he best song on this album. The beginning of it reminds me of Beach House :)

Okay. Fine.

wäng wäng bäng bäng läng läng. 60-luvun länkytystä 80-luvun paatoksella. ei mun juttu. tuntu siltä niinku ois jonkun arttu wiskari -radion panttivankina välillä. mutta ehkä vähemmän paha. silti ei. bleh.

Ei lähteny kyllä yhtään. Paikotellen hyviä juttuja, mut jotenkin tämmönen hönkivä ja vähän elektroninen hipsteröinti ei ollenkaan sopinu mun päivään. Tässä on tavallaan semmoset ainekset joista tykkään, mut tällä kuuntelulla harkitsin vakavasti jopa ekaa yhtä tähteä. Pyörähtää kuitenkin vielä kakkoseksi ja saatan jopa kuunnella parempana päivänä uusiksi.

Miten musta tuntuu että tällä listalle on jotenkin suhteessa tosi paljon post-punkkia/new wavea? Vai onks se vaan et kun verrattain vähän kuunnellut aiemmin niin pomppaa jotenkin esiin täältä muusta? Täytyypä sukeltaa noihin jo kuunneltujen tilastoihin kohta 🤓 Mut kiinnostavaa rouheutta ja samaan aikaan hetkittäin aika tommosta synteettistä ja konemaista fiilistä vaikka ilmeisesti tässä ei lopulta ole juurikaan (tai ollenkaan) sampleja, ohjelmoituja elementtejä kuten rumpukoneita yms :o Syntikat sentään isossa osassa äänimaailmaa Zeke Manyikan konemainen paahto rummuissa (saundit mukaan lukien) läpi koko avausraidan oli tiukkaa ja vaikuttavaa settiä! 🤩 Mut siis pidin tästä orgaanisesta synteesistä!

Aluksi olin että immediately no. Aivan kauhee avausträkki. Mut loppulevy parani ja siellä oli ihan hyviäki meisinkejä. Kansi ja nimi antoi taas oottaa kyllä jotain aivan muuta.

There was always something enigmatic and slightly dark about The the and Matt Johnson's voice and his music in general. This debut was classed as mix of Post punk and synth pop and is certainly header edged then most electric pop music of 1983 - the year when balloons came to TOTP! There are some interesting contrasts on this album, though I feel that the endless chanting for the last half of the final track rather lazily uses up time. I find it hard to love this album but I would search out more by the band and check out any new music.

No es tanto de mi gusto pero este albun tiene muy buen ritmo

I wasn't expecting it grow on me this much this was my second listen on this album and it has a solid 4 stars for me

This is the Day is the one song I was familiar with and it's really good. There are a few other good songs but half the album is just meh. Not a bad listen. I just don't find it worthy of 1001 status.

Definitely part of that nu-wave vanguard but hard to see why you'd include them along with the other 50 albums from that genre. Good, but not "special"

I got this wrong - I had copies of the The albums at the time, and thought this was one of them, but it wasn't. I think it's fair to say that I appreciate it more than I like it; I definitely prefer the later albums, but this definitely earns its place because of how it pointed the way forward. I don't know if 'Infected' or 'Mind Bomb' are also on the list; if they are, they will score higher.

New wave but with a rollicking base of blues

Enjoyed it throughout, although the single "this is the day" stands out.

Top new wave, love it

I much prefer The The's debut to their Infected follow up. There's a better balance between the band members, each nicely in sync with the other, taking turns in being elaborate and effervescent. There is a joy to be had in stretching 7 songs out over 41 minutes, on each track playing the core song and then extended passages of jamming. The gulf in quality between This Is the Day and any other songs of theirs I've heard is substantial. I am a fan of BIG POP MELODIES and there are tens of 80s groups which I could reliably turn to for these over The The, though on this record I do love their attitude and aesthetic.

Soul Mining gets a solid 4, always loved this record and got to see them do some of it live in bristol a decade or so ago

sorry this was not good

Quite enjoyed it, without ever getting into it. A lot of people rave about TT, they came too late for me I think…

Excellent record. A strong four stars.

Ehhhhhhhhhhhh. It is very very very very very very very OK. So it gets an ok score 4/10. Top song... I've Been Waiting For Tomorrow

Hadn't heard of the artist or the songs, and I was surprised to the extent I enjoyed it, a hit for sure!

I hate the name of the band but it wasn’t terrible. I was expecting worse.

One of those albums that I should like per the algorithm, but that I just find exceedingly average. The re-listen amplified that. Cool cover art tho.

Superb

I struggle with these '80's synth-pop albums. Here's why: I have nearly zero musical talent, but I've created music of equal quality with the Casio keyboard I got for Christmas in 1988. This album is less annoying to me than most of it's (far too many) contemporaries on this list. I think I actually like the dude's voice. Beyond that, it's just another mid synth-pop album. There are so many here that it's diluted the couple that I'm sure deserve a place.

puts, eu meio que amei?! esse synth-pop bem 80's me pega demais, o mix instrumental indo pra lugares inesperados, as boas letras, a atmosfera única construída, tudo isso me encantou aqui.

não fosse a nostalgia pelos 80s que encheu o saco nos 00s teria gostado até mais

First time listening to this band. Enjoyed most of it. Got a little bored towards the end.

I listen to most of this project on YouTube, primarily for convenience. The first track's video is shot with a bunch H.R. Giger's art -- it might be his studio? That's cool. And, there are some cute ragdoll cats as well.. these are the nicest things I plan on saying. Good songwriting has got to be difficult. It needs to project the imagery and/or story you want to tell and -- in most cases -- match the beat, tempo, and tone of the music. When any piece of that puzzle is missing or wrong, its easy to notice. That is where this goes off the rails for me. This guy has a story to tell and some poignant stuff, but he can't bring it into alignment with the music -- AT ALL. A great (bad) example is **adding** a syllable to the end of the word 'glue'. Nope. Missed it, dude. This sort of bad poetry slam over tired synth music is not the chili I wanted. It's all over the album and his singing just doesn't match the music. Sorry. This project has also made me so deeply tired of this style of music already (only about 200 albums in..) that my calcified hatred won't give this any sort of quarter. This guy and the album aren't building a case for me to like it. The video with Giger's work and the cats was cute. I'll turn the sound off and just watch that again. (2/5), extra point for the cats. Dump the rest into a special Dimery bucket of overhyped 80s post-punk/new wave/synth/ambient/electronic what-the-fuck-ever garbage. There's just a mountain of it, isn't there?

Was never aware of the existence of The The, but 1983 had me a little excited to dive into this one. First impression was solid until Johnson started singing, and that was a general theme that played true throughout. It's not so much the lyrics as his overall vocal styling that I found somewhat (almost inexplicably) annoying, falling somewhere between a weaker David Bowie (who he obviously emulates a good deal of the time) and Softcell. The compositions and musicianship are pretty solid, and I really enjoyed the occasional use of "unorthodox" instruments like the flute and accordion. Overall it fell into solid to high 3/5 territory that I couldn't bring myself to round up

206. Soul Mining - The The (1983) 9.16.26 Variety: 5 Adequacy: 4 Listenability: 4 Uniqueness: 4 Emotionality: 3 = 4.0 for the UK and European cassette ( 3.4 for the original vinyl release) "You pull back your curtains and the sun burns into your eyes/ You watch a plane flying across a clear blue sky" I could not remember when I first heard this band. It was Definitely "This Is the Day" though, that much is sure. It's not something I think I would have heard as a kid. That sort of idiosyncratic British fare was unlikely to have been on the radio around these parts ( though there is precedent, with Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out" being burned into my memory from early childhood - I think because of a babysitter who constantly played it on vinyl), and I have no memory of The The ever being an MTV staple of any sort. I figured it must have either been a movie soundtrack or a compilation. I thought it might have been Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the '80s Underground (which to this day remains GROUND ZERO for me when it comes to a lot of the bands I would come to love - and for my money remains one of the best, most important compilations ever, ranking up there with the Nuggets psych and garage ones), but nope. Doing some light research I discovered it had to have been the 1995 movie Empire Records. The Left of the Dial compilation DOES have a song by The The on it though - "Uncertain Smile" - which explains why it's the only other song on here that I'm familiar with. I might have listened to this whole thing once, sometime in the late 2000s when it started to become easy to find stuff on Youtube, but I honestly cannot recall. That doesn't bode amazingly well for the remainder of the thing, but that doesn't mean I also might not like this more than I would have back then. My ancient iPod is littered with albums I'd deem great nowadays that back then I kept one maybe two songs from, so we'll see. I'll be using the UK Cassette release for this. THE TRACKS "I've Been Waitin' for Tomorrow (All of My Life)" - Not the best opener I've heard. It seems very obvious that Matt Johnson is a Bowie devotee, from his vocal delivery, down to the full throated embrace of Bowie's love it or hate it early 80s Scary Monsters era sound. It's a lot more rambling and unfocused, and leans way harder into the electronic aspects though. And feels like a miss to me. Peter Murphy of Bauhaus, and Richard Butler of Psychedelic Furs perhaps did the Bowie clone best, and Matt Johnson is minor league - A-level at best here. The song itself has some light industrial vibes, but is far too clean and bouncy to be classified as anything other than generic new wave. "This Is the Day" - Now there's a bit of whiplash for you. After the fully electronic sounding opener, we get a warm, vibrant, and measured mix of traditional and electronic instrumentation. THIS is what I am hoping we get more of. I can't stress enough how important this song has become to me in the canon of great, underrated pop songs. Not even just from the 80s ( my sweet spot) but of all time. Once it made it's way onto my 5 star list sometime in the early 2000s, it's stayed and only grown in my estimation since then. It checks SO many of my boxes - It's got a killer melody, supported by that perfect mix of 80s synth and traditional instrumentation. It's got some charming as fuck accordion work. It's got handclaps. Johnson's vocals are delivered with a sort of cheerful weariness that really underlines my favorite part of the song - how it perfectly captures the essence of bittersweetness. We get a very dark portrait of someone wallowing in the past, just treading the waters of regret, and making promises to themself that will never be fulfilled. Or will they? That ending is can either be brutal or hopeful depending on which way you decide to take it. As I get older and older and more cynical, but also more forgiving and more patient and understanding, I've also grown to absolutely love it when I hear someone pull off the trick of providing a bouncy, lovely, upbeat sounding song that has a pitch black message. It's so hard to do well, and most of the time, even when it works, it can feel forced and like some sort of clever parlor trick. This one feels so natural, and wee balanced in its mix of sweet and sour that even as you realize how melancholy the actual music is, the bleak fucking lyrics then suddenly, some how swap tones and become optimistic. It's like that illusion of the young woman and the old woman that is both simultaneously depending on how you focus your eyes. I'll stop rambling now, sorry. It's great. This song is great. "The Sinking Feeling" - *whew*. Ok. So moving on. Johnson decides to turn the Bowie up to 11, and actually does a much better job of it. We get another nice mix of sounds here, with some real fat reverby bass that sounds like it could have come right out of a Go-Go's song, and some catchy as hell choruses alternated with very atmospheric and sparse synthy verses. There's a lot of good stuff here. And more handclaps! We love handclaps, don't we folks? I guess he just needed to warm up. "Uncertain Smile" - The other song I was already familiar with. This one is not quite as high on my list as "This Is the Day" but still exists on my 5-star playlist. More awesome bass work, and Johnson tones the vocals down to more Brian Eno-ish lowkey delivery. Hooks galore in this one, and a ringing guitar line that reminds me quite a bit of Split Endz. This is high quality, mature 80s pop rock, and I'd put it up against the best stuff from Crowded House, or the Stranglers, or the Psychedelic Furs from the same period. That's a lot of comparison, but I'll give you one more - when the piano comes in in the middle it's very Joe Jackson-coded. "The Twilight Hour" - The opening of this sounded almost more like something I would have heard in a 90s club song. When the bongos came it started making more sense for 1982. The second person point of view I think is meant to be immersive, but is way less interesting than the odd mix of instrumentation. The best part of which is the plucked cello. This aspect is more reminiscent of the kind of sounds that would pop up on later Talk Talk albums, while definitely not falling into any sort of post-rock vibes. "Soul Mining" - Some eerie echoey sound affects start us off, like maybe what a dying whale stuck in a pipe might sound like. Johnson sure likes his second person pov, huh? This one establishes a somewhat funky groove and manages to stay in it for the duration. It doesn't impress like the best tracks, but it's still pretty solid. "Giant" - A metronomic click beat with some funky electro bass over top provides the base for this one, and feels like the most stereotypically "80s new wave synth" track so far. But even this one manages to subvert expectations a bit with the bright steel drum synths that come in to add some color to things. This one punches above its weight musically, while the vocals are just sort of generic. This isn't quite early Depeche Mode levels of catchiness when it comes to the instrumentation, but it's damn fine enough and builds to a cool crescendo. The chorus at the end helps significantly though, and was provided by former Orange Juice member Zeke Manyika ( who also did the drums) who also performed some similar magic for Kate Bush on percussion for "Running Up That Hill". Side two "Perfect" - No accordion here unfortunately, but a harmonica ( provided by David Johansen!) will do in a pinch. This one is pretty fun and bright, with a chunky drum loop, and some more steel drums synths, and even some trumpet. Catchy and rhythmically sounds like the sort of thing Primitive Radio Gods or Jesus Jones would be doing a decade or more later. This one tries the same bittersweet formula that "This is the Day" pulls off so well, but not at the same level. The brightness of the music is much more literal and unmistakable, that the misanthropic lyrics play as much more of a joke. Still pretty damned good though. "Three Orange Kisses from Kazan" - Whoa... this one was a bit of a head turner. It's got some very avant-garde vibes that felt mush more akin to something that Jim Thirlwell would be putting out, with processed menacing, multitracked vocals, and a thumping, galloping surf rock beat. Throw in some psychedelic swirling pipes and some cacophonous atmospheric accents and we've got a track that sounds like nothing else on here. Turns out this was a B-side to "Uncertain Smile" of all things. Fascinating. Glad I went with something other than the bog standard original vinyl cut of this album. "The Nature of Virtue" - Another B-side, and also meant for another album originally called The Pornography of Despair, which was unreleased. It's got a very cool, industrial atmosphere that's applied over top of an almost swinging 60s organ-centric pop sound that reminds me of Suicide more than anything. If they were slightly more poppy that is. So far, side two is proving to be a completely different sound. Turns out in my reading that "Perfect" also was not meant to be on the album, but was accidentally included. "Mental Healing Process" - Yet another "extra" track, the only version I could find is a tinny, muted, hissy ripped from a cassette version that feels much more like the demo it probably was intended to be. Knowing all of this, I might have just stuck with the vinyl release, but I'm glad I dived in. Even with the bad quality, this one comes across as a pretty charming, and effective bit of pop, and closer to what we got on the actual release. Though Johnson is in a much deeper register here ( do I detect some Ian Curtis vibes?), and the music is more in line with what one might imagine the poppier of the post-punk bands were doing at the time. There's a nice bit of neo-psych guitar work as well, which makes it stick in the memory more than some. "Waitin' for the Upturn" - Some very loose and jangly guitar opens this one up, and when the industrial booming beat comes in, along with the processed metallic sheen over top of the vocals I was expecting something fine but pretty repetitive Then some late 60s flute some in OUT OF FUCKING NOWHERE and this briefly becomes a 90s Edwyn Collins track! There is a lot going on here, and I'm completely down for it. Is Industrial Tropicalia a genre? "Fruit of the Heart" - A very chill, and catchy little bit of pure synth. This feels like a lost track out of a 90s Super Nintendo Yoshi game that maybe never saw a U.S. release. And I just can't stop listening to it. HIGHLIGHTS - "This Is the Day" - "The Sinking Feeling" - "Uncertain Smile" - "Perfect" * - "Three Orange Kisses from Kazan" * - "The Nature of Virtue" * - "Mental Healing Process" * - "Waitin' for the Upturn" * - "Fruit of the Heart" MIDLIGHTS - "The Twilight Hour" - "Soul Mining" - "Giant" LOWLIGHTS - "I've Been Waitin' for Tomorrow (All of My Life)" FINAL THOUGHTS What a rollercoaster. I'm a bit torn on whether I should count those extra tracks towards my score for this album as I normally try my best to use what was originally intended by the artist for release. But damn... I ended up loving it all so much, and The The only has the one entry on the list so, what the hell. ( Edit: They actually have two, but oh well). Going off just the original vinyl release, this was still a very solid 3 for me. Including all the extra tracks jumps it up considerably, and adds some great variety to an already pretty wide-ranging sound. If you dig the original release, definitely look these others up. My biggest issue with the thing would be the just general awfulness of the lead track which sounds like a Power Station B-side, and Johnson's too-dedicated but not good enough Bowie impression. His singing cools down and I eventually settled into, but he comes on STRONG and in general I much prefer the more relaxed natural singing voice that comes out on the best tracks. I'll definitely be checking more of his stuff out. Possible turn-Offs might include: - some very tortured and all over the place Bowie-esque vocals - a rambling and wide-ranging feel that seems like it might be lacking in focus - reverb heavy production - the uncertainty that comes with what appears to have been a messy release that offers up too many options You Might enjoy this if you: - like 80s stuff that is not entirely synth focused - love variety in your music - don't mind some very cynical takes PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Highlights will do, but some of the middling stuff I could see growing on me with repeated listens FURTHER LISTENING - Waiata by Split Endz - Let's Dance by David Bowie - Speak & Spell by Depeche Mode - La folie by the Stranglers - Here Come the Warm Jets by Brian Eno - Forever Now by the Psychedelic Furs - Night and Day by Joe Jackson - Underwater Moonlight by the Soft Boys - Spirit of Eden by Talk Talk - Rip It Upy Orange Juice

This was quite a surprise for me. Another album by an act I've never heard of. My initial impression was a synth-y Nick Cave. Its got rough vocals and moody atmosphere. First thing, this was use of synth that did not completely annoy me. I guess that shows me that it can be done. Maybe I should make a list of albums like that. Reading up on this it seems that The The was basically a one man show for most of the run. Even still this album featured a number of collaborators. In the end I enjoyed three songs well enough to say I liked them; "This is the Day," "Uncertain Smile," and "Giant." It had some breakout spots but the cringey songwriting and sloppy vocals ultimately weigh down the overall experience for me. 3/5

Great album. Opening couple of tracks were absolutely brilliant. The rest of it was really good but never reached those same heights for me. I’ll definitely be going back to this though. Top Track - This Is The Day

This was a decent adventure into some early 80s new-wave. I got pretty excited by the energy of the first track, and while the other songs were okay, nothing topped that lead-off.

Boring 80s bleh.

This falls into the XTC category for me: highly influential British band that just doesn't do anything for me. File under the number 2.

It’s too uneven for me to go higher despite my deep, abiding appreciation of This Is The Day. Uncertain Smile and Giant are keepers, too.

Rating carried by the amazing This is the Day and the very good Uncertain Smile.

3/5 - As 80s brit pop goes, this is above average, which is to say that 3 is above 2.

Favorite track(s): I've Been Waitin' for Tomorrow (All of My Life), This Is the Day, Uncertain Smile, The Twilight Hour, Giant Heard before Previous rating: 7/10

Ahead of its time?

Switched it off

74

A group called The The? Someone taking that name was pre-determined. The album is mearing perfection in every ragard: most notably, it utilizes quite minimalisting musical elements in such a way that makes basically every track so enjoyable. The rhythms are the single thing that carries the majority of songs, and the vocals and other instrumental parts are just great. In the first two or three tracks you are already able to feel that distinct style; it is really stylish music done with great taste, it knows how to make you dance or at least pay close attention to its exquisite sound landscapes which, again, may be composed of quite simple elements, but so skillfully. I give the thumbs up for the vocals, too; they are fitting and the voice itself has its appeal. It is even hard to tell what genre of music Sould Mining brings; it is certainly popular, with some elements of dance music with all those rhythmic decisions, but I could not tell really. I would also guess this is 80s-ish. All in all, great somewhat minimalistic collection of compositions most of which immediately make you want to add them for later listens. In this sense, the album was something new, and hence outstanding, to me. It's likely it has an average rating of 2.8 to 3.2 here, but with that I'd strongly disagree (UPD: yes, it's 3.17). Hugely talented stuff, A here.

Cool stuff but the single sticks out so much. Like they knew they had to do something commercial to justify the rest of the album.