Infected

Favourite tracks: infected; heartland; angel of deception; mercy beat

One of the biggest gaps between how good the band is and how much the name of the band sucks

I enjoyed it,sounded cool the whole time.Good

Insanely better than Soul Mining. Does not even come close to being comparable in my mind, and something about this record came across as truly genuine.

I like that 80's sound

Toffe plaat. Niet onmiddellijk meezingers of zo, maar wel leuk

legal o som, pós punk, bem instrumentado

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Infected

One of the most energetic, lively albums of the 80s

Stonking album. Every tune counts

Ovo je dobar album, dosta, nije čista četvorka, ali tu je.

Very 80's, musically quite interesting and as an album quite enjoyable.

Can listen to songs like Heartland for a long time. Bit weird at time but giving it the benefit of the doubt

man, I feel like I really should love The The, but it just sounds weak compared to most of the other punky new wave bands I like it’s still really good, just not as good as the rest 8/10

Really good

Gave me 80's Brit pop vibes for sure. Had some kick to it

Good 80's vibes

Great 80s synth pop. Will be listening to again.

So many of these songs have incredible intros (Sweet Bird of Truth & Angels of Deception) and production and arrangements are ambitious, giving the more classic songs an epic feel. The back-up singers were well used, especially Neneh Cherry. At times the drum machine gets in the way. I don’t like saying that something 30+ years old sounds dated (it should) but I thought the drum intro to Infected sounded dated when I first heard it. Matt J is a genius and he’s not afraid to tackle heavy subject matter. His voice when he gets angry is not the best.

Love the the’s vibe! This album is a fiesta and all the misfits are invited. The rhythm and thematic is delightful. Most songs have great arrangements and try to enhance the musical experience. The two the the’s albums I have listened are great. Keep ‘‘em coming!

Solid

nice cover!

7/10. Didn't love it from the get go, but started to get more into it as I listened. Could end up liking this a lot after a while, I think

The beats of new wave but with the grunginess of post-punk, delightful Angels of Deception was a fav

Genuinely a good album, but I will say that I enjoyed the instrumentals more than the vocals. All songs were unique and caught my attention Fave track(s): Infected, Heartland, Slow Train to Dawn

I have loved the song Kingdom of Rain (not on this album) since I first heard it in the early 90s but never explored the band further. And I think I knew at one point that Sinead O’Connor sang on that song, but today I was pleasantly reminded. I started listening to the album this morning without paying very much attention to it but was drawn in by the big sounds and interesting lyrics. I then did some googling and watched all of the videos for this album and I think that today will not be the last day that I listen to The The. I learned a lot of interesting things about this album and the band today, but that can all be read on Wikipedia. The one thing that stood out was that there were, I think, 61 instruments played. Similar sounds: Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, Wall of Voodoo and Morphine

Enjoyed this one, despite the 80s production.

A good example of a record with unmistakeably ”80s” production that makes it work for the music. Very enjoyable

Bang

Quite innovative, Good sounds

J'aime l'énergie, un échantillon représentatif des années 1980, sans toutefois mal vieillir, ne verse pas dans la facilité.

Awash with political overtones and instrumentation indebted to the mid-80s, Infected is The The is the band at their most straightforward and to the point. While not as epochal as their debut, there are still moments where you are reminded of why The The were one of the more underrated and fascinating bands of their era. Not too long and full of noteworthy bangers, seek it out. Favorites: Infected, Heartland, Angel's of Deception, Slow Train to Dawn, The Mercy Seat.

Mon premier album du groupe. Je suis resté agréablement surpris. Je m'attendais vraiment plus à un band marqué par l'époque, ressemblant à un autre band New Wave et pas tant que ça finalement. J'entends du Siouxsie And The Banshees dans les guitares par moment, une façon de chanter qui rappelle Mike Patton quand il n'est pas trop extrême. J'aime bien les explorations et la diversité dans l'instrumentation. J'étais dans le bon mood pour écouter ça cet après-midi. Je vais sûrement y revenir.

Brilliant songwriting, building on their stylish debut to explore ever deeper topics, fizzing with rage at thoughtless politicians and careless society. The production is excellent and shows a surprising depth of use for synths throughout. The energy is infectious throughout and a duet with Neneh Cherry is a welcome surprise.

I was scared to listen to this album at first, mainly because of the cover, which is silly. I was also a little scared because of the reviews. I should have known I would like it when I saw the genres though. I didn't like it enough to give it 5 stars, but I really like it for what it is. It definitely has a distinct sound. My favourite song was Heartland.

Very 80s but if you plopped into AAA rotation and said it was new I'd believe it

Ok

Synth punk, sometimes catchy surprisingly entertaining.

Never listed to a record by them before. Well worth the listen.

Original, calm, good lyrics

I hate to admit how much fun I thought this album was. I would have really enjoyed dancing to these songs live.

Loved it, they sounded great even then. I wish I could have known these bands back in the day.

Man, Debbie Szyskowski was the coolest. She was the older sister of a friend. Debbie turned us on to so many different things in the 80's. Only a few years older than us she had the inside scoop on underground style and music. Sadly, she died of cancer in 2003 but she left an indelible mark on us younger kids by turning us on to bands like The The, Men Without Hats, Til Tuesday, Depeche Mode, and Yazoo. She was such a positive person and role model. She eventually left our small town for the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC and we / I lost touch with her. I've got love for this album because of Debbie. Out of the Blue is great. This album capitalizes on white space, the lack of 'singing' the stripped down songs are a welcome change from tons of in-your-face lyrics and sounds. Less is more on this. . It's important to note the album Soul Mining, which emerged a few years before Infected. That has 'This is the Day, which for me, is timeless 80's nostalgia and possibly a better album.

Very 80’s sounding, had some great tracks, especially heartland

I can’t decide to give this album a 4 or a 5. I love the band name, infected and heartland are super good, and it’s a standout post-punk album. However, I don’t see myself remembering this in like 2 days

Fuck yeah! I'm into it because I already know and like The The. But I prefer Soul Mining because it is the superior album.

grew on me on 2nd listen.

Another band I'm unfamiliar with. Love discovering new stuff. I'm finding that with unfamiliar bands, I'm reflexively comparing them to bands I am familiar with (a pretty common impulse, I'm sure). The cover had me expecting punk, but I was way off. This album is '80s to the bone; my best comparison is INXS meets Oingo Boingo. They've got a full sound, with plenty of horns, some harmonica, and even the occasional violin (I think), all mixed with '80s staples like synthesizers and drum machines. I dig it. My pile of new bands to explore continues to grow.

The The is such a unique band. They don't fit into any of the traditional 80s genres, and they are not an easy listen - I think that's why I like them so much. Kudos to Matt Johnson for creating great music. I love his voice & the band's videos are strange af..into it!

Didn't exactly know what to expect here. Liked it quite a bit.

I was a big fan of this record when it first came out in 1986; bought the album and a couple of the singles. I really liked the sound of the record, which sounded contemporary without being plastic, and I liked the songs, which were a strong mix of the political and personal. Political without being straight polemic (of which there was quite a bit at the time. Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan had a bit of blame, there), and personal in a way that was angsty and self-lacerating, which fit with my world outlook at the time. Listening to it now, the lyrics are maybe not as mature and sophisticated as I thought they were when I was 16, but that is to be expected. The album has some cracking tunes and catchy rhythms (it's got a good beat, and I can bug out it), and the mix of electronic and acoustic instrumentation means that it still holds up now. It sounds of its time, but not really dated. The presence of Neneh Cherry (and few other noted backing vocalists) certainly injects a spark, and stops it from being too blokey. I enjoyed re-visiting this old favourite, and I feel that I should play it more often.

The The are great. I think I might like this one more than Soul Mining. Not sure. Obviously the production has way dated now, but they're still great. Mrs sat next to me says it really shows how much INXS ripped them off and by god she's right.

Weird, cool, funky, fun. Production is a bit jarring at first (it's the 80s), but quickly grew on me. Standout tracks: "Infected", "Heartland" and "Sweet Bird of Paradise". Obscure post-punk keeps on giving. Probably my favorite genre at the moment. Good good work work The The!

This album seems to serve as a neat bridge between the post-punk and alternative music movements. The band they kept reminding me of while I was listening was Faith No More, though it's hard to describe why. Regardless, it's a very interesting album musically, as it leans heavily on digital instruments while still having a rock feel to it.

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. It reminds me of Love and Rockets by a bit, actually. Had that 80s new wave alternative feel to it. Honestly, I had heard of the band back in the day, and I knew one or two people who wore a t-shirt of theirs, but it always seemed kind of odd for a name, so I never took that step to try them out. This album was a real unexpected treat, and I would say if you are a fan of that style of post-punk, this is definitely a band you should check out.

I first got into The The through their 2000 album Naked Self (great album BTW). One thing I’ve noticed throughout all their albums that I’ve listened to is Matt Johnson seems to have humorous way of depicting bleak situations. It’s like his lyrics are saying that the world’s shit but what can you do but laugh about it. Infected is no different. It does suffer a bit from that 80s sound but I think the songwriting makes up for the production here. “Sweet Bird of Truth” might be my favorite track on here but the whole album is a solid listen.

The music is very 80s, yet unique at the same time. Very harsh lyrics - Infected is apparently about STDs or AIDS more specifically, Heartland is about the decline of England, Sweet Bird of Truth about Western military action in the Middle East, The Mercy Beat sounds like it's about alcoholism. So, under the 80s pop sound, a dark subcurrent. Calling it a 4 - very good, worth hearing again, but the dated sound is the main thing keeping it from a 5.

Enjoyed this more than I expected

Very good, terrific in places, but I still prefer Talk Talk in terms of London bands with repeating-word names.

A dense forty minutes of post-punk will always be welcome. This has touches of synth brightness at the moment that I felt were rather weak, but the album as a whole was certainly a grower. The nihilism of certain cuts was sadly fitting for the day: That's probably informing my opinion somewhat, but I can tell a revisit won't be unhappy.

5/2/2022 Today's Album: "Infected" by The The - Looking at this album from the name and cover, I really had no fucking clue what to expect, but as it opened up, it really blossomed in front of my eyes. This album is great fusion of two common genres of the 90s, being the synth-heavy new wave and the birthing post punk movement. Usually, this sort of thing really wouldn't be my thing as a lot of 80s projects like this have left a sour taste in my mouth for being generic and uninspired and post-punk has often been overdone by a lot of groups in my opinion with explicitly poor songwriting. However, this album does not take on any of those attributes as far as I can tell. The instrumental soundscapes all sound really lush and the vocalist really matches the aesthetic of the album well. There are songs where the vocalist experiments with strange and creepy vocals similar to many post-punk outfits, but it always feels really tasteful and like it's serving a story-telling purpose. Even if the vocals do end up feeling somewhat standard for a new wave outfit on a few tracks, it really doesn't matter because the ability for this band to just tear up a great tune outshines any clichés it may be exhibiting. Some of the solo's on this record are just straight up memorizing with how unique and innovative they are. A great example is the trumpet solo near the end of the opening track because of the incredibly articulated double tonguing technique the soloist uses to trill the last note. The recording of each instrument feels so clean and separated in the mix and the layered sound effects over top the band often builds up this great sound into this enamoring sonic experience. Maybe I'm just opening up to these stranger musical ideas more than I have in the past, but I really don't think that's the case. I really feel like this is some of the best execution of these kinds of sounds I've heard thus far. The new wave aspects of this album are able to spice things up and keep them interesting enough to take on the stranger post punk ideas and the post punk edge helps to stop these new wave songs from sounding too polished and clean. The flow feels great, the production feels great, and although the mix could probably use some tweaking, it's great as is. It's honestly just a great combination that I never would have thought would work but it does so so so well. Overall, this is both a great new wave album and a very listenable post-punk project and the fact that this band can pull together such solid tunes elevates these possible generic tracks to insane heights. Give this one a listen if you like 80's new-wave or some very clean post-punk and I promise you won't be disappointed either way. Highlights: Infected, Out Of The Blue, Heartland, Angels Of Deception, Slow Train To Dawn, Twilight Of A Champion, Score: 7.5/10 Inventive new-wave post-punk

Great post pink album no honest complaints I just don’t like post punk. I respect it though 🙃

Good backstory around the album being made. Solid 80's synth pop. Nothing overly memorable.

This one's going viral

Wild. What is this? All over the place but I enjoyed it.

Bit of a surprise, I didn't know what to expected but really enjoyed it

Forgot about The The! Liked this one!

Levoton kansi, tykkään kyl! Samoin levyn sisältö oli yllättävän melodista ja aika nautittavaa. 4/5.

Not familiar with this band or album, not sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t this and I liked it a lot more than I expected to as well. I needed to give the lyrics better attention than I did, missing a lot of the political commentary (though there is always that weird mirror-world familiar/not familiar to UK centric writing of that nature: “this is the 51st state of the U.S.A” hits differently to a Minnesota boy.

Zanimljiv album, drugačiji nekako. Uspio dat malo spooky vibea, malo i romantike na neki drugi način. I na trenutke me podsjeća na Bowieja? Sve u svemu, lajkam.

I think I like their sound

Best Song: Infected. Bombastic and actually lyrically interesting. Worst Song: Heartland. Not terrible, but it really feels like the author is performing a monologue in an amateur theatre on this one. Overall: Liked it much more than I expected. Feels like what the B-52s want to be, but cooler and more true-to-self. Rare that I like 80s music like this.

Geil

Wow I forgot about the the, very '80s but clearly very talented! an interesting listen but only "liked" one song for later listening. The man clearly had a lot of talent and energy.

A pretty ineresting record. It's cover gives other vibe, but it's vibe is groovy and positive! 4/5

Power pop!

Very interesting pop rock!

I think I have it somewhere on the shelf. And I like it.

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I had heard of The The back in the day, but never really gave them a listen. This album was slightly punky, slightly alt, and over-around good. 4 stars!

Pretty good! Weird band name.

Enjoyable. Doesn't have a song with a hook like "Uncertain Smile" off of the first album, though.

This was very good. Going to revisit this. Looking forward to doing so.

Never listened to The The yet, as far as I know, but I love the band name. The album was really good too. Quite gripping, fairly varied instrumentation and quite a lot of depth in songwriting. My favorite tracks were Heartland and Slow Train To Dawn. Both of those were really dope.

Pretty damn good but not stellar.

This is just what you’d expect; politically scathing but beautifully melodic!

Really enjoyed this, great synths, powerful messages still relevant today alas.

never heard of this, which is cool. I like this mostly quite a lot. Heartland is good.

this this album album has has some some good good tunes tunes fr fr

So familiar … had this on vinyl … no idea where that has gone … Enjoyed going back

Álbum solido de Art Pop con Synthpop. Este es quizás el segundo mejor álbum de la banda británica después de su debut, y aunque ninguno de los dos es totalmente de mi agrado, es innegable la personalidad que transmite ya sea desde su impecable producción como su excelente lirismo. Para mí un sólido 7/10

Super! Genomgående stark upplevelse. Många sköna basgångar och riff, samt trummor som ofta ligger precis lagom hårt. Det här gillas! Bäst: "Infected"

Definitely grew on me, once I got past the vocals and clangy... everything. Heartland was a good one

Interesting 80s punk. Slightly pop-y

Good Britt pop, 1986. Very 80s sound, a bit dark.

Infectious first track, into a stable album throughout. I really enjoyed it and will be listing to more of the the in future

a bit weird but it’s good. it says it classified at post punk

Bettered by several other The The albums, this is still a masterpiece. What lyrics!

An excellent album. Stand out tracks, homeland, sweet bird of truth and slow train to dawn. Loved it when first released and enjoyed reacquainting myself with it now

The The. Good Good

Cool and sexy and fresh even now

Mezcla de rock-pop-punk.

silly and biggish 80s British post punk pop fav track: infected

Just really solid post punk record.

2/23 Infectious energy. Disco Culture Club. Standout Tracks: Infected, Heartland, Angels Of Deception, Slow Train to Dawn

Never listened to these guys before but enjoyed the attitude, intensity and delivery.

I misjudged this. The album title, the artwork - I was expecting either thrash metal or noise rock, and I was so pleasantly surprised, I think maybe I might have enjoyed it more than I should because my expectations were on the floor. Goes to show you can't trust an (album?) by its cover.

Not bad. ★★★

Ambitious, interesting. Soul mining is a bit better. High 3

The The get a solid to high 3, i prefer Soul Mining but enjoy the production on this record and I think the vocalist is consistently interesting if not always to my taste.

This was a tad better than Soul Mining. Still don't like the voice.

The album cover put me off. Never judge a book by its cover, evidently. Great album, high octane and bonkers.

# Playlist Track - Heartland # Notes - Perfectly enjoyable, but nothing to write home about. - I knew nothing about The The before starting that, and I REALLY liked "Soul mining" so this is kind of a letdown.

Between New Order, Bronski Beat, and these guys the 80's in the UK must've been confusing with how many bands sounded very similar. This album was kind of all over the place. They made choices that I didn't necessarily like. The overall messages in the songs were pretty forward thinking. I wish there was more horn in them, because when that got thrown in it really added something to the songs. I enjoy that UK 80's sound, and this had a lot of it. Overall, it was fine. Didn't really grab me in any meaningful way.

Gostei. Um álbum com pegada new wave, mas sem aquela tristeza chata característica, e sim mais energética, bateria bastante presente e sintetizadores bem colocados. E o cantor me lembra bastante ao mick jagger. Achei bem descente.

the inclusion of this one and not Dusk is wild. if you found this one underwhelming try Dusk.

Oingo Boingo style music, a bit goofy, a bit 80s traditional sound, hard to pin down

Good but not as good as Soul Mining.

80'er med lidt tempo. Ok, men alligevel ikke noget, der hænger rigtigt fast.

The The, among the least googleable bands, is pretty give and take for me. They have some excellent songs, some interesting albums, but also a lot that is overwrought and more concerned with theatrics than craft. This feels like the latter for me. Dark and grimy camp, but camp all the way. I guess a light 3* but i couldnt really get into it enough to feel much

Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. Not really my thing, but the lyrics to “Heartland” and “Angels of Deception” hold up all too well.

Hmm. I always thought The The was a punk band. I was quite mistaken. It's alright for 80s pop, a bit of fun, but I must admit, I listened to this hours ago and I can't remember a single thing. Mid to good perhaps?

I always this they I like this one more. Not as dancey 80s as Soul Mining and not as moody in your face as Mind Bomb.

Much better than expected. I thought it would be a metal album... but it had some good funky songs.

Good one but not spectacular

High 3 for sure but I didn't love it enough for it to make 4. Maybe on a couple more listens but upon thinking that I was like... Hm idk if I feel like relistening to this ....

I'm conflicted. When the songs are good they are really fun and very 80s new wavey. But some songs are like the 80s in all the terrible of ways especially in production. I think a 3 is fair here.

Definitely on the weird end of things, but I liked it! Had me grooving, and had some great horns too. 7/10 Quite Likeable

i've put this record on a few times in the past but it never really stuck with me, and this latest listen proved that this just isn't really my cup of tea; good filler music for the background the cover art deserves better music methinks 3/5

This is a fairly good album, but I'm kinda surprised it made the list. Soul Mining making the cut? Sure. But this one, while a decent record, just isn't as infectious (sorry) as their earlier album.

Good summertime weird-rock

Enjoyed more than expected, but just an average record.

I always want to like the band more than I really do. This album just didn’t excite me

I thought it was rather interesting. The singer sounds a bit like Nick Cave in a good way. I do think the social commentary falls a bit flat.

Kind of boring to be honest

Tiene un sonido tan estereotípicamente ochentoso y que al mismo tiempo se siente tan distintivo que me genera sentimientos encontrados, pero dentro de todo está bueno. Se escucha más New Wave que Post Punk, aunque asumo que la segunda etiqueta deviene más que nada por las letras más políticamente cargadas de algunas de las canciones. No me veo volviendo a escucharlo más allá de alguna que otra canción. ↑: Infected, Heartland, Slow Train To Dawn ↓: Out Of The Blue (Into The Fire)

Lyrically very cool, musically wasn't super my vibe. Very 80s weird rock.

Album cover reminds of a collaborate art I’d make with the demons (highest compliment really). The The is also comedy. Love the opening track, Infected! I need an 80s movie marathon I think. Listened to and from the beach, drove through a thunderstorm. Really strong start and maybe fizzled a bit for me after the first few songs, but I’ll keep listening to them for sure.

Würde mir dieses Album glaube einfach für dieses Cover kaufen. Allerdings haben einige Songs wie z.B. Slow Train to Dawn echt gut angefangen aber man wird dann irgendwie enttäuscht von mittelmäßigen lyrics und alles in allem begleitet durch ein mittelmäßige 80er Band. Die Musik geht schon gut durch den Körper aber ich finde Music for the Jilted kriegt das besser hin. Also ja schlecht bis mittelmäßiges Album. Drei Sterne weil ich das Cover ansprechend finde.

Sounded a bit like Frankie goes to Hollywood in some ways

I mean it was alright

There are a few GREAT songs by 'the The', but this album doesn't have any of them. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a

Shermz: quite groovy! I actually really really like the titular track “Infected” Wenz: Hahaha, I have other preferences, I like “Heartland” the most in this album 🤭

Perfectly fine 80s pop

interesting. It has it's moments. Don't love it don't hate it.

Very mid, utterly forgettable 80's music 3/5

Not really what I was expecting, and not something I really liked. It was pretty cheesy 80s slop. Not really why this appeared in the book. I'm certain that no one is asking themselves "whatever happened to The The?"

Comes across as one part Scritti Polliti, one part Squeeze, one part Depeche Mode. There's probably more parts I'm not cultured enough to recognize. I'm good with that.

A strong three. Music Im certain would grow in my music taste scale.

7/10

A slow burn of an album with just enough funkiness and spookiness to elevate it above a lot of the new wave that we’ve been hearing. Some solid tracks like heartland and slow train to Dawn but ultimately this was destined to be a three..

Breezed right through this; a bit in one ear and out the other. I don’t know what’s supposed to be good about this, but also I didn’t think it was bad. Decidedly average rock pop.

Reminded me a little of INXS. Only without much melody. Or rhythm. Or Michael Hutchence.

Intriguing

Bit weirder than their other album on here, but I did enjoy bits and pieces of it

Didn’t expect this much funk! A few good tunes here

Fav song: Infected

Terrible band name, ok music.

I love his voice, but not the best of The The.

Not a bad album the title track is pretty good and i did like a fee other songs but overall pretty average

Never heard of The The before, This album was weird as hell but I kinda liked it tbh

Ganske midt på treet. Noen av låtene er virkelig bra, men det er noe med instrumenteringen som gjør at man plutselig befinner seg i en Michael J. Fox film. Det vil kanskje litt for mye. Dette er en treer jeg kommer til å høre mer på.

3.5 Like det her. Plata mangle bare en skikkelig banger.

Har ikke hørt på The The siden jeg var på konserten på Sentrum Scene i 2024. Ikke et udelt gledelig gjenhør, det her, men noen låter sitter godt (spesielt Sweet Bird of Truth). Tekstene og attituden virker veldig datert.

I’ve seen this cover but never listened to the album - average late 80’s stuff

Sharp as the tack which eventually burst the city bubble!

This was OK. Worth a listen but nothing snagged me.

Couple of songs great, overall too earnest.

This album is such a mixed bag. The opening track was a well-produced 80s hit, with fun elements. Meanwhile, the rest of the album lacked the same excitement. When they stuck to new wave, it worked, when they tried anything else, it didn't work. There's so much better British 80s New Wave that isn't on this list, I'm surprised they picked these guys.

Not bad

Only time for one listen wasn’t horrible might give it another spin

Pas fan de la voix dans cette album, sa manière de chanter à la pirate/méchant de Disney, puis les drums et les guitares trempées dans les réverbes des années 80 ça me cringe un peu je vais pas mentir. Mais à part ça reste très bien, les refrains sont cools c'est bien composé ça se sent que les gars sont bons ! Victimes du style de l'époque qui va perdurer dans leur discographie, malheureusement pour moi... Mais santé à eux cependant Plus fan de "This is the day", qui se détache un peu dans le style peut etre pour ça qu'elle me plait plus ! <i>J'éspère que cette review est à la hauteur de vos espérances </i>

Kitchissime mais il n’en faut pas plus pour me convaincre

Synthy psychadelic goth disco - Depeche Mode is the obvious comparison, but this is a bit jazzier, poppier, brighter, and more uptempo. Fun, bouncy stuff with a dark undercurrent.

Another fine album from this unknown, underground new wave sensation. I hear forward thinking influences on Indie, electronic and dance music as well as influence from Prince, ELO, and maybe even some elements of English ska in the meter and pacing. Lots of cool elements for an alright piece of music. Has charm and energy. I think I like this less than the other The The album on this list.

Didn't hate this, but didn't love it either. It's OK in a fairly obvious mid-80s sort of way that appeals to me simply because that was when I grew up.

Suena diferente a su época Combina sonidos de manera interesante No hay nada que destaque por si solo, pero combinado todo va bien nada desentona No estoy seguro de que más pueda destacar en este momento puedo decir que pensé que iba a ser otro álbum clásico que sonara igual a muchos pero no realmente, hicieron su esfuerzo por ser originales dentro de lo difícil que eso resulta

3.5

A rollercoaster of an album - full of twists and turns. There were points when I was really getting into it, then it would take a turn and lose me. I did enjoy the juxtaposition between the lyrics and music though. Probably needs more listens...but I know I won't revisit it.

I'm glad I heard this album! All I knew of The The before this was the song "This is the Day" so I am happy to expand my knowledge of this group and their songs. Lots of politically relevant and socially relevant songs for 2026 even though this is from 40 years ago.

Better than I feared.

I am partial to a lot of 80s music and this is no exception. I wouldn't say this is a standout album (I'm still waiting for the generator to throw me some Duran Duran) but I enjoyed it.

What a stupid band name. This is the same stuff as like oingo boingo and all that other weird haired 80s androdgeonius groups.

Liked this a lot more than Soul Mining. More than a lot of albums that sound this heavily of the 80s. Probably won't ever listen to it again though.

This was kind of surprisingly good, it suffered from some terrible drum tones and basically cheesy eighties.Production, but actually felt like the songs were good.And the concept was fun not something I would listen to again but not something I would rate poorly

This was fun. It sticks within its lane and does it well. I like how emotive his voice is at times. Favorites were Heartland, Angels Of Deception, and The Mercy Beat.

Lowkey paranoid.

Surprisingly decent new wave 80s stuff, kinda similar to The Cure and bands of that ilk. Went in wanting to hate it, but it ended up better than expected. Didn't love every song, but I liked enough to garner a 3/5

It was digestible and shined some at times but ultimately it was very forgettable.

Very experimental. Doesn't always make for a great listen. Parts of it are jaw dropping. The rest is sleep inducing

It’s okay

I’m conflicted. I can’t decide if I liked this or not. I think I did but then again I’m not sure.

too much synth

3.5

Because I like “This Is the Day” so much I’ve always hoped and tried to get into The The. Unfortunate there’s just no there there for me.

Wasn’t super familiar with these guy, but this a solid 80’s pop/rock record. Nothing groundbreaking here but an enjoyable listen and welcome on the list. 7/10 Favorite tracks- “Infected” “Angels of Deception” “The Mercy Beat”

Wasn’t really familiar with any of their stuff, but ok

2.5

Some were okay but don’t remember any of it which tells me I’m neutral.

They have an interesting sound and I appreciate how experimental and different they are, but none of the songs stood out to me on this. I think there are bands/albums that really define the post-punk era a lot better. Not a bad listen overall, but nothing amazing on here in my opinion.

I have other be honest, I've had trouble articulating my opinion about the albums lately. Part of me just thinks, okay, YOU listen and tell me what you think! This one was a prime example... the first time through, I expected a bunch of songs like "This Is the Day" then was surprised to encounter a fun take on darkwave with horns. But the next time through it all felt a little silly. At the moment it feels like one of those albums in the history of synth pop that I'm glad happened, but I don't necessarily need to revisit regularly. But what do you folks think?

"Infected" is a dark, densely produced alternative rock album, in which The The offers a commentary on their social and political context. Apart from that, and dark lyrics, there is not much to write about, good or bad.

I enjoyed this. Feels pretty fitting for the decade - definitely 80’s vibes here. Good beats, nice variety. Favorite frack was Infected. (3)

A bit of a step down from Soul Mining, but still pretty fun. Some tracks take a while to really get going, and the songs overall lack the punch of their debut. However, there are plenty of enjoyable moments throughout the record, especially towards the second half. "Sweet Bird of Truth," in particular, has some striking lyrics, and the Neneh Cherry's guest vocals on "Slow Train to Dawn" were a nice touch. Not too bad, all things considered. Standout Tracks: Heartland, Sweet Bird of Truth, Slow Train to Dawn Score: C+

nice enough

The grammatic skill needed to write about the band The The should not be understated

Kul men en klar nedgradering från Soul Mining

Märkligt, men väldigt varierande och underhållande.

Rätt cool stil alltså! Men inte jättesvängigt.

Liked this more than I thought I would. Kind of enjoyed the weird contrasts going on, especially in the songs with the little synth pop drum tracks. May climb with more listens

Wild and wacky Really really decent. Track 1 and 2 are the highlight. Really enjoyable

Only knew The The for “This is the Day” and I liked. And I like this as well.

I'm a big fan of Matt Johnson. While I like the bleak, tense feeling of Infected (Heartland is a particularly great track), it's not my favourite TheThe album.

Misleading cover art oh my gosh. Super upbeat sounding 80's new wave music, complete with corny (but not unlikeable) synth horns and drum sampling. I recognized a few tracks having been raised on the SiriusXM station "1st Wave" growing up and riding around in my dad's car. The vitriol on this website is way too unnecessarily harsh- this record was alright!

6/10 – Decent

Much funkier than I expected. Very 80's funk-pop.

Inte deras bästa album. Ljudbilden är jobbig.

The The was mixed into my daily stream by my music provider. I liked the tracks quite a bit, so I remembered the name not only because of its memorable brevity. I was excited about the album. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. It's okay, but nothing more. Too bad. 3/5

It was just ok.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this album, but this wasn't it. There is a strong 80s sound in this album coming from the synthesizer/drum pad combination. The overall feel is like the indie rock of Ned's Atomic Dustbin or Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine. Matt Johnson's vocals sound very much like Michael Hutchence in a smooth and easy to listen to. There is a mix of pop, rock and R&B influences throughout the album. Heartland sounds like a smooth R&B style song. With full on harmonica included too. Sweet Bird of the Truth has a revolutionary feel. With included sample of military aircraft radio communication. As a bit of a Neneh Cherry fan, it was cool to hear her on Slow Train to Dawn. (3.333)

7 / 10

I hate the off-putting cover art, but then I was pleasantly surprised by the Billy Idol-like sound of the opening track. I'm a sucker for horns.

Not really familiar with The The beyond “This Is the Day” and “An Uncertain Smile,” but I enjoyed this. Very ’80s post-punk, but also lively and melodic. Some catchy songs, strong vocals, excellent instrumentation, and the production sounds good too.

Interesting, but also not really that great. Those tend to me the most frustrating albums for me - when it feels like it’s close to being good, but just kind of drops the ball. It could be worse. Some tracks had a hint of a dark/spooky sound, which I like. Whatever it is that irks me about Roxy Music and The Divine Comedy - the pseudo-theatricality in the vocals, maybe - seems to be the issue here as well. 3

Okay, it has grown on me as I have listened to the entire record, but it's still quite grating. Imagine INXS, but with knives and teeth out.

# Album Name: Infected # Artist: The The # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Not bad. Feels like generic 80s tunes. One good song stood out # Top Tunes: Infected # Would I listen to it again? hmmmm, dont think so

Very nice.

I came to The The later so it was interesting to hear this much earlier work. There is a lot going on lyrically and sonically, both feel of the moment and ahead of their time (in good and at times unsuccessful ways). Somewhat related, I have had limited exposure to British music of the early-mid 80's, outside of the enduring pop standards, and as a time capsule, people were very pissed off!

Always get them mixed up with Talk Talk. A bit much sometimes. But fun and interesting.

3/5 - a fun punk/rock album but not blowing me away

Es ist ein ambitioniertes Album, das zwischen düsterem Pop, politischem Kommentar und experimentellem Sound pendelt. Matt Johnsons Stimme trägt die Songs mit Intensität, doch nicht jeder Track zündet. Die Produktion ist detailreich, aber manchmal überladen. Ein interessantes Zeitdokument der 80er – nicht makellos, aber mutig.

I listened to this multiple times and I still don't know how I feel about it. I think I like it? It's got a good groove throughout and is weird in an interesting, engaging way. There are some 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 80s sounds on this album, which I always have mixed feelings about, but I think it works in this case. My favourite tracks on the album were three in a row: Out of the Blue, Heartland, and Angels of Deception.

This was a weird one

Very 80s, Very new wave, but not terrible. Also really not my favorite. I was definitely not infected with the The The (that looks like a typo but it ISNT)

Гурт ніколи не чув до цього. Цікавий альбом. Тут такі 80ті, які мені скоріше до вподоби. Є якась грайливість в цій музиці, що мені імпонує. Дуже сподобалась Heartland, якщо було б такого більше, то це була б міцна 4. Натомість є деякі пісні, які мені здались не дуже вдалими. Серед таких варто виділити останню. Як закривашка мені зіпсувала враження від альбому.

Вже другий альбом The The слухаємо в цьому списку і загалом треба сказати, що для мене це доволі приємний досвід. Не можу сказати що їхня музика це щось захмарне чи нестандартне, але відчуття мелодії та груву мені подобається, а також оця енергетика притаманна пізнім 80м. 3.5

Infected is an album that i enjoyed quite a fair bit, quite a bit more than i expected to. 80s new wave can be pretty hit or miss as sometimes it can sound cool and can transcend being simple 80s music or it can be super cheesy and sound like a product of it's time. This album kinda falls into both and i enjoyed it for being both of them. The synths are super 80s sounding and i enjoy that but my favorite part of this album were the vocals. There is just something that i find so satisfying about Matt Johnson's voice with the way of it sounding deep but having it's own identity from other singers with deep voices. It can be a bit cheesy at points but its still a good listen. Best Song: Twilight of a Champion Worst Song: Heartland

ykw this was kind of a bop!

Could be the most boring band name on the list – I guess its good if you don’t want to have your music downloaded though as it’s hard to search for The The. Anyway, horrible album art, ok music. I remember really disliking the previous, but I thought this was an ok 80s album. Not great but ok to listen to. I’ve feel I’ve given all albums I’ve listened to today the benefit of the doubt so going for a weak 3 on this one. Maybe I’m just having a good day.

Wild album. Wouldn’t be by typically choice to listen to. However, I wonder if I would have explored this if I was born 10 years earlier. I really enjoyed the sound and layers. Very 80s.

quite nice

Thanks to this list I've found that I actually quite like new-wave and post-punk. Must be that I'm getting old.

Some of this is pretty good, but not as fun as Soul Mining for me.

3/5

It was fine

Can’t say that much of this album really stuck with me on the first few go-arounds. “Angels of Deception” was the song that cut through and I generally like the sound of the album. I think I would have more fun once I know the lyrics! I’m re-listening as I write this and the outro to “Heartland” has really stood out but that might be the Venezuela of it all. I think I’ll be revisiting this one in weeks to come!

This is the era of music that feels it has aged the poorest. Overproduced drum beats become grating after a while, and a whole album of them is a bit much. It makes it difficult to differentiate songs and find value in them as individual tracks. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it, but I could have enjoyed it more.

I would describe Infected as Soul Mining after Matt Johnson took a trip to America. His lyrics are very compelling, but I still like Soul Mining better. Liked Songs Added: Heartland

Interesting New Wave style record

The most 80s album I’ve gotten on this list to date - I didn’t know what to expect, liked and disliked parts of the same songs

***an ok album, mostly easy listening

Very different to the other the the (tongue twister moment) album. This one feels like it has a faster tempo, less bluesy and more structured like pop songs. (less complexity), still a good album and I enjoyed it.

"Thatcher-punk". Bombastic and weird in a fun way

This one leans way too hard into the 80s sound for me. I’m not 100% sure if they fall under New Wave or something adjacent, but either way the synthesizers are just a bit much. It feels very locked into its era, and not in a way that aged especially well. The Mercy Beat was the lone bright spot for me. Without that song, this would have easily been a two star album for me.

No está mal del todo.

On first listen "Out of the Blue" and "Heartland" stood out as really good songs. Upon second listen, however, I couldn't remember what the original appeal had been. "Sweet Bird of Truth" was orignal and catchy. However, it sounded like it was trying really hard to fit in with the soundtrack to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Overall, this wasn't really a bad listen. But it was either really bizarre or really banal. For 1986, this wouldn't have really registered anywhere except late night MTV.

Des airs à la David bowie

Reminds me of Alex cameron

This was an alright album - easy listening. The singer's voice kind of reminded me a bit of Billy Idol. I would give this a 3.5.

This album was much more socially conscious than their last one. I like the combination of new wave plus anger.

I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. I would say this is definitely a product of the times, sounding quite familiar in terms of 80s production. While I didn't mind this particularly, it didn't really capture my attention either. Perhaps I owe it another listen to see if I can get more engaged with it, but honestly, it wasn't really exciting enough to be in any hurry to do it.

I have a strong bias towards incredibly 80s bands, bands with funny names, and saxophones. Apparently my bias ends at the band that fits all 3 of those categories at the same time. It's okay, but it sounds a lot like a lot of other bands from around the same time. The singer especially reminds me a lot of Depeche Mode.

Cool 80's vibe. Otherwise, nothing remarkable here. 3

Pretty generically 80s.

5/10… new wave / art pop / *1986

Enjoyed this quite a bit

Quintessential 80s rock record, with all the synth sounds and drums from the 80s we love/hate. This record has a theatrical/soundtrack kind of feel, which is alright, but it's not my cup of tea to visit frequently. Not sure I'll ever intentionally listen to this one again, but it's okay.

Was going to demerit (can that be a verb?) this based on the 1001 ubiquity of Brit post punk new wave on this list. And that's not necessarily to say I dislike the genre. It's felt like some have snuck on here that I question their deservability (another made up word). But based solely on THIS IS THE DAY, I was able to lean into the grooves. SOUL MINING and UNCERTAIN SMILE also caught my ear.

Maybe this is a grower, but I expected to like this more than I did. It had interesting moments but didn’t grab me as a whole. Glad to have some exposure to The The though.

The most 80s things I've ever heard

"Infected" is the second studio album by English post-punk band The The. Post-punk and alternative rock are the Wiki-listed genres. Of note, band leader Matt Johnson filmed videos for all eight songs on the album. The bandmembers included Johnson (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion), David Palmer (drums and Luis Jardin (percussion). Additional musicians were also used including Neneh Cherry. The album had mostly positive reviews and, commercially, it reached #14 in the UK and #89 on the US Billboard 200. The album opens with the self-titled "Infected." Echoing vocals and layered beats. Very tinny sounding beats. Mechanical guitars. Layered guitars too. Horns are added. A lot going on as Johnson doesn't care if he catches Aids as he's lonely and lustful. Johnson takes a political turn in "Heartland." Jazzy piano. Dramatic strings. Harmonica fills. Johnson singing softly and quickly and attacking 1980 UK Tories as he repeats and refers to them as the 51st state. Johnson next takes aim directly at the US in "Sweet Bird of Truth" as he criticizes their Middle East involvement. Horns. Harder-edge guitar slashes. Electronic. Dark, deeper vocals. Neneh Cherry sings a duet with Johnson in "Slow Train to Dawn." Guitar strings, horns pumps and 80's synth beats. A song about infidelity and weakness. This is a very 80's sounding album with the electronic, tinny drum beats. That's a negative. On the positive side, the big, dramatic sound with the strings, horns and layered instrumentation can work. Johnson's lyrics are personal and political and he doesn't hold back. So, I really have a mixed review. I do find his debut album "Soul Mining" better and worth a listen. However, there are highlights within this album that are worth a try for some.

This was fine but fairly unmemorable. 3/5

One of the more average albums I’ve heard for this project, I think. Totally listenable, not remarkable in any way. Cannot imagine a good reason for it to be on this list!

This would have been one of the best albums of 1986, sadly 1986 was a very poor year. I think it’s lost some of its impact because it has that 80’s big label production, whist still having one eye on indie and alternative listeners. The impact of the social conscious lyrics have dimmed as we’re distanced from the events. Their specificness would have been an asset at the time but 40 years on make it harder to connect. Still there’s lots to admire in the songwriting and performance even if ithe whole is a bit of an historical curio now.

This was ok, kind of underwhelming.

Really enjoying this, back half of the album is great.

Fun and strange but not much more than that unfortunately

Once through but didn’t hate this. Feels like a lot of good stuff going on and the vocals kinda bolted on. Interested in learning more. Shitty band name.

It was alright I guess, I remember really liking their other one here so idk

I don't really know The The, although I do have Mind Bomb on cassette somewhere - I won it as a spot prize at a quiz night late '80s/early '90s. I didn't like the opening title track, a bit too '80s in its production for me but the rest of the album is listenable, often better than that; dancy beats, horns and synths (or synth horns?). It's not really my genre or era, and a lot of bands of that time - Orange Juice, Wah! (I think) - sound similar to my ears. didn't hate it and I did like "Slow Train to Dawn" with Neneh Cherry guesting. Might dig out that cassette...

6/10

Dang, this band is so good. I wish their name wasn’t so dumb. Some of the songs on here are pretty long, but I liked this as an album, and ‘Heartland’ in particular.

Favorite tracks: Heartland, Angels of Deception I wanted to like this more than I did! I like their style (This Is The Day is one of my all-time faves). I love the singer's voice and just how theatrical and dramatic the songs were. But overall it did sound a liiiittle too dated for me to revisit.

I love The The but this wasn’t their best album

This album is very 80’s, very strange, but also enjoyable.

This album exceeded my expectations. I give it a perfect 3 out of 5. It would be a perfect 4 out of 5 if i wanted to listen it to it more times, and a perfect 5 out of 5 if i put it on permanent rotation. Perfect 3 out of 5.

ochentoso

Sure, ok

han ihres erste album na fun gfunde aber langet das für 2 albe? I doubt it hä het jz für mich echt wenig mit (post)punk z tue, es isch für mich chli edgier rock mitere 80er-snare wo glas chan zersplittere hahahaha I was trying so hard to be myself I was turning into somebody else hani iwie na gern so als satz, au wenner chli on the nose isch (und wie mier alli wüssed, chunnt det v.a. de käs anne) und er en meh als gnueg seit ah nei sie hend schono en postpunk-charakterzug: er chan nöd singe! sweet bird of truth isch na en geile ahfang sooo vill 80er aber na geil slow train to dawn findi no en banger mite sängerin im duet ABEEEER es fangt mich immer meh ah nerve WISOOOOO das iwie es essentiells album sötti sii, was machet mier daa?? au twilight of a champion fühli na hahaha, mega abwechsligsriich ganz ehrkich han eig na easy spass gha. aber wiso das album da isch cheggi nöd, drum -1 sterndli

Interesting lyrics, meh sound

Album #2 from The The. The The The album Soul Mining is just a little bit better than this one. (And I bet I made the exact same joke – using lots of "The"s in a row – for the other one too.) It's a fun, fairly stereotypical synth rock sound from the mid-80s. It has that unappealing sheen that makes everything, particularly the synths themselves, sound glossy and inhuman. But it does kind of work on some tracks. Infected, Heartland, and Slow Train To Dawn have other positives that distract from the questionable production. Lots of punk/post-punk influence which I actually think works better here than in most punk records. Because, unlike punk, whoever's on the synths and percussion is slightly competent at their instrument. Infected really gets lifted with the trumpet solo in the second half. Seriously great playing there. Heartland is most memorable for its octave harmonies in the chorus. It's oddly nostalgic (though I was born well after the 80s). Slow Train To Dawn has a great female vocal and a quieter keyboard line that keeps the song moving smoothly. Twilight Of A Champion is The The's slightly bizarre attempt at spy rock. (Or whatever the genre is called.) It's so goofy, and self-awarely so, that I can't help but kind of enjoy it. The heavy, plunking bassline, hitting all the expected blue notes for the next James Bond film, is hilariously perfect. The long notes behind the vocals, bouncing back and forth between synth and trumpet, are fun too. The next song, The Mercy Beat, is essentially a (very) extended coda of the preceding one. I have no idea how both of these have significantly less listens on Spotify that the absolute mess that is Sweet Bird Of Truth. The song is a monstrosity and I have no idea why it doesn't have the least listens (by a wide margin) on the album. The vocal styles, which seem to switch after every line, are all bad. The male vocalist's weird low moaning slow-rap is also bad. 3/5 Key tracks: Heartland, Slow Train To Dawn

6.2

I'm pretty sure that I have never heard any of these songs before today. It's really good with nice vocals and music. It's pretty laid back and would be nice to listen to in a more relaxed setting. Also a nice variety of songs that don't get stale. I've listened to it a few times now and I really enjoy it. I'm not sure why I never heard it before today.

5.0/10 Top track: Heartland

I have a lot of nostalgia for this album, but it's honestly pretty dated

Much like my previous experiences with The The, this record is a mixed bag. Some songs are legitimately awesome, some songs are a little too odd, even for me. Best Track: Out of the Blue (Into the Fire)

Good album, a bit out there in terms of the sound they're going for I think. It seems to work though and I enjoyed some of it and didn't mind other bits.

Nothing really interesting but kinda fun to listen to...But this isn't exactly my style of music and the lead singer felt a bit meh so it won't top any of my personal lists...still a fun listen

Felt like a bit of a cruel joke seeing the generator spit this album title out when I've been sick the last few days tbh 😔 Anyway the music is fine I guess

This is #day432 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I really like Soul Mining, but since it's not its time just yet, why not dive into Infected, which I'd never heard before? But then, wouldn't one album (Soul Mining) from this band have been just fine? I bet it would have. The sound is great, plenty of '80s marks all over, which I don't mind, but is this something you must hear before you die? Why not replace it with, say, INXS - Kick, or whatever? This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day433.

3 stars