Infected

If I have to listen to another shitty, 80s-ass, English band's shitty, dated, irrelevant album I am going to SCREAM. (I have 300+ albums to go so I know I'm in for a bad time.)

It is a nice album, but nothing compared to soul mining.

This is... not what I expected. He sounds like Jerry Seinfeld for a solid few lyrics on "Out of the Blue". Interesting album. Not quite sure what to make of it though. I was expecting a Talk Talk/Blue Nile style thing and got...a better Roxette?

80s slop

3-

Bland 80s commercial music

From an earlier review: It is a nice album, but nothing compared to soul mining. I agree with that :-)

Political post-punk is always an interesting concept, it does well at that. The instrumentation is overall quite nice, just post-punk things. The first side wasn't too bad but the second side was hugely lacking. I think overall it was fine but I don't want much to do with it after this listening. Highlight Song/s: "Infected" and "Angels of Deception"

I wanted to like it early on, but ultimately it felt more like an incomplete attempt to be Art of Noise

Наверное чуть слабее прошлого альбома

Nothing special

Before my time

Eh it was fine. I’m learn “post-punk” is a very diverse genre

Mostly uninteresting. Nothung made me stop and think, it just served as background music.

I don't think "post punk" means anything. Loved the variety.

Fantastic listen. Took me back to late 80s 91x exactly what I wanted and needed to hear today. 4/5

Ah The The, a band destined to destroy grammar checkers everywhere. On Infected the band explores British politics with songs that have plenty of synthpop hooks. Matt Johnson is an amazing song writer and producer (along with Warn Livesey here), and it is easy to see how he attracted so many musicians to play with him over his career. Personally, I prefer the most rocking and dissonant work of The The on the following few albums, Mind Bomb and Dusk with Johnny Marr. The songwriting remains fantastic, but the music is just much more interesting and of coarse Marr is among rock’s greatest guitarists. Despite this preference, I think Infected is a good album with a few great tunes.

Listenable. 5/10

Had not listened to The The prior that I could remember at least. The production and sound of the album definitely screamed early to mid 80s. Overall the album was a decent listen even if the vocals at times were enough to make you want to hit the skip or just turn it off entirely. I leaned between a 5/10 or 6/10 and decided to give it 3 stars since the instrument play was solid.

Not really feeling it but it's not bad. Not sure how to describe it. 80s rock?

713/1001 2026.09.30 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

TL;DR: Angry, bitter, beautiful anti-capitalist angst. They don't make enough music like this any more. BEFORE: I've listened to them before and remember it being pretty good, although it's been a good while. Not sure I've listened to this particular album but I'm looking forward to it. AFTER: It's great. Socially conscious, musically inventive, hard to categorise and well-executed. Listened while cleaning so I didn't take extensive track by track notes but it's great. Reminded me of a slightly funkier, darker incarnation of Midnight Oil. VERDICT: A solid 4.

I've never heard of this band. The sounds and production are dated, but I like the music a lot. Not a big fan of the vocals - I would have preferred it with no lyrics or lyrics buried in the mix.

Spent most of the album going back and forth on whether I loved or hated this. I’m leaning towards hate. Some songs were pretty fun but it felt like it has no idea where it wanted to go as an album. Confused at why some of it sounded like a musical. Not for me

Sure. Too 80s in sound and too 80s in vocals to be too good, but lyrics are solid.

Not very infectious.

Better than the cover

There are nice moments but I annoyingly just kept comparing it to the first album which I found on this list and have had it on repeat. This album doesn't sound as tight.

For some reason I always get them muddled up with Talk Talk which I like. I remembered most of these tracks which was strange as I never bought anything by them. I wasn’t sure I liked the way it seemed to be a strange mix of poppiness and alternative sound but by the end I realised this just meant they defied pigeonholing and I really liked it. Felt a bit like an alternative Lloyd Cold and the Commotions and that’s good.

And suddenly it was so very 80s again. It's fun.

3 - good

Better than I expected, kind of a nostalgic glow on this one even though I never heard the album, just Beaten Generation.

Never been a fan.. 2/5.

Didn't know what to expect coming into this one, but I'm enjoying the message.

i went back and forth between just not liking anything about some of the tracks and being ambivalent about the others. but what i disliked really carried the day. 1.5

There's a one-star review calling this "INXS but have it fronted by George Thorogood, and inflect it all with a heavy dose of Broadway jazz" as a negative but I'm into that

Mmm lastig vond het soms wel leuk maar soms iets te heftig of beetje vals waar ik niet bij elk nummer goed op ga. Er zitten wel een paar leuke nummers tussen, heel eigen sound.

I first heard Soul Mining because of this list, and I can somewhat agree with that one being here. This one is easier to write off, though, it really doesn't beg for a relisten.

Medium record

I'd never heard it before. This was an unexpected delight.

Alles geskipt ◡̈

Heb er niet veel mee

Leuk, niet veel op aan te merken eigenlijk. Beetje een moeilijk te plaatsen genre maar interessant. 3 bangers

Nice new wave but nothing special

interesting... 4/5

10/10

It’s on the edge of being good, and then it isn’t.

Another example for the relatively short list "albums where the album art is easily the most intereating part. This is fine, but I'd say it has even less teeth than Soul Mining. These are largely good pop songs, but I will say that there's no getting around the fact that I like my synth pop a little weirder, or darker, or more surreal, and this feels just like an extremely normal '80s synth pop album. I will say that the vocals are pretty consistently cool though, and the lyrics I caught *do* give me a little of the tone I want to see, but it can't elevate everything here. To my memory, the only song I really liked was Sweet Bird Of Truth, with it's weirdo drop and hand percussion. But everything else was more or less just fine to me. I also don't know if this is going to grow on me or grate on me if I keep listening, so I guess time will tell.

Me re gustó, entre punk, rock y postpunk, medio oscuro pero tampoco tanto. Me gustó muchísimo la tapa también.

This has been another album that, having owned it for years and played it fewer times than it deserves during that time, has benefitted greatly by being put under the spotlight for this review. My listening has been more focused than on previous occasions, and its strengths are jumping out at me now. My accepted understanding with Matt Johnson is that he will deliver records of significance, substance and usually an outlook on life and the world that is cynical at best and at worst, veers in the direction of misery. However, with that understanding registered, but set aside in an attempt to set a new baseline for listening, the bombast of the production and the seemingly rampant polemicism fades, revealing huge dollops of wry wit and an unwavering supply of joyful melodicism. The subject matter may be heavy but Johnson finds curious approaches to tackle it, always laced with humour and an intelligent angle. Musically, the arrangements are rich but allied with the often metallic heft of the rhythms, layer after layer of instruments rarely fail to introduce something fresh yet never overwhelm the harmonious amalgam. Another reminder for me that I can be guilty of not paying close enough attention. So, now to find myself a nice copy of Soul Mining.

this is shit

Now this album is owned by my parents but I never listened to it, and I quite enjoyed it. it blends elements of new wave and alternative rock but I do see it as having some influence on the industrial movement of the late 80s due to its heavy use of percussion.

A record that feels of its time, but quite prescient in some of its themes. A little punky and brooding especially in its lyrics, but quite upbeat musically.

I've heard of the The, but I'm not really familiar with any of their stuff that I know. Everything on this album sounded new to me. I think this was a band that was way bigger in the UK than they ever got in the U.S., which is probably why I'm not that familiar with them. Their music is definitely something I would have been into in the 80s, and I enjoyed listening to this album. This is one of those albums, however, that I'm not sure why it made it on the list. I personally like it, but I would question whether it was really something special in the genre or had any specific impact.

I really liked their debut album but I just couldn't get into this one. Went heavy on the pop side and slow synths. They did use some cool effects but just not enough interesting moments for me to get on board with this whole album. I found it a bit boring, sounded like most 80's bands that I have heard.

i feel the groove'n'roll on this one. remind's me of a more upbeat depeche mode. was a pleasure to listen to the artsy meandering langscapes opening up in front of me!

I haven't listened to a lot of The The and mainly know about them because their frontman shared a name with one of my college roommates. This sounded poppier and more "'80s" than I expected, but I liked it. Enjoyed the Neneh Cherry guest appearance.

very 80s in a corny way

Not for me.

This album was good I love his album a solid 8 out of 10

sound like all the songs were the same. lived through the releases and played on radio alot

Did not know this band. Very impressed. Thoughtful composition.

Did not enjoy this much. Right from the start I just found the whole thing icky (especially due to the lead vocal). It sorta feels like a Nick Cave ripoff for casual pop-fans. The production is cheesy and the songwriting is just uninspired imo. I somewhat enjoy the social critique (more a critique of war), but it just feels kinda flat in that self-indulgent 80’s kinda way. It’s like a “dark” version of live aid or some shit. Sweet bird of truth is pretty cool until the vocal kicks in. Angels of Deception was decent. I also enjoyed the backup vocals, but overall not for me. 2.5/10

As far as dated, synthy, post-punk inspired 80's pop rock goes; this is not the worst I've heard. Far from it actually, I actually went into it with zero expectations and got out of it actually very impressed and entertained. It uses all the same ingredients as other music of its time, but it does something different to make it sound cool and I'm not sure what. Kind of like a sous-vide versus a boil, I don't know. Worth a listen over stuff like Prefab Sprout, Echo And The Bunnymen and Simple Minds which I've rated in the past.

Oh wow pas du tout le style auquel je m'attendais. Je suis pris à contre pied là. Eh bien très très cool, super expérience aujourd'hui encore.

Je m'attendais pas à ça et c'est plutot cool (je pensais partir sur un 2 max avec la pochette)

This list is infected with crap like this.

Infected frickin slaps, but holy moly talk about front loading your album. Its all the 80's synth pop/rock you've heard before so its not terrible different, but it carries its own charm. Its too bad the rest of the album didnt live up to the opening track.

Pretty standard 80’s synth pop. The first song actually really did it for me but the rest of the songs did not

Pretty good album. Good 80s rocky stuff.

Very enjoyable! Cool, varied songs with an 80s sound to them. Great voice as well

Um, tricky one, TT passed me by, I have heard of “Infected”, but sadly it didn’t ring the alarm for me….

It’s not entirely without merit - elements remind me of the likes of the Bad Seeds - but Matt Johnson is no Nick Cave and too often it pairs an overly busy mashup of sounds with grating vocals, and it’s just not much fun to listen to.

This is my second The The album, and I liked Soul Mining a little more than this one, but I still really like this one. This guy just has a fun sense of rhythm. This one seems a little more frantic and unhinged than the previous one, but it has a lot of the qualities that I liked from that one. Just feels like the band has had a few more years of hedonism.

It's albums like this i wish that there were half stars in the rating system... not quite a 4, but 3 seems too low.

I’m always amazed at how bad this band's name is. To give you an idea, in my native language, it’s written as "O O". It never fails to make me laugh. But despite that, the music is good—it’s just nothing special. 3 stars.

It’s very distincty 80s. I dont mind it but its a bit dull honestly i think lyrically some of the songs are quite interesting and i appreciate the keyboard solo in heartland it was very cool. Not sure if it’s reallly for me. Also i dont quite like the snare sound, theres almost something rattle about it or it has a lot of reverb but it is very 80s.

It's not Soul Mining but it's fun, missing the exciting time-tested singles, overall a more consistent sound, if not as pretty to listen to

This has got to be a personal favourite of the editor, right? There is so much similar of the time, but that were well, what’s the term - better. It’s like an almost album, almost ok but not quite. Almost catchy but not quite. Almost dark and moody but ends up just a bit miserable. Almost political but just sounds a little whiny. I know us Brits can moan but do it with a bit more spirit, just sounds like the bloke in the pub telling you it’s all rather shit. It’s just about ok, seems I liked the other one a lot more than this, maybe it was just a different day, definitely didn’t need 2 albums it seems. 2 Star

First Listen; 3; Reminded me of Pretty Hate Machine-era NIN. This album had a harder edge that I was expecting after the first track. And while I felt like I was going to dislike the album after hearing the instruments and effects, it was actually most enjoyable than I was expecting. Walks the line between being too cheesy and being fun in a campy way. Favorite Track: The Mercy Beat

Hated the opening track, but the rest was fine

ENDNU et band jeg ikke lige havde forventet to gange på listen. Jeg kan godt lide det, meget teatralsk

Sikke mange new-wave treats vi fik lige i træk!

New wave |---X------| Post-punk

What happens when they give 80s instruments to creative musicians

And a thrill I did not get when I had to listen to this album. Honestly, this album was just really boring. Going in, I kind of expected it to be some kind of metal album judging by the fact that the album cover looks like a hurricane made out of human flesh, instead, I just got another one of these middle of the road 80s new wave albums. I didn’t really find too much here that was really worthy of note. If I had to pick standouts, it’d probably be the last four tracks, Sweet Bird of Truth, Slow Train To Dawn, Twilight of A Champion, and The Mercy Beat. I think the second song on that list would probably be my favorite, though. Honestly, this album just kind of falls through the cracks for me, it doesn’t really feel like anything I couldn’t find in another album of that decade. I thought that the textures used on the album kind of felt stale, and I didn’t enjoy the singing all that much. The post punk style didn’t really work because it just didn’t feel like it had anything to set itself apart besides different uses of synth effects. Overall, not really my favorite. I’m hoping this isn’t the twilight of this project, and that I find a better album next.

ok men hade kunna stannat i 80-talet

Post-punk, pre-new wave, where does this belong? Someone else's review mentioned that people that aren't into this album must not have experienced the UK in the 80s. They meant that as a dig on people giving it low ratings, but I think they put their finger on it. This holds no nostalgia for the band, songs, content so I'm only going on vibes and sound. It isn't quite there for me.

As Bop It used to say, "Nearly, but not quite".

3.5

3.0

It’s ok

It's interesting. Nothing about it is particularly good, but at least its not boring.

There’s something superbly strange about how this guy puts a song together. He used some of the same sonic elements of more mainstream bands like Duran Duran, but uses them to make singularly unique songs. That’s not to say I liked it but I’ll admit that somewhere about 2/3 of the way through I was convinced that it wasn’t bad.

The The is the band Who made this hot travesty; This album sucks balls.

In a nutshell: pop rock noir. Infected has a distinct darkness to it, perhaps bitterness too. A Conservative government will do that to you. It not quite new wave. Kinda post-punk also not. The band cling onto their synthpop roots here. Overall: 2/10

This was a lot of fun. Kinda dragged in the middle but most of the album had me invested.

Had a good 7-day run here that came to a screeching halt with this album.

legalzinho mas faltou um molho

não é como se tivesse nada muito uau mas é enjoyable. as primeiras são mais legais que a última parte