Sulk

Florid, louche, and maximalist - epic in scope and sound and massively overwrought. I adore it.

oh my god yes

Classic early-80s production, no mistaking Billy McKenzie's voice ! Really enjoyed this album, full of great songs

This is one of those albums that polarise opinion. And I'm one of those who do love this album. It's wildly over the top - Billy Mackenzie's soaring vocals and the extreme 1980s production values see to that. I absolutely love it.

An absolute classic. Sounds like lots of other artists (Bowie, natch) and yet also sounds very original. Mackenzie's voice is something else too. The singles are the standouts here, but pretty much the whole album is a masterpiece of early 80s British dance pop while also sounding timeless.

cool

Amazing

2.3 de média geral nesse aqui é loucura como o amigo disse, é coisa boa e bem executada gostei bem

novamente, o público médio desse site eh burro e tem mau gosto. dito isso, achei esse aqui bão demais. postpunk com um cadinho de new wave e synth até o cu fazer bico, mas sem perder a experimentação e barulhada. se fosse mais anos 80, explodia (eh um elogio aqui). a produção eh bem bagunçada, provavelmente feita sob efeito de pó, assim como deus quis. coisa boa demais!!!

7/10

I only knew the great "Party Fears Two" beforehand, but the album as a whole is a fascinating combination of post punk, synth pop and David Bowie. I'll definitely listen to this again.

3.5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/associates/sulk/ I guess I might like this more upon relistening, but it didn't grab me as much as other 80s synthpop does. I think this will benefit from repeat listens however, because it does seem a bit less 'surface level' than other music from the time.

only listened to half. very cure esque. reading about billy mackenzie makes me want to listen more

Not an easy listen, but there's a lot of interesting stuff going on here. Sad to see so many reviewers writing this album off because it requires the listener to put in a bit of effort.

Loved the kooky-ness of this. Halfway between 80s cheese and bizarre post-punk. Kinda wish it skewed more to the latter but still good!

I was probably a little predisposed towards this as I have loved Party Fears Two since I discovered The Divine Comedy’s cover of it many years ago, but this whole album didn’t disappoint. It strikes a balance between its arch, overblown delivery and catchy 80s pop, striking a point somewhere weirdly between The Cure and ABC. Interested to see how much this divides opinion among the 1001 rankers. Personally I loved this.

Okay. This was good old wacky fun, you can clearly hear the Roxy and Bowie influences, and they're having fun with them. Yessir. I like this quite a bit. A few tracks that don't jive exactly, but only a few.

trevligt, borde typ lyssnat på 40th anniversary för ytterligare två timmar av lyssnande.

Post-punk, electronica, very 80s. Synths. Goth, creativde. A bit weird.

A surprise around every corner! Some songs that seem so familiar and others that leave you wanting. A real treat!

Es klingt wie eine glamourös überdrehte Schwester des Human‑League‑Sounds: dieselbe Synth‑Grundierung, dieselbe kühle 80er‑Eleganz – aber alles viel dramatischer aufgezogen. Human League bauen klare, präzise Linien; The Associates verwandeln diese Ästhetik in ein schillerndes Artpop‑Spektakel, getragen von exzentrischer Stimme und üppigen Arrangements.

80s to the MAX!!!

I bounced off this in the first couple of tracks, but I forced myself to stick with it. There is something here. It's not something for any time, any place, and it's not something which will appeal to everyone, but there's something. It was a worthwhile listen in the end and I'm glad that I was able to click with it after a rough start.

goth sparks yeppp

Coming into this one totally blind about the band or any of their songs, and I enjoyed it. It's one of those weird 80s records that somehow ages finer rather than cheesier. It's sort of hard to explain, I enjoyed listening to it but I couldn't remember too much of it afterwards aside from Club Country. Only song I couldn't care for was the hit single: Party Fears Two. I guess Scottish music was pretty big in the 80s with this, Big Country, and Dire Straits being on the charts. I don't know if it's certainly a "must listen" category but it's not too shabby.

I enjoyed this. There are a few weaker songs, but Party Fears Two is great and most of the other songs are fun enough. Close to a five to be honest.

Very solid stuff.

This one really grew on me over the course of the album. Very energetic and noisy and yet also possessing a polished, poppy quality.

It's the late 70s and you want to form a band. Of course you are going to ape the vocal stylings of Bowie.

80s synth-pop/new wave, with an avant garde flavour. But I've never heard of The Associates before! Start sounds strong for the genre! 2 mins in and no vocals, is this an instrumental album? Ooh, No has a nice moody feel. Feels a bit 'naive' musically but I like it. Vocals come in like a proto-Radiohead! Experimental side, derived from XTC style indie? Gloomy Sunday has nice synth hooks, with live piano. Nice combo. It is interesting, but for me it's pushed just a little bit too far to the avant garde. I would have liked a few ideas to be properly worked through; the elements of classics are present. Party Fears Two has a Cure-like bounciness which is very nice. Best track - Arrogance Gave Him Up, No, Gloomy Sunday, Skipping, Party Fears Two, Club Country 4 stars - just about, it has enough of interest to enjoy and I'd listen again!

I get the hate but I enjoy the theatrical excess and weirdness of this one. Especially when he hits those ridiculous high notes on Club Country.

Did me and the other reviewers listen to the same album? This was a great time. It's goffik... I think Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way would like it

Interesting. Lots of Bowie, NIN, the cure. Never heard of it in my life

Det va veldig veldig av sin tid, og det va gøy, men æ har visst allerede glemt kordan det hørtes ut anna enn en vag anelse et sted baki der, så det gjorde ikke akkurat varig inntrykk, det heller.

It's british. It's energetic. It's a trip. The vocals are definitely unique.

The Associates are a one of a kind type of act. Sulk is quite a unique album. Possibly the most surprising thing about it is that it managed any kind of commercial success. It feels like nowadays an album like this would be lucky to find a home at all, maybe a small label or self released then maybe catch a break by someone influential recognising its brilliance and spawning a cult following. However the story of the original release of Sulk goes, I’m just glad it made us aware of this record and are still listening to and talking about it 40 years later.

Such an intense album - love it!

I liked it

7/10 Better than I expected - don't understand the other reviews. The main thing being people calling this Britpop - what the actual? I'm giving it an extra star for that

Didn't like it on first listen, grew on me steadily. Lot going on here! Wonder what an associates album recorded in the '00s would have sounded like, the 80s instrumentation can get distracting

Never heard or 'heard of' before, very interesting dark New Wave pop, would list to again, save to streaming library and probably seek physical copy, 3.5, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

80er in verrückt. Ich mags!

Leicht verstörend, dann wieder entspannend. Ich mags. Hab sowas noch nicht gehört. Kein Track stach jetzt aber großartig heraus, das Album dafür an sich, bleibt als etwas besonderes haften. 8/10

Modern opera

The Cure music with Mindless Self-indulgence flair

This is a 3.5 to 4 stars for me. I need to listen to it again, as it feels like it is much richer than a first listen can reveal. Yes, it is New Wave, but it is very complex, and I think the complexity comes off a bit chaotic at first. However, I think there is a lot of depth to mine, and I definitely do want to go back to it!

Rating this 4 stars because I kind of enjoyed it despite not adding anything to my liked songs, and this will make me more likely to revisit one day. Also it is rated low on here and needs the help

The post punk equivalent of The Pet Shop Boys. RIP Billy.

Like Joy Division and The Cure, The Associates are post-punk Gothic. The difference is that Billy Mackenzie is more of a classic vocalist than either Ian Curtis or Robert Smith, evoking the likes of Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Johnny Hartman, and Jackie Wilson. That is, he's simply more talented than those two other depressive blokes. Even lyrically, tho much is free-associative, a lot suggests something out of the 40s and 50s: 'Death is no dream for in death I'm caressing you / W/ the last breath of my soul I'll be blessing you.' As an artist like Freddie Mercury documents, talent alone isn't enuf for the creation of endurable art, but it's hard to ignore just how virtuosic Billy is. +, the music, tho at times irksomely grumpy, is magnetic.

Very cool. Probably won’t listen again. Got me Vibin tho

Забавный альбом. Начали за здравие - тут весь дух 80-х: дрим-поп, нью-вейв, пост-панк. Очень атмосферная запись по началу, душевная и с интересными звуками. Единственное, вот этот вопящий вокал в стиле витаса мне не очень нравится. К концу уже дрим-попа не осталось, в основном чистый такой пост-панк. Но все равно мне понравилось, рекомендую заценить. Не ожидал ничего такого от нее.

I've thought a lot about post-punk as a genre throughout this challenge. I didn't really know the term before (though I knew some of the artists already) and it's been interesting to see how the label has been applied. In a very literal sense, it's just the music that came after the first wave of punk artists, including works by the artists themselves (e.g.: John Lydon moving from the Sexi Pistols to PiL). The actual music though is pretty diverse, including some dark proto-goth bands, some celebrating synthesizers and dance music, and some that are just utterly experimental. All are united only by the punk attitude of "anyone can pick up a guitar and do this". What makes The Associates interesting is that they seem to be doing all of the above at once. It's dark, sometimes infectuously danceable, and highly experimental. Though they claim to have had clear plans for the album, the recording seems like a mess, fueled by drugs and an attempt to blow through their recording budget, alternating between purchasing instruments just to see what they're like and destroying or rebuilding others. This album has some clear hits and plenty of others that will divide opinion. The Associates seem to be building off of the legacy of Joy Division and Bowie's Berlin era, with a large degree of chaos. But sometimes, you need chaos. It may not make the fan favorites, but it can definitely make things interersting. I don't necessarily think that the Associates were the geniuses that they imagined themselves to be, but I still like the mess of this album.

Note to self only listen to the original version of the album - these remastered ones are stupid. Album itself is pretty good though. Feeling generous - I'll give it a 4

Claramente un disco freak Bastante poco convencional para el año en el que salió, pero al mismo tiempo vanguardista, es prácticamente vaporwave pidiendo ser realentizado. Me gustó mucho 8/10

This one is new to me. I really enjoyed it. Has some Roxy Music and Scott Walker vibes to it. Lots of energy and quirky creativity. I love it!

Great album have not listened to it for decades still sounds challenging and fresh yet definitely of its time.

Much great 80s sound. Loved the vocals. Lyrics not as eye-catching but oh well

Instrumental opener is a fine song that doesn't really go anywhere -- production kind of sounds like shit, but maybe that's intentional? Really dig No > Bap De La Bap. Finding myself sinking comfortably into the vibe of this record. Skipping is a standout in the center for me. Party Fears Two sounds like a Talking Heads song in the best of ways. Club Country is a solid follow-up; love all the weird warbly shit. Love Hangover is also wonderful. Reviewing this on the original tracklist alone (i.e. stopping at 18 Carat Love Affair), I absolutely loved this record for what it is. Some solid quirky at times synth-pop. For me this lands in a solid to high 4 spot.

Pretty wacky and weird, in a good way. 8/10

Well, this is quite something, for better or for worse. I'm personally gunning for the "better" side of the equation. Imagine the likes of The Cure or Echo and the Bunnymen taking acid and deciding to throw the entire kitchen sink at it, with the majority of it sticking and the remainder at least posing thoughtful questions. This is a disorientating, suffocating listen at over 70 minutes in length, very intermittently affording some breathing respite when it dials things back a bit. However, this generally seeks to leave no crevice untouched, crafting panic-inducing walls of artsy, experimental new wave / post punk mayhem. Lush yet haunting in terms of its sound, the obvious touch points for the vocals would be Robert Smith, David Bowie and Bryan Ferry in that they have an operatic, sometimes over the top quality to them, draped in vulnerability. The sound and production quality is very of its time, however with enough dynamism in the latter to allow individual elements to come to the fore when the songs demand as such. The second half of the album generally felt a lot more optimistic in scope than the first, disregarding the instrumental bop of an opener in "Arrogance Gave Him Up" which offers no indication as to what follows. This absolutely demands more than just a single listen, and I will definitely be going back to try and unpack this to a greater extent. I feel like this could grow into something that I would hold in exceptionally high regard. For now though, this absolutely something you should hear before you die, even if just to satisfy a curious itch.

Pretty cool. Creative and fun

Loved it

Woke up and listened to this, and honestly feel like my day is going to rule because of it.

Cool guitar

Oh my, this has been a great surprise! I was sure that I was going to dislike it because of the title, cover, and genre, but it surprised me positively. What we have here is an 80s post-punk, new wave, or whatever-you-want-to-call-it album. But instead of being too dark or mellow, this is kind of freaky. Super inspired by David Bowie, with a twisted, ultra-synthetic drum sound and patterns. I really enjoyed it, although maybe it lacked some choruses or singles.

The link between Duran Duran and The Smiths. Great stuff.

It’s probably sacrilege to say this but I always found Billy McKenzie’s vocals a bit much - he seems to be frantically over-singing everything, to my ears at least. Perhaps that was the point. I like the music though - extraordinary as his voice was, it’s the music on this album that stands out for me. Aside from Party Fears Two of course, where the two come together brilliantly.

This shit rules

Day486 - the way it started i thought it was an instrumental album but then it got very goth-y and cool

Took a couple of tracks to get into it's groove but loved most of this, always interesting. Another reminder why the reviews here are a total disaster - the top review states "indistinguishable from any other Britpop LP out there": this absolutely does not sound like britpop - do you have ears? Do you even know what words mean?

jebeno! malo pederski al je super. što kasnija pjesma to bolja

Oh bi dem lange Album het da Basil gar kei Spass! Wer aber sehr Spass dran gha het: ICH! Und was für e Spass! Gueti 80er Post-Punky Energy mit es bizli Ähnlichkeite mit mim Bruder David Bowie und au sust stimmt sehr vieles bi de Partner! Da dörfs au wider e (Noah zitiere) "The [insert random ass word]"-Band sii. Grad e Handvoll neui Lieder entdeckt wo mer ih minere oldie playliste wiiteri freud bringe werdet. Dasmal gits ehrlich-gmeinti 4 abgschläckti Briefmarke - bi dem gester bini mit mine müede äugli so früeh am morge abgrutscht. wäri es guet gmeints 3 gsi, sicher keis 4i. Da defür ehner es abgrundets 4i. Und Hot sinds auno dezue Spassspassspass

Überraschend und erfrischend chömed die biz alternativeri und sympatherischi version vo de finance bros ine. Zwüscheziitlich heds mi fast us de schueh grüehrt und kurz na denkt was wer wenn dass e 5er überraschig a la fever ray wär. Aber doch zwenig gnüsslich für mini ohre. Aber wenn das album e chässorte wer, denn frischkäse. Club country die inoffiziel anthem vu eusem grüppli. „Alive and kicking at the country club“. Ironisch mit me gegeteil köntry song am inekicke Ez isch d frag, eich seid de buch biz 4 puntos. Aber wie oft wirdi einzelni tracks na lose, realistisch gseh, zwenig für es 4er album. Schwo schwa schwirig. Fühlmi aber grosszügig

Despite the colorful album cover, Sulk tells you what's needed to be known about The Associates. One of the plenty of bands in the U.K. that went under the radar, the duo came up with some of the most poppiest yet abstract pop of the time period. While us listeners were not expecting this to be a farewell for the original incarnation of the duo, Sulk also showcases them at their very best. Never judge a book by its cover. Favorites: Arrogance Gave Him Up, No, Gloomy Sunday, Nude Spoons, Skipping, Party Fears Two, Club Country, 18 Carat Love Affair, Love Hangover, And Then I Read a Book, Australia, Me, Myself and the Tragic Story.

4/5

This is weird as hell and I love it. Might actually regret not rating it higher once I give it more listens.

The album cover alone made this hard to ignore. It gives a pretty good idea what sort of music you're about to hear. It is however over an hour, so I'll see how I do. It's interesting, all the hallmarks of 80s synthpop with an over-layered soundscape, making it echo in an eerie sort of way. Obviously the post-punk aspects reflect traditional goth music from the 70s combined with the more modern sound. It's honestly a super solid album of the sound of this time, I just don't know how well I could discern the songs.

On paper, a mix of post-punk and 80's pop should be my anathema. But you know what, I'm actually kind of digging it. It's really weird, but quite daring and different. Some of the tracks are moody, others are kind of awkward and unsettling, with harsh synths pushing through, and weird drum beats. There's an overall manic energy to this, again, something I've historically not got on with, but it works here. I really like the synths and soundscapes in general. They make for such an interesting backdrop. A bit of a weird outlier this one, but I respect it and I'm very positively surprised by it. 3.5 rounded up.

Listened to this on a fitting day where the world didn't quite feel real so the off-kilter vibes actually hit. some parts later in the album still a little monotonous but I respect the weird forever and always. thanks for coming with me on a crowded rainy bus trip

Hadn’t heard this since I first listened five years ago, and yeah the weirdo goth vibes are still immaculate

4 stars. V good but idk if this is smth I would loop often.

Never heard of them. It's good, but too dramatic. I understand the hate in the reviews. I also understand why it's on the list. It's a more sophisticated Spandau Ballet or Duran Duran. The 2000 remaster sounds HUGE. Favorite song: arrogance gave him up.

A bit overfilled but very fine and for its time advanced wave/proto-dark-wave

Knew the name and that they were Scottish but never heard them before. This was bizarre, really enjoyed the vocals, I'm going to give them more of a listen so it's a 4

David Bowie if he peaked in the 80s

I was annoyed at it being 1 hour 30 but then I ended up listening to all of it! So I guess I quite liked it

While walking at lake johnson

Quite liked this, Cure vibes

I didn't love it, but always enjoy a new-to-me New Wave experience

A deeply underrated post-punk albumin never heard of it or a single song off it, some genuinely masterpiece songs on this thing. Lacks consistency though and I found it pretty front loaded 8/10 Fav tracks - No, Bap De La Bap, Gloomy Sunday, Nude Spoons, It's better this way, Club Country, Love Hangover, Club Country 12" version, Party Fears Two - Instrumental, Australia - John Leckie Recording, Grecian 2000

Bordel de merde, il y a des albums qui vous tombent dessus sans crier gare. Des trucs qui, à l’époque de leur sortie, sont passés complètement sous vos radars d’adolescent. En 1982, j’avais douze ans et mes oreilles commençaient à peine à s’ouvrir sérieusement, tiraillées entre les derniers soubresauts du punk, l’urgence glaciale de la cold wave et les sirènes synthétiques de la pop qui allait définir la décennie. Et dans ce bordel ambiant, un disque comme "Sulk" de The Associates a dû me frôler sans que je ne m’en aperçoive. Trop bizarre, trop théâtral, trop… tout. Pas assez direct pour le post-punk, trop torturé pour la new wave qui commençait à sourire de toutes ses dents. Le réécouter aujourd’hui, avec le recul de mes 55 balais et des milliers de galettes usées jusqu’à la corde, c’est une expérience à la fois déroutante et fascinante. C’est comme déterrer une capsule temporelle qui contiendrait non pas des souvenirs de cours de récré, mais les fantasmes baroques et dépressifs d’un dandy écossais sous amphétamines. The Associates, pour ceux qui débarquent, c’était avant tout un duo : Alan Rankine, le musicien-architecte, et Billy Mackenzie, le chanteur-dieu, la voix d’un autre monde. Leurs deux premiers albums sentaient encore la guitare post-punk, l’urgence anguleuse de la fin des années 70. Mais avec "Sulk", c’est une tout autre histoire. Fini les guitares en avant, et place aux synthétiseurs, aux claviers opulents, aux arrangements qui lorgnent sans la moindre honte vers la pop la plus orchestrale et le cinéma hollywoodien des années 50. "Sulk", c’est le disque d’une rupture stylistique, une rupture assumée, radicale et presque arrogante. Dès les premières secondes, on est plongé dans un bain de sons synthétiques, de rythmiques programmées avec une précision maniaque et de nappes de claviers qui s’élèvent comme des cathédrales sonores. Ça suinte la laque, le maquillage et les ambitions démesurées. On imagine les mecs en studio, poudrés jusqu’aux yeux, se prenant pour un mélange improbable de David Bowie, Scott Walker et Phil Spector réincarnés dans le corps de jeunes Écossais blafards. Le son est riche, dense, parfois à la limite de l’indigestion. C’est une pop mutante, une new wave qui aurait bouffé des stéroïdes et lu trop de poésie romantique. On est loin, très loin, du minimalisme de certains de leurs contemporains. Ici, c’est l’excès qui est roi et chaque morceau est une petite pièce de théâtre, un drame miniature mis en musique avec une grandiloquence folle. Et puis, il y a LA voix. La putain de voix de Billy Mackenzie. On ne peut pas parler de The Associates sans s’arrêter sur ce phénomène vocal car Mackenzie ne chante pas. Il vole, il plane, il plonge, il s’envole dans des octaves stratosphériques avec une facilité qui défie l’entendement. C’est une voix d’opéra, une voix de diva, une voix qui semble porter en elle toute la joie et toute la misère du monde. Parfois, elle caresse, l’instant d’après, elle déchire. Sans elle, "Sulk" ne serait qu’une collection de productions new wave certes intelligentes, mais un peu froides. Avec elle, ça devient une tragédie grecque sur fond de boîtes à rythmes. L’album lui-même semble coupé en deux. La première face est la plus accessible, la plus "pop", si tant est que ce mot ait un sens pour ce groupe. On y trouve des morceaux aux mélodies presque évidentes, des structures qui pourraient passer à la radio si elles n’étaient pas systématiquement sabotées par un arrangement bizarre ou une envolée vocale complètement démente. La seconde moitié, elle, bascule dans une noirceur plus affirmée, un drame plus pesant. Les morceaux s’étirent, l’ambiance devient gothique avant l’heure. C’est là qu’on trouve des titres comme "No", véritable tour de force vocal et pianistique, qui vous file des frissons par sa seule intensité. On sent que la fête est finie, que le masque tombe et que la réalité, beaucoup moins scintillante, reprend ses droits. Et puis, il y a ce choix de reprise, aussi audacieux que morbide : "Gloomy Sunday". Pour ceux qui ne connaissent pas, c’est la fameuse "chanson hongroise du suicide", une rengaine à la réputation si funeste qu’elle aurait été interdite sur certaines radios. Que The Associates, au sommet de leur art du mélodrame, décident de s’attaquer à ce monument de la déprime, ce n’est pas une surprise. C’est une évidence. Leur version est spectaculaire de théâtralité, presque trop. Mais la reprendre, c’était déjà un acte artistique fort, une façon de dire : "Vous nous trouvez dépressifs ? Tenez, bouffez-en jusqu’à l’overdose." Le plus terrible, évidemment, c’est de réécouter ça aujourd’hui, en sachant que Billy Mackenzie a mis fin à ses jours en 1997. Ce choix de chanson prend alors une dimension tragique, une résonance funèbre qui glace le sang. Ce qui n’était qu’une posture esthétique devient, avec le recul, un présage macabre. Et ça, c’est le genre de truc qui vous fait reconsidérer un album tout entier. Alors, pourquoi seulement 4 sur 5 ? Parce que "Sulk" est un disque épuisant. Son opulence, son drame permanent, sa production très marquée par son époque peuvent parfois tenir à distance. C’est un album qu’on admire plus qu’on ne l’aime au quotidien. Il n’a pas la perfection glaciale d’un "Dare" de The Human League ni l’impact viscéral d’un "Pornography" de The Cure, sortis la même année. Il flotte entre deux mondes, dans sa propre galaxie de paillettes et de larmes. C’est une oeuvre unique, imparfaite mais géniale, portée par un chanteur qui n’avait aucun équivalent et qui nous manque terriblement. Un disque pour les coeurs brisés qui aiment danser, pour les âmes en peine qui rêvent de projecteurs. Un monument de pop baroque et déviante, à découvrir absolument. Ne serait-ce que pour se prendre une claque vocale et se rappeler qu’en 1982, certains avaient le spleen magnifique.

I like it. Quite enjoyable to listen to the sounds of it. The syth sound is completely not out dated which is impressive. Not the type of music I would repeat day after day but it's beautiful and attractive. At least a 4/5, can be higher.

This is actually a really good record. Never even heard of them. Favourite tracks: Arrogance Gave Him Up, No, It's Better This Way, Parts Fears Two, Club Country, nothinginsomethingparticular, The Room We Sat in Before.

Totally get that this is an acquired taste - for most of my listening life I wouldn't have given this the time of day. Sitting down today with Simon Reynolds' Rip it Up and Start Again while listening to this on repeat did the trick for me. Get the feeling I might come back to this in a few years and give it a 5.

Billy could sing and Alan could play! A terrific album. May they both rest in peace.

Still fresh in a strange way.

The top review for this record currently has this to say: "bland, homogeneous instrumentals indistinguishable from any other Britpop LP" This is one of the most baffling comments I've read on this website. And there have been a few, you can trust me, I'm on album #954. Maybe the person didn't have ears. Maybe Britpop sounded completely different on their planet. Maybe they skipped over Bap De La Bap, and Party Fears Two, and...etc. Maybe they'd just smashed another cup. Maybe the alcohol has turned them blue. Maybe the remark makes no sense and turns to shark. I can completely understand someone not liking this, and Billy Mackenzie's voice is absolutely divisive. But bland? Personally I only know Party Fears Two and I heard that first via the Divine Comedy cover. I love that song, because it's insane and beautiful and manic. The rest of this record is utterly manic and insane, and not quite as good. But an invigorating listen, that's for sure. Ears pricked up during Bap, Nude Spoons I'm off to watch that YouTube of The Associates appearing on lunchtime magazine show Pebble Mill.

Liked this one. It's got a lot of interesting parts. Sounds like unhinged Bowie or sometimes Talking Heads. 3.5/5

Je ne comprends vraiment pas pourquoi cet album s'est retrouvé dans les plus détesté de cette liste. Oui j'ai bien aimé, mais c'est surtout qu'il y a tellement pire que ça (ex : Korn). Une version beaucoup plus avant-garde du son new-wave/post punk des débuts 80s. Pas le meilleur album de ce genre mais définitivement plus aimé que la majorité de ses contemporains de cette liste. 8/10

I think this should be listened to a few different times and in different moods. Absolutely serves a punk vibe and fuck you attitude towards music culture but set to an 80's electro-pop base

I swear I’ve heard the Club Country 12” Version sampled somewhere. Otherwise this was completely new to me. But based on the art and year, it was exactly what I was expecting and it kinda ruled

If the album was a bit more condensed and focused this would've been a 5

Never heard of em, but the album is veeery pretty, caught my eye, I'd say genre is also welcomed in my taste. No high expectations, but I think I want to enjoy this just because of how good the album cover looks. Too many songs tho, I won't listen to the songs twice just because they are "different". I saw some extra ones tho, I'll try them only. Reviewers are quite against this, so I hope I won't dislike it as much. First song, start is very new wave already. Production is decent, wondering about how the voice sounds. It's low-key catchy, sounds like something else, DK what. Okay wtf, I didn't expect it to be FULLY instrumental, it was good, but no progressiveness or anything like it is boring. However, this does feel like a good album start song so I suppose nothing wrong with that, just they could have done more. Second song, wind sounds and something is rattling. Asmr vibes. Beat slowly came in and then the whole vibe, piano is doing a good job, it's in my right ear and in the middle. It's vibey, but it better have some vocals, God. Finallyyy his voiceee. It's a good one, so production and vocals are both listenable, even more than that tbh. Piano is still the best part in the song. It's kinda eerie, but also upbeat in its way. His voice makes it even more eerie tho. I expected more because of the start, but this ain't that bad. Third song, weird ass starts. What is that title, I think he's saying that now, oh he wasn't, but it was gibberish, now he's saying the title and some lyrics after it. Not bad for now, unless it gets uninteresting. Chorus is rocky almost because of the sound only though. The new waveness isn't into full action, but still a loveable song. Wonder if the lyrics contain some type of jokes. 4th song, yacht rock vibes, but there's an additional sound that progresses into an even more new wave sound. His voice is sadder here, though the song is upbeat. Sunday funday is replaced by a "Gloomy Sunday" apparently. Dunno the meaning, and apparently neither does Genius, but I'm just gonna spiritually connect to the song when it's Sunday, a gloomy one. His voice is very clear and instrumentals are kind of a background noise(in a good way), mostly voice is the one being less noisy, which iss annoyingg. 5th song, new instrument joined. The names are too funny "nude spoons" I mean, I'd never say those words together. I don't like his voice here as much. Production is fine, but feels far away. He changes the way he sings mid-singing and that's kinda fun, also vocalls a lot, but I don't see a pure talent. It's outro and there's a different sound in my right ear and it sounds extremely good, the kind of part I'll be anticipating when I relisten to this. 6th song, Suicide vibes, if you know what I mean. Songs does sound kind of same, but not sure because they are quite different in some ways too. This one has an amazing instrumental break apparently. Lyrical delivery kind of sucks. The bridge here (I think it's a bridge at least is a reaaaly good one). Him repeating the title in a weird way is the best part, it was hard to hear what he was saying at first tho. It's not even like beautiful to listen to, or in any way satisfying, it just is what it is, and it somehow makes me like it. 7th song, the production seems looooow here, I think remastered version would be better than this one, the instruments are far far away somehow. Probably the worst song for now. Rock came in with that electric guitar. Maybe it had good lyrics, too lazy to read them now. 8th song, alien-like start. Wedding sounds (not exactly tho). Oooh a happy happy song. Weird vocal delivery. The instrumental break is too good to ignore but verses are reaaally bad. Chorus isn't exactly catchy either. Every time that beat comes in, I'm like why didn't I add this to my playlist and then the verse starts. It's probably a grower so I'll just add it. The outro was fully unexpected, fits the vibe tho. 9th song, amazing start wtf. Oooh it stopped, AAAH WHAT A BEAT DROP. I'll ignore how he sings and just listen to instruments, there are a lot of them apparently. There have been a lot of headphone play in other songs too. Chorus has a catchy delivery. The instrumental break is very new wave, loving it. Ordered chaos vibes and it's too good for my ears. I think both of them are singing, feels like it. Loved this but, song quickly changed was there a transition? 10th song, quirky funky beat. Feels like there'll be no lyrics. Nothing much to write but I just realised that 11th song has this beat at the start so I LOVE THAT, but as this song being separate does not give me anything. 11th song, as I said the instrumentals are introducing 10th song's production fully, but not always. Lyrically it sounds exactly same, guess that's not what I should be paying attention to. Lyrically it's about having an affair I think, I barely read the lyrics so that's just what I think, he wants her, but she's getting too expensive. Not a banger. 12th song, this is a bop already because of the instrumentals, gotta say there are many extremely good production deliveries. Love how he's just casually being operatic now, also during that the beat is amaaziiiing. Lyrically it's low-key funny, definitely not a serious song in a good way. There were some girls singing some gibberish, made it better in a way. The girls voice at the end was the clearest sound of their, would love to see more of their appearance I suppose. 13th song, I've had a pause from this, so I don't even remember what this song sounded liked even tho it's just a version of the previous song. Start was kinda weird, but the beat and the voice is giving now. 7 minutes is too long tho. I remember the chorus apparently, good one it is I suppose. There's gonna be a big instrumental I sadly predict. It's dancey though. His vocal delivery is quite different from what I've ever heard. I could skip the song rn, because nothing new is gonna happen in the remaining time I bet, it's not certainly one of those crazy plot twist songs. By each chorus it's getting more and more catchy. As I said, there's this big break, which is better than I thought it'd be. The guitar is actually doing its job well. Idk what 12 version means, but it might be better than the original, don't remember that one tho. 14th song, instrumental only of the song which I apparently remember. The instrumental part is actually nostalgic, but I don't remember how he sang. It's actually been a long time since I was here, and this was the perfect album to stop midway. It's catchy af, idk how they do it. Quite a memorable melody I suppose. 15th song, dunno what alternative version means. The start was "white noise"y. Then the gibberish vocals was a good improvement. Sonically it's good too and now the verse is equally giving. I listened to the preview of the song with the same name just the original, and it sounds way different, but still good. Oh, It's the 7th song, and did NOT like it apparently, I was listening it on headphones back then, but idk why it sounded THAT bad, I'll give it a relisten I suppose soon enough. Russian talking at the end here, weird. 16th song, BURPING? So childish, love it. Guitar is giving and the whole Sonical beat is catchy. Verse is not as good, chorus will be better I suppose. The production seems experimental, saying that as a good thing btw. Verse is getting less bad. No chorus in the way. This is an alternative version, but I don't see the original one up in the album. It actually has a fast-walk-beat, basically a sped up runway. Is he mimi-ing rn‽ It sounds like Bloodhound Gang kinda, but these lyrics might not be as funny. 17th song, creepy ass start, guitar came in quickly enough, but the eerieness is still at hand. First time being spooked by an upbeat song tbh. Idek what he's saying. It's too permanent wave tho, I wish it could change at some points. Little opera vocalling. As I said it's too same all the way to actually like it, still worth a listen here and there. 18th song, dururuing already, to the guitar beat too I think. It's sonically catchy again. I heard french talking at one point. Bridge was probably the best part. Everything else stayed the same, but didn't really become boring. The outro was loud af, they're kinda screaming "skipping" I think. 19th song, John Leckie? Never heard of him. This is fully different production. It's too indie rocky. There's an actual beat and not an experimental one. Not baad, but is John singing, some new guy, because the voice seems the same. Not really impressed still. 20th song, same production start. Big ass intro. Are there even lyrics. It's progressing quite well sonically I must say. It was fully instrumental, not disappointed, but I wanted more, especially since the title was kinda interesting. 21th song, same catchy beat, but the song title isn't club country so idk why it has that beat. Lyrical delivery is majorly different though. Neither verse nor chorus standed out to me. Still fun I suppose, just idk why releasing that demo was a thing to do. 22th song, club country's fully different version with no catchyness. Chorus is still good tho. It feels like it was recorded live, it's too raw sonically so. I'm bored so I just wanna finish these songs quickly, since they are basically the same. 23th song, fully different title. Start wasn't interesting. Oop, neither the verse apparently. Sonically there's a beat in the background, the main one, that's kinda catchy, but it's too blurred out. Vocal delivery sucks, better to say, it repeats the one already used in other songs. Welp, still worth it I hope. If I rated this album based on every song in unison(which IS the correct way) it would be looow. So based on how they can make that catchy tune that hooks one in, despite how many times it's repeated. The vocals and the way of singing is another remarkable thing this guys do. I don't remember the songs above 13th song, but I do have some of them added in my "liked songs" so I'm just gonna say that 4 star is prolly the best choice. It's just not as good to get the highest rating, there were albums that deserved that status more, there's no real artistry here I think, the connection between songs and stuff like that(might be lyrically and I missed it but I can't help that rn). I enjoyed it quite much as I remember and as I did in the past half hour, I do hope I'll listen to their other record here, or I'll do it myself.

Cool dark goth synth vibes. A little distracted this morning with this listen. Worth revisiting.

Hmm, this is grabbing my attention. I might actually like it! Never heard of these guys before, how is that possible! Gonna be bold and give 4 stars!

August 12, 2024 HL: “Skipping”, “Party Fears Two”, “Country Club”, the instrumentals Perhaps I’m rating this too high, but I was fascinated with this album. Look at a song like “It’s Better This Way”- it’s not worlds apart from what the Cure were doing around this time, but perhaps even eerier with its repetitive, discordant synth strings. Or “Club Country”, one of the poppiest songs, yet the production drowns it in these aggressive, sci-fi sound effects in the background. I’m not making much of a case for why I like Sulk so much, but unlike a few of the new wave/post punks on this list, it grabbed my attention and didn’t let go.

awesome, eerie new wave album way too Low rating here

Ahh, torn on this one. It goes on too long. I’m surprised how experimental it is though. I was expecting a more poppy vibe. And I do like Billy Mackenzie’s voice. It seems to be divisive. His death is such a sad contrast to the glamorous pop star image. Oh go on then, have a 4. Probably should be a 3.5 though

Many moments of unique interest, but not for me.

I was pleasantly surprised by this album by an artist that I didn’t think I had heard of. Could really hear the influence they had on The Divine Comedy - from the cover of Party Fears Two, to the burp at the beginning of a song. Bravo.

On first listen I wasn't really sure about this but second go through it all started to make sense. The instrumental opener doesn't really set the scene for what's to come but No is a cracker of a track and he cabaret keeps on coming. Fave: Club Country

Slap some black lipstick on these lads and this would be goth AF! And the theatrical, overwrought vocals would probably make more sense in a gothy context... Rather enjoyed this - I like my new wave brushing up against my post-punk, and my post-punk sprinkled with experimentation! Fave track - "No". Great tune!

Really good! Nice gothy synthy stuff.

I'm not a fan of many 80s albums but this is something special and otherworldly. I love the angular rhythms and McKenzies voice. Strong.

First I didn't like it much but as the Album progressed I started to like the sound. It has a crazy energy to it

Fíla röddina oftar en ekki, lögin eru stundum ansi töff. Mjög dramatískur flutningur og production. Svolítið dósahljóð í soundinu, en ég toga þetta uppí fjarka.

Isn’t Asaph tabular as the singles

Psychedelic post-punk like an acid trip.

This is awesome synth pop for how demented it is, as well as there being some genuinely great cuts. The wacky cover of “Gloomy Sunday” belongs to the former category, while “Club Country” sits firmly in the latter. Overall, I find the novelty very entertaining

Synth-driven and very atmospheric 80s New wave. Lots of high-tone keys that texture and convey lead/counter-melodies. They get lots of strange and experimental tones/sounds from these keys - like a maxed out chorus pedal sound, a melting song-stopping effect. Vocals are a coy tenor, variously operatic and snapped out (a bit like Bauhaus). There is some swirling textural guitar work creating a stormy unsettling feeling on some tracks. Overall, it's a mixture of poppy major key songs and some dancey tracks but generally more minor key drones/dirges. Reverby drums add a lot of space. Favorites: Party Fears Two, Arrogance Gave Him Up, Gloomy Sunday, Better This Way

Awesome

Quite the album-Bowie-esque vocals and great keyboards. The Diana Ross cover is *chef's kiss*

Oh okay, we’ve got some kind of Scottish U2/Cure mashup here. I like this. I am picking up what they are putting down, and I’m liking it a lot! It runs on a big too long, but it’s such a unique vibe, I wanted to see where it was headed. Side note: Omg! I wrote this before reading the wiki on this band and there’s an ex-Cure member in it!!! Freaking Dempsey on bass, man oh man, my ears know what the fuck is up!

4.0

This album doesn't hang together as a whole. It's all the better for it. Sulk is bonkers, with grand, sweeping gestures. It's more like a musical than a pop record. There's no direction from start to finish. I like to get lost in music. Billy was one of the last great pop pantomime Dames. Party Fears Two: Song of the Century.

Cool 80 techno/ goth vibes

At first I was struggling to get behind the vocals, as while they certainly aren't the most polarizing I've heard, they do catch you off guard, especially after a instrumental opener. However, as the album went on, I was more enthralled by the near perfect blend of pop with that more gothic sound, where every track has you bobbing your head, tapping your foot, all whilst this sinister atmosphere surronds you. The vocals are no longer something to fear, but rather something worth embracing in the more surreal parts of an album. It's glamorous, like a party, but grimy, like an alley, and I think this album as a whole captures the scene of the mid-80s and its music perfectly.

Pleasant enough, felt very very 80s pop, and indeed it was.

I’m enjoying the gothy bits and the drums mixing with the synth. Can’t say I’ve ever heard of these guys but definately one I’ll explore further.

Better than I expected.

Wow - this sounds like a mutant ABC; if you turned the dials up on their arrangements and vocal affectations you'd get something approximating Sulk. The production sounds busy and Billy McKenzie's yelping tenor might be an acquired taste, but for me it's effective, exciting and idiosyncratic stuff. Full marks to 'Party Fears Two' and the stomping 'Club Country'.

As a fan of New Wave and Synthpop, I'm surprised that I didn't know this one. Pretty good, haunting voice on clever instrumentals. Sounds like an Echo & the Bunnymen record, but less flamboyant.

Dark, atmospheric new wave with a subtle gothic vibe filled with creative ideas and arrangements. I love when the challenge makes audacious choices like this. A great discovery.

Extremely 80s, I love it.

Kinda weird but I kinda love it

The second half was particularly strong!

Chaotic frenzied gothic rock, very much like a spiritual successor to Joy Division. A haunting and mysterious first side with a New Wave second side to dance to. Really enjoyed it all, plenty to offer and only a few forgettable tracks.

Poor Billy MacKenzie left us with some of the most beautiful songs ever made with the amazing drama in his voice, seems like syntho-oper! In this album Party Fears and "No" give me the creeps. The synts on some songs are bit outdated, but bless the Associates

Pretty sweet stuff, reminded me of the darker side of bands like The Cure. Kind of funny, the more popular song (Party Fears Two) was boring to me but the album cuts were sick. Special shout outs to Bap De La Bap, Nude Spoons, and Club Country for really rocking my world. Some parts fell flat but overall this is a very strong 4 and enthusiastic recommendation.

Really great project, so 80s. Can’t believe I don’t know these guys

I knew one song, Country Club. Extraordinary vocals. This is a distillation of ‘80s New Romantics/gothic indie/shiny synth-pop (Sparks/Bowie/Cure/Depeche Mode/Spandau Ballet). Takes a few listens, but glad I did because it’s infectious. The pop melodies and the swirling cure-style guitars get right under your skin.

Strong Bowie vibes

Jaunty brit post punk.

Sounds like a drunk David Bowie

Actually really awesome, I am astonished at the low rating here Dark and very dramatic post punk Dynamic and interesting 4/4.5

Another undiscovered gem. Not even a name I was familiar with. Loved it.

Really fun - enjoyed some songs more than others. Overall good!

Missed them and nice find.

So comforting is Sulk's fit in my mental genre map that I lose the Associate's specificity in the lull. The album's more instrumental moments are highlights, while the vocals are essential. This is of the masterfully-produced school, which unfairly hurts the effect. Very eighties, very prefigurative, etc. etc. Or maybe the lens of this nostalgia looms too large in the twenties. Either way, I'm a sucker.

frenetico e inesperado. gran sorpresa.

Super bonne première impression, mais j'ai fini par trouver ça redondant. Par contre, je dois dire que j'ai trouvé ça surprenant que ça date de 1982, je l'aurais rapproché des années 90, donc je présume qu'ils étaient plutôt avant-gardistes pour l'époque.

Feels like we got the same album for a second day in a row. I’ll be fair and give these guys the same ranking as Echo and the Bunnymen but I can’t help feeling like the generator is testing me. 7/10

This sits at a rather bizarre point between the angular experimentality of post-punk and the pop sensibilities of later new wave, in a way where I'm not 100% sure it either resolves to either or combines into a new and effective whole. However, it was still quite solid new wave, so 7/10 it gets!

Very 80s, and kinda sounded a bit like Brandon Flowers...from the 80s

Not my cup of tea, but rather avante garde. I probably would like it more on subsequent listens

This is sure a hit or miss. It's weird and experimental and sometimes annoying (probably on purpose). I felt sounds I never heard elsewhere.

I expect to dislike it waaaay more than I did. It’s a bit long, but overall a good listening experience

Was looking forward to this, because I absolutely love Party Fears Two. Quite liked some of the arrangements and synths, but overall it's fairly average.

There's a lot of good ideas and some great tracks but it's ultimately an inconsistent effort. Still enjoyed my listen but could be a lot better.

They are suprisingly weird but the beat i like it, maybe because i try looking for some resemblance to 80’s music and style

M,eh, very dated

ja ganz cool

Not for me.

When i listened Gloomy Sunday, i said "Holy hell, why does this album have reviews so low?". Lo and behold, rest was shit. I agree with the bad reviews, my 3 is given only due to the fact that i really loved Gloomy Sunday.

Very decent I think i could like it more with more listens Party Fears Two is the best song by a mile and its superb High 3

the reviews and background info I read made me think I was going to love this album (allegedly so catchy, beloved by New Romantics, widescreen synth based) but it really did not live up to that hype for me. not at all unpleasant and a bit cure-esque in parts but hoped for a lot more and can kinda see why the name The Associates is not widely remembered

parece a trilha perfeita pra um filme adolescente dos anos 80 com pegada comedy horror

As the kids say, this was pretty mid. There were some highlights, including nothinginsomethinginparticular, which is quite a fun song name. The vocals were good and the backing was enjoyable in a sort of early 80s new romantic meets post punk meets pop way, but there was little to really grab you by the something in particulars.

Side B + the bonus tracks are astronomically better than side A holy shit. talk about lop sided. i really don’t care for gothic post-punk. it always comes across as the songwriting gets tossed to the side in favor for “mood” and “sadness”

Some interesting stuff, but the lows are low here

Reminds me of David Bowie. And general early 80's upbeat pop.

I don't think I disliked this nearly as much as other reviewers on this list, so I might be rounding up a bit. Has a vague "Talking Heads covering unused Joy Division songs" thing going up. Not great, but better than a lot of the annonymous 80s & 90s post-punk bands from the British Isles on this list.

Seems to be a mix of poppy punk with half the album holding on to this haunting colorful graveyard vibe, kinda odd especially with the Bowie style wailing through most of it. There were tracks I enjoyed and many others that fell flat. Fits for a specific place and time but glad I know of them now

This was pretty cool. I feel like they needed to edit a bit.

I kinda dig this but it’s not a consistent listen. It started off strong but song three then took me out of it and that’s pretty much the rollercoaster I was on for the rest of the album. Some amazing songs but also questionable choices. I’ll rate it on the higher end though because overall I enjoyed the theatrics.

Цікаво. Пост-панк, пост-поп, сінт-поп. Ну на трієчку)

Alright. This is something new for me, something good for me!

Adrian Belew?? Sounds kinda like him. This album has so much cool shit in it, but it's entirely too long. Shorten this down to the best 40ish minutes and it would be a strong 4. Instead it's just a bit of a pain to get through.

Wel tof! Veel van hetzelfde in de hele plaat, maar er zitten een paar bangers in (zoals Party Fears Two) maar ook wel tikkeltje glamrockerig op een verkeerde theatrale manier

Some of that early '80s gothic new-wave with the overtheatrical glam boy lead, this one's more synthy and the songs have nothing on Killing Moon Still likeable though, especially for a skeleton party

5/10 I've been going through a streak of... less than great albums recently, so I was worried when I saw this was on the bottom 20 list. Interestingly, I don't think it's that bad. It is EXTREMELY new-wave, with the synths and exaggerated singing to show for it. I think the album is perfectly fine - not a standout for being good or bad. Other reviews criticize the singer's voice, but like I said, he just sounds like a typical new-wave vocalist to me. This should receive 2.5 stars, but I'll give it 3 since I didn't have a bad time listening to it.

Did Muse get some inspiration from this, I wonder? Hate the 80s synth sound on some of the songs and the high notes of his voice. Other than that, it was better than I thought it would be. Recognised 2 songs.

If I heard heard this album back in the '80s, I'm sure I would have given it a five. But I'm a little older now. It was reminiscent of the lot of stuff that I listen to when I was a kid though.

It’s alright to run to but unmemorable overall. Upbeat, synth-y and new to me. But overlong and I’ve no urge to listen again.

This is a rare one where I’ve never even heard of the band until now, which is nice because it means I’m going in without preconceptions. This is some synthy new wave, similar to other groups of the genre. Interestingly (or not, depending on your perspective) it varies quite a bit in terms of sound, with some of it more in the realm of gothy post-punk, and other songs are much jauntier, making me think of an electronics-heavy Smiths. There’s a cabaret element here too that makes me think of Soft Cell. Of course, as always with albums from this book, there’s the question of if this album is significant or influential enough that it merits being one of a mere thousand must-listens, and I’m not convinced of that despite largely enjoying it, though it’s worlds better than the Eagles album I got yesterday.

girl idk lowkey maybe a 2

fun!! another very sims coded song: ‘nothinginsomethingparticular’. thoroughly enjoyed this

Synth-pop, post-punk, art rock.

I'm struggling a bit to sort out my feelings on this album. First, I don't know if the version I listened to is the proper version as there seems to be a few variants with different track lists. Anyway, this was entirely new to me and I was not at all familiar with this band. It's definitely a quirky record and kinda reminded me of a stranger more psychotic version of The Cure (early years) blended with Depeche Mode. Although I don't typically care much for new wave or 80s electronic music, I could see this could grow on me with repeated listens. I'll give it a 3 for now.

This was fun emo 80s music...I like the drama they create. Nothing really stirred my soul up, but I enjoyed it just fine.

i haven’t heard of this. looks interesting. i’m excited. i took the band name and cover of the album and incorrectly assumed it was going to be more like the avalanches. whoops. this is a little nuts for 1982. he sounds like david bowie. goes between being a bowie pastiche and a talking heads pastiche. i do love both of those artists though, so it’s cool. singer’s a little annoying. i was on its side for most of it, but this album kinda wore me down.

Interesting singing style. I think this belongs on the list as it does seem to have its own edges and style.

David Bowie esk pop. A little surreal. Not too bad.

Sulk is not perfectly disciplined. It can feel more intoxicating than coherent. There are moments where texture and performance matter more than structural payoff. Some tracks feel like they live on emotional tone rather than fully realized composition. And yes, there is a certain kind of listener who will hear all this drama and conclude that it is beautiful nonsense.

an oddity. very singing, much dramatic.

makes me wanna wear neon

Interesting album for sure, not a bad listen but nothing that I would be interested in really listening to again - to Pop and not enough post-punk edge for me.

Some real 80s-ness in here with sorrowful noises and morose sounds. A bit of good stuff but mostly just ok. Top tracks: "Arrogance Gave Him Up," "Bap de la Bap"

Well that was boring. Background music, really.

Mid 3 It was fun but the fun wore thin

There was some interesting sounds here. I liked a lot of them, but it left me a bit confused too. Maybe more listens would open it up?

Surprisingly good! Strong 3.5

New wave punk like

80’s Smiths-sound

This group feels like the 80s equivalent of Empire of the Sun. Maybe it's because of the album cover, but partly also because the songs feel a bit whimsical and quirky. In reality it is just quirky synth pop. 'Club Country' was a pretty killer song, but I had trouble appreciating the rest of the tracks. The singing can really be hit or miss. It works very well in some songs, but not in others. Either way, 'Arrogance Gave Him Up', was a pretty bad start to this album. There is something in there that is off beat completely, which make it very frustrating to listen to. Otherwise it was alright. Weak 3.

Completely unknown to me, so a really great surprise. A little bit of a lot of things that I love. Not sure how they haven’t crossed my path before.

Enjoyed it but not enough to seek it out again, reminded us of a few different other bands at different times.

I enjoyed this. Not huge on the mixing of this era, but some weird and interesting songs in there

I thought this album was good, but nothing too special, just a generic 80s rock album.

This is one of those records that are quite cool but not cool enough. A strong 3

Lowkey dramatic.

Somehow I never encountered this before! It's delightful. Almost a Cure vibe at times.

after a year long hiatus from this project, i'm back and this was the first album this site told me to rate. Starting off it begins extremely good, i love the instrumentals in the beginning especially in this, it felt like when you are progressing through a gameplay and the first song (arrogance gave him up) plays in the background. it felt as though it was a recently formed band but no, it's an album from 1982! The soundtrack is good for a halloween based movie.

we've got some early 80s scottish new wave here. huh! this album is very ethereal and mysterious sounding; according to wikipedia these guys tossed any tom-toms out the window, so it's a symphony of snares. i could honestly see why a lot of people are mixed when it comes to this album, it has some serious potential but some of these wailing vocals and uber-reverberated tracks aren't for virgin ears... i'm feeling like giving this one a 3.7. it's very unpolished and sometimes dissonant, but i feel like i understand what's being done here.

Proper yuppie stuff this, reminds me of dead or alive, vocals abit iffy in places but it grew on me as it went on

synthi-post-punk-pop, überzeichnet, kühl. und tollen bassklängen von ex-the cure-bassist

What an odd little album. At first, I was ready to write Sulk off as bargain bin fodder, but upon addition listens, I found a spacey (like to a Bowie degree at times), kinda poppy, groove-y, post-punk outfit in The Associates. They charmed me. I can't say that I would come back to this all that often, but I have to admit that Sulk grew on me.

Not available on Tidal so I listened to it on YouTube instead. I like this more than I was expecting to, but likely because they're imitating other bands/artists that I really do like. This doesn't feel particularly original on its own. The songs I liked the best were ones where I was like "This reminds me of Bowie", but that's not enough to make it a must-listen.

Didn't really grab me?

Never heard of this group. Pretty good can hear early prog/synth influences along with British New Wave.

Pretty interesting album, some synth lines that complement the general mood of the album quite well. 3.5

Listenable.

First listen I was like "UGH another one of these inaccessible art-pop blunders". Second and third listens it started to grab me, now I'm bopping to some of the tracks (Love Hangover especially) and feeling FEELINGS to the ballad-y numbers. Have never enjoyed this kind of 80s production, don't love his vocal delivery (although he can sing), and can't help thinking "didn't other bands do this same thing but, better?" so the value for me is in the obscure novelty.

This probably slapped in the 80s but now it sounds too much like the 80s...

Good example of 80s U.K. New Wave, with vocal style that can be quite annoying.

Did I enjoyed listening to this? Sporadically. Would I choose to listen to it again? Nope. Do I think it's bad? No. I sort of get it, it's just not my type of music.

There's shades of Berlin era Bowie in here, Roxy Music, New Order too. I like all of those ingredients but somehow it doesn't gel together too well. 3 out of 5 stars for me.

Good I guess. It works better for me when half paying attention to it in background, and not as good when I focus on it.

I went back and forth with this one. Sometimes it sounded like Scott Walker fronting The Cure and sometimes it sounded worse. But interesting pretty much always.

I enjoyed this in parts mainly for the musical side things. I was never a fan of his vocal histrionics

Good album 3/5 for me- GEMV (29.01.2025)

Riding some kind of new wave into psychedelic synth-layered pop, The Associates' Sulk was better than expected due to its theatrical and nervy qualities. Blending their influences on chop, the cocktail is a strange and strong flavor — not entirely smooth or always easy to swallow — it’s potent stuff. And yet the vocals are what call to me most on this album despite all their efforts at creating new soundscapes for pop songs. I hear echoes of Scott Walker, Peter Murphy, and Bowie as the vocals rise above the rhythm section and synths to give the album its dramatic grip.

I agree with other reviews that this album feels like if David Bowie was half as talented and then split into two people. However, someone with half of Bowie's talent is still decently talented, and this isn't like being dragged facedown on concrete, unlike some of the other bottom-twenty ranking albums on the list. I don't think I'd ever revisit it, but Sulk didn't actively offend or insult me.

Interesting 80s pop. This act seems like they're trying very hard to be different. At times it works, some of the tracks are really good and engaging. Others seem to be trying too hard to be unique and end up being not fun to listen to.

The early 80s were a weird and wild time. Interesting listen!

this one’s weird. nothing too crazy, but it’s weird. kinda like if Bowie was a crazy German guy?

Song 1: What the absolute fuck is going on with the snare fills. The drum programming on this song actively gives me anxiety and I hate it so much Song 2: I just read some background on them and they actually sound insane and fun! This song is also better than the first one. I didn't make it 100% of the way through the album, but it definitely got better over time. Either the first song is one of the most grating pieces of music I've ever heard or it caught me on a bad day, but I was grooving more and not thinking about how i actively disliked it anymore. 2.9 stars - it doesn't fully fuck, but it could be worse

This is alright synth pop maybe? Im not really sure what this is. It feels like soemthing like the cure or something similar but more than 5 minutes from offing itself. Club country was the track that most spoke to me. And the others aren't bad either just didnt really get to me. Been alot of that recently I guess. And this is keeping on. Not much else to say but its alright.

funky

Wierd, but I liked it.

Det er ikke den bedste tidlig-80er-new-wave-post-punk-grænseflade plade vi har haft, men jeg er vild med dem og glad for at der er så mange på listen.

Got some decent bangers.

Listened to the original uk release. Only 41 minutes people. They threw everything and the kitchen sink at producing this and it helps cover up the lack of truly memorable songs. I like how macabre it is in places and the vocals are certainly attention grabbing. A new wave album that is a lot more interesting than a lot of the genres offerings.

"Nude Spoons" almost dragged this down to a 2.

This is unspectacular 80s music. I’m generally not a huge 80s fan, so this didn’t excite me much. Something to get through, but not so bad as to warrant a 2/5. I’ll give it a low 3/5 and be glad to move on.

This seemed musically ahead of it's time except the vocals that were bang on for the 80s. Club country was the best song, lots of sparks and talking heads in there. Otherwise it varied between being enjoyable and passing me by. Don't think it's grabbed me enough for a second listen but enjoyed the first. 3.5 but closer to a 3

1982 was a grand year for music. The guitar work was fantastic. The vocal performance was classic OTT 80's style and has dated horrendously. Always good to hear Party Fears Two' great tune.

It is funny that I liked this when I've being harsh and very critic about this genre, and specially when it is in the top 20 worst albums in this list. Extravagant is the first word that comes to mind when describing this album. The singer's very operatic style voice shows a very wide vocal register and emotion while the instrumentation is what could be expected from the New Wave's sound of the 80's, but mixed with a little bit of goth rock, which adds a nice layer of depth and even creates some moody atmospheres. If it wasn't for these little touches of goth and the singer's great voice, I would say that this is quite standard and forgettable, which it can be at some points. One thing that I need to talk about is the production. which feels a bit poor and makes some songs sound bad. Various example would be the drums in 'Bap De La Bap' and "It's Better this Way", or the clipping of the voice in 'Gloomy Sunday'. Speaking of 'Gloomy Sunday', the last time I listened to it I started to feel like it sounded very familiar. Then it hit me, that the same poem sang is also used in the song 'Öngyilkos vasárnap' by Venetian Snares. It seems like they both take inspiration in the original Hungarian song which is also know as the 'Hungarian Suicide Song'. Anyway, this is a good New Wave album with a lot of personality, even though it may be a bit forgettable at times and the sound quality is not the best.

Favorite Songs: Club Country, No, Love Hangover Least Favorite Song: Nude Spoons Went in thinking I’d hate this but it’s not half bad. The album cover is gorgeous.

# Album Name: Sulk # Artist: The associates # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Heavy synth vibes. I like the style but this album didnt click for me. Pretty meh # Top Tunes: Its better this way # Would I listen to it again? Maybe

Fun album to listen to once. Party Fears Two is definitely the stand-out song though. It feels like the only track that manages to be catchy and memorable while the others try to reach that point but just fall short. Not bad but not great either

Alright. Faded

An interesting mix of sounds- synth pop with some nu wave and gothy tones. The whole album has an ethereal quality, and a very 80s sound. Overall- good album. 3 to 3.5 /5

3.5

Disjointed, but occasionally fun. 80's synth funk should have been my wheelhouse, but didn't feel like a cohesive album. Couple of really fun songs, though.

Interesting 80s pop but very of it’s time

Twas expecting to be annoying and not like. On the contrary, I did like. Definitely Bowie influence involved.

My first thought with this album was that they were trying too much to be a lighter version of The Cure to be effective, and this was only confirmed in reading that they actually toured with The Cure before creating this album (which seems like an odd pairing, since I'd have thought most Cure fans would be turned off by a warm-up act that seemed very wannabe, down to using an ex-Cure bassist (at least on the album). But to give The Associates credit, they seemed to be interested in using more instruments and tones on this album than anything The Cure had to offer. It's a bit of a painful listen--too tinny and poorly-balanced--but not all that surprising given the 80s provenance, and I enjoyed (at times) their foray into more experimental styles, especially contrasted with their more radio-friendly hits "Party fears two" and "Club country". It would have been nice, though, if the album had had only one track listing that was consistent across the countries it was released in. It seems that part of the reason for the huge discrepancy between UK/Canada album releases and US/Europe releases was because the latter release happened after the presumably-slightly-more-sane half of The Associates (Rankine) left the band after Mackenzie basically sabotaged the band's future.

Seemed fine, nothing that stood out.

I almost gave up on this one on the way on work but put it back on in the office and liked it a lot more. Maybe the second half was better or maybe my mood changed. Kind of a little like if Bowie was the lead singer for the talking heads (but like 3 levels worse than that sounds). I’d put it on in the background again

Depeche Mode's new wave instrumentals combined with Nirvana lyrics and B-52's hysterical vocals. I don't have a ton to say about this because I mostly listened to it in the background, but I could see this growing on me over a few listens. Song picks: Party Fears Two, Club Country, Australia, The Room We Sat In Before.

I don't know, this one didn't do it for me. Some interesting instrumentation but I can't say I was a big fan of the vocalist. Lots of the tracks blended together for me. 6/10

I really liked the bass and percussion side of this music. The vocals were not my jam personally. But the music was quite good apart from that imo. It gives me a bit of a goth Swans vibe. So I know one person that would likely be a fan.

This was a weird album. There were definitely some songs I enjoyed. And some others that I really didn't like. Definitely weird

Veldig 80talls alternativ rock... Beste sang: I never will

More early 80's British synth pop. Yay. A combination of Duran Duran, Joy Division, and Kate Bush. Every second feels like synthesizers blasting and that new wave baritone scream going full blast, non stop. Someone maybe should tell them about dynamic range.

Not bad

Meh

5/10… new wave/ art pop

Good for its time but boring for me now

Never heard of them before, pretty good. 6/10 Favourite track: Club Country

Really didn't like it at first, but it grew on me. Some of the choices were disruptive and annoying to listen to, but I can't say I haven't enjoyed myself.

Post-punk/synth pop that is aggressively 80s, and has some pretty cool tracks - notably the instrumental opener "Arrogance Gave Him Up". But is also decidedly average in many places and threatened to fall into the background.

80's synth with a twist.

weird but good sometimes

Weird, and at times over the top, but not actively bad.

Generally speaking I am a fan of alternative/ college radio/ 80's style music. It often has techno/ electronic edges and has a homegrown feel that is often missed in mainstream commercial pop. It is probably more likely hard for me NOT to like something in this genre than like it. I had never heard of The Associates before this, which for all intents and purposes fits the genre I just described. I waited anxiously for some song I might be familiar with to no avail. Otherwise, to tell the truth the band nor any particular songs grew on me. At worst some of the songs stuck like melted cheese to the 80's era. At best it was tolerable to mildly entertaining, but overall it never stirred anything in me to feel compelled to put them on my playlist.

80”s goodness. Filing as “alternative new wave.”

I mean it was alright

Ok Party Fears two iconic track.

I wanted to like it, there was something good about, but I just couldnt get past the loud clanging rhythm, but it was ok, I will give it another chance sometime

5/10

A bit overwrought, a bit annoying in places, but it's alright. Great bass, no surprise it was a lad out of the Cure.

This one’s a bit odd, and I’m still trying to figure it out. It’s definitely artsy synthpop with a strong post-punk vibe. The theatricality of it all really shows influences from David Bowie and Bryan Ferry.

поп-пост-панк звучит как гламрок и нойз) не ухватила я суть

⭐️⭐️⭐️ taustarallattelua

Decent 80s-core album, but lacked any significant hits for me

Correct.

Eh it was kinda fun. I really enjoyed the song Party Fears Two though!!

Offensively 80s. There are some great 80s beats in here but the singing often yoinks it back to being trapped in the 80s. Its also long as shit with every other song being decent. Could have cut half the album and it would have been good. 6/10

What a schizophrenic adventure this album is. I listened to the original British content/order. You've got the cheesy synth pop opener. Then a jarring transition into some pretty challenging avant guard sonic explorations in No and Bap Dre La Bap. You eventually get a pretty sweet balance between these instincts on Gloomy Sunday, but it slips back through several more unwieldy tracks before two more pretty great tunes in Party Fears Two and Country Club, and then more exploration and another synth pop confection. Whoa. I'm glad I listened. I'll be pulling the gems for playlists. But I'll only come back to the album if I need something to annoy my wife with.

This was kind of cool. But I am so damn sick of these freaking bands showing up like every other week in this project. This one did have some kind of cool avant garde elements to it. I liked how weird they got with their vocals. I also like the synths (a little bit). I was picking up a very pop version of Depeche Mode.

First track is great

Idk

Well, they sound like nobody else, so there's that. This album covers everything from the sublime (Party Fears Two, Club Country) to the ridiculous (the rest of it). No idea how you would categorise them, but I'll stick to those two tracks and skip the rest, thanks very much.

Its quite an interesting mix of like post-punk stuff and disco pop stuff of the era. The vocals are quite dramatic something like a budget David Bowie or Morrissey or something, but parts of the synth stuff is quite good and also quite dreamy, which makes it feel somewhat like cocteau twins stuff from the late 80s. Its quite standard though, nothing jumping out too aggressively, both good and bad. Its also quite messy which I suppose you could consider good and bad, but some of the drumming stuff is quite bad and the kick drum on one of the last songs is too thin. Favourite songs: arrogance gave him up, gloomy sunday, nude spoons, skipping, party fears two, club country. Overall around 6/10

Just ok

First of all, great cover. The music was definitely intriguing and unique, both in a cool, strange way and an annoying, weird way. The vocals were good for the most part but also one of the most annoying parts of the album in other parts with the screeching falsetto he does sometimes. He sounds a bit like David Bowie sometimes though and he’s overall a good vocalist that fits with this kind of music. Honestly the blend of post punk, pop and electronic music was really cool although I felt a lot of the songs were just too strange but I can definitely appreciate it’s uniqueness, I feel like I haven’t heard an album quite like this one and the feel of it was actually haunting yet majestic, unfortunately the songs themselves don’t really all fit with this all the time and aren’t the best overall. Favourites: Arrogance gave him up, Gloomy Sunday, Skipping, it’s better this way and Grecian. If only more of the songs were instrumentals, they seem to be the best ones. Overall, 6/10.

Interesting. It feels like there are a lot of good moments but few of the songs really have a memorable hook.

Club Country and Love Hangover were bops, the rest of the album was a bit more hit or miss.