Sulk

Not sure about this band or album. At their best, it kind of feels like a Cure/Bowie kind of sound, but it also drifts into this annoying synthpop realm I don't care for. The middle section of the album was the best. 2.5 stars.

This was aptly named

That was.... Odd, not sure if I liked it, but quite sure I'm not going to listen to it again

hmm auch bisschen lang ahh

Not for me

Normally I love weird shit, but this is just bad. 1982 me would have probably loved it, but 2026 me just finds it annoying.

About as self indulgent as it gets. This record has crossed over from extravagant to bizarre, but has enough musicianship to not be a total flop.

While it was enjoyable it just reminded me of other bands I like that much more.

Music was obviously of its time. I was giving it a go but by half way through his voice was way too grating.

++: Arrogance Gave Him Up, Skipping, It's Better This Way +: Nude Spoons, Party Fears Two, nothinginsomethingparticular +-: Bap de la Bap, Gloomy Sunday, Club Country -: No 4,0/10

If the vocals weren’t that bad I might think it’s a better album then what it is.

Just very 80s, I didn't really like it

Mediocre.

Halloween music. Pretty bad

Early 80s music. Nothing notable here for me.

On paper I loved this but my soul did not.

Synths in a haunted house with a very whiney ghoul. 2 ok songs: Gloomy Sunday was low tier Bowie. Feel like Party Fears Two would be a good song with any other singer. The rest of this is utter shit. A very generous 2. And they can thank me for it

not for me i don’t think we need burping in songs

If the guy from Bronski Beat sang for Depeche Mode. There was one or two on Sulk that were memorable but all-in-all there isn't much here for me.

Not all it's cracked up to be, I really don't know how their one big hit, Party Fears Two, has endured this long, just an average 80s tune to me. The rest is meh

Favorite Track: Gloomy Sunday

Should of done track 6's name.

Acceptable Brit pop that went on way too long.

I am a post punk type of guy, but this album doesn't hit. It's trying to be different and innovative but it honestly is pretty generic and not in an interesting way.

Meh...80's music that wants to sound like David Bowie. Love Hangover was kind of fun, but the rest just felt like it was trying too hard.

Too new wave for my tastes

Very shrill, not my bag

Vekkulimusiikkia, semmosia erikoisia ja ei niin miellyttäviä sointukuvioita. Ei kauhean miellyttävää. Jotain post punkkia. Parhaat: Party Fears Two

A little out of my range, but there's enough moments of high punk energy in here that it was pretty cool at times. Plus a Love Hangover cover? Wasn't my favorite but you gotta respect the taste.

Jeez. What was that? You can tell the guys thinking they are making high art

A very poor example of whiny 80s synth emo.

not the smiths

I am really sure I listened to this twice but forgot about it immediately both times.

Not a bad album, certainly underrated in the list but it does not sound interesting or essential. It is just OK, I guess? 7/10 [DROP]

La portada 10/10, el disco meh

I hear what they were going for. It's an eclectic 1980s-era mix of Bowie drama (I kept waiting to hear Scary Monsters come on next) + Devo drum machine synth structure + Oingo Boingo theatricality + a touch of Spandau Ballet dream sequence. It's a miss for me, but by far not the worst thing I've heard here.

If I've learnt anything from doing this project, it's that I'm not a fan of Nu wave music. In some cases and depending on my mood, I despise it. I'd be glad if I never had to listen to this type of music again.

It’s an ok album. Complete 80s synth new wave. Some tracks are decent, others not so much. Way too long by far though. 2.5/5

--Arrogance Gave Him Up...colorful instrumental intro. cool synths --No...do not appreciate the vocals on this. overbearing theater kid energy (takes one to know one) --Bap de la Bap...well, it's weird. they're trying stuff. but it's not entertaining --Gloomy Sunday...kind of an Andrew Lloyd Webber thing going on here. one of his lesser "The Phantom..." songs --Nude Spoons...it's just all too much. sounds and vocals too unfocused --Skipping...naming a song "Skipping" is playing a dangerous game. the bass is cool. still don't vibe with the vocals --It's Better This Way...I keep thinking of the word "unfocused". most of the tracks on here don't really lead anywhere --Party Fears Two...the vocals, good lord, I'm going to need this guy to rein it in about two to three levels. like this guy heard the theme song to the NeverEnding Story and thought to himself "this could be more dramatic". --Club Country...sick bass. my head is actually bopping to this one --nothinginsomethingparticular...I like their instrumental tracks. /glares at Billy Mackenzie

The instrumentals were rather pleasant but hoooooly crap this guy cannot sing.

The album fits into a specific genre in this generator: Bland British albums that are completely forgettable right after you listen to it. At the very least, listen to the OG vinyl version of it on YouTube from cool hand chris productions. Favorite Track: "Bap de la Bap".

I get it, it was the very early 80s and anything was better than disco, right? Right?!?

I'd personally rate these as one hit wonders....

Did nothing for me but definitely wasn't the worst thing I've ever heard.

Scottish Bowie cover band...

Just kind of annoying. Would’ve been good if it was good.

Music made for party scenes in terrible 80’s movies.

Pretty crap but not unbearable, just forgettable

The opening instrumental tune is cool and very TMNT like. Starts to feel ordinary British pop rock after that.

Certaines musiques s’écoutent Certaines Donc les autres ne s’écoutent pas Et c’est pas comme si les musiques qui s’écoutent étaient extraordinaires

Portada muy chula, ochentera a más no poder que me recuerda en cierta forma a Comité Cisne o a un Tino Casal más comedido. Por cierto es una obra de arte, literalmente, de museo. El grupo, apenas lo conocía, me pilló apenas recién nacido, y no ha tenido mucho eco. No son The Cure ni Echo and Bunnymen, de esa época, ni obviamente Joy Division. Aún así han tenido su influencia en por ejemplo The Divine Comedy que versionaron su tema más conocido (Party fears two), Ladytron , MGMT(nothinginsomethingparticular es ellos!! ), Björk o Bono El disco es extraño. Con momentos más post-punk y casi industrial y otros más comerciales, sonando a los primeros Duran Duran Arrogance gave him up, suena a Echo&Bunnymen o los primeros Simple Minds. No, es marciana y oscura. Nude spoons aún más. Skipping recuerda a Bowie con esa voz grave de Billy Mackenzie (que sufría de depresión crónica y se suicidaría daños después). It´s better this way, suena a lo más profundo de los 80, entre sueño y pesadilla.

2+ Stars (6/15)

Decent 2,5

Just not for me

boring new wave

- Really screechy and annoying to listen to! - Struggled to get to the end of most songs

Ambitious vocals and style, but inconsistent songs weaken overall listening experience

I was expecting something a lot more hardcore based on the cover art. I kid, this is exactly what I expected and I don't like it. 1.75/5

The best comparison I can make is that it’s a more experimental version of ABC’s The Lexicon of Love—it was even released the same year. This album is more experimental, but it’s also just plainly worse. There aren’t nearly as many hooks, and there are some weird parts I had to skip because they were too annoying (like the outro of “Nude Spoons”). At times it felt like listening to your friend’s pretentious 80s revival band. “Love Hangover” was my favourite track on my listen. Maybe there’s a good album in there somewhere if I could ignore the duds. I can’t really ignore them, though, so I’m giving it a strong 2.

boring.

David Bowie after a bad acid trip.

Boring

Horrible Gloomy Sunday cover. Taking a star off for that alone.

Too sulky for me

very electronic, very 80s. Good for a different vibe, but not immediately enjoyable

This is bad. Albums like this make me question the entire list. Grating vocals over generic synth pop from the 80’s. (2)

It was okay. A bit repetitive

Felt like the vocals were created entirely separate from the instrumental but maybe that was what they were going for?

después de los primeros dos temas pensé que me iba a encantar pero la verdad que no, no lo termino de entender. skipping es medio virus o capaz yo estoy loco

This was all over the place. Some of the songs were sounding ok, and then one of the guys would pull out a Jim Carey-like "Hey, do you want to hear the most annoying sound in the world?". There are definitely cool ideas here, I just really dislike the execution. My favorite song is the last one, The Room We Sat in Before, which is only a distorted guitar and the guy singing. Would not listen again.

Way too long of a David Bowie clone album.

Some fun production. Even their biggest song wasn’t that great

“Nothinginsomethingparticular” reminded me of an MF DOOM sample, which was nice. The rest of the album was not so nice.

once again, i listen to a poppy 80s album and once again i am left disappointed. i am ready to prepare a prompt that i can just paste into this review box every time one of these albums appears on the list

Aptly named because I associate this sound with better artists (2.5/5)

Some mid 80s shit, nothing great

Moody 80’s Didn’t move my needle much

Reminded me of the Cure mixed with Bowie. But mixing my least favourite parts of both of them

At first I didn't mind it but it got annoying pretty fast

what

Basically my review of that Heaven 17 album from several days ago but I think this is a little bit better. Favorite track: Gloomy Sunday

This album is soulless, and that is something very sad in music. I did not like any song on here, they are all just plain music, with synths and whatever they want to add but with no actual intention, or relevance, or interest. The songs try to be atmospheric at an extent that they become bland and... boring. There are nice parts though, but they are never a song as a whole but a good idea that, by repetition or the atmospheric feeling of the album, becomes tiring or irrelevant. It is not the worst thing I have ever listened to, by far, so I guess I have to be a bit generous this time when rating, but this album is not something I would ever listen to again. With one listen I had enough. And not at the extent to like it in any way.

This has a lot of dated 80s production, with weak drums and uninspired synth parts. The two instrumental tracks that bookend the original UK album track listing do absolutely nothing for me. Mackenzie's vocals has the same theatrical flair that Morrisey has, but he's a much worse singer. Whilst Morrisey can croon, this guy yaps! By the time I got to the band's biggest song 'Party Fears Two', I was actively annoyed by all his vocal theatrics. I'm not completely negative on this. 'Country Club' is a catchy pop track. This is inoffensive yet largely forgettable, sounding like a much weaker version of bands like Duran Duran and Depeche Mode.

I almost gave up several times during this needlessly long album, but I powered through because it feels good to finish an album as challenging as this. That unfortunately was not the case here. My heart is saying one star but I’m in a good mood this morning, so two it is!

Tidvis slitsomt. Noe er litt catchy.

I love me some wacky 80s synth music. This however feels like a knock-off of some of the greats. Still not entirely unbearable though.

I couldn’t. Not thing.

really thought i was going to like this...but it leaves much to be desired. there's just so many better options when it comes to this type of sound. 2 stars for me

This just kinda sucks.

It's giving the music that would play in the liminal space that is an old 80s Kane's store.

This was a rough one for me. There are elements I enjoyed- moments of lush atmospherics, unusual drum patterns, but the vocals and majority of the songwriting just didn't do it for me. "Club Country" got some legitimate laughs out of me just with the sheer audacious shittiness of the vocals and lyrics. The whole experience read like a group poorly ripping off Bowie. Again, there were some interesting moments, but not enough to save it from being my first 2/5.

Arrogance Gave Him Up has this awkward drum beat to create syncopation that I don't like. It's unnerving. Otherwise, ok, fine.

Wasn't interested 2

I found this record quite extreme. The vocals are so exaggerated, it's almost as though this genre requires a performance like this - like how Black Metal needs growling and screaming. It's an odd mix of melody and dissonance. The lyrics are a bit creepy, but maybe that adds value? I didn't like it that much.

This was all over the place. I was varying wildly between hating it and loving it, sometimes in the same song. I feel like overall it was a no for me though. I did enjoy "Love Hangover" though

I mean, this album is unique and has… ideas. The problem is that most of these ideas did hit for me, and the whole thing felt chaotic and disjointed not in a good way. There are a couple of fun parts, but this album mostly felt quite boring. 5/10

Frig off. 2/5

I didn't get into this. I'm not a huge fan of this type of music. I don't think I have a good understanding of what this is, or what this is trying to be.

Quite annoying. Unclear if this was based on my current mood, but I didn't enjoy listening to this at all. I have a suspicion that on a different day I might be in the mood for this type of thing.

"we have Simple Minds at home" Simple Minds at home: Nah, it's just standard-fare UK synth-saturated post-punk new-wave. Vocalist like Morrissey meets Dolby without the charm, forgettable melodies, utterly unremarkable drum beats. Gives a whiff of "only on this list because it was compiled in Britain in the late 90s" à la Dexys. It's fun in parts and I don't really think it's *offensively* bad; just utterly unremarkable. fav tracks: Gloomy Sunday, Skipping, nothingsomethinginparticular

- i hate when albums are super long because they have all the demos and weird versions like no one cares but that seems to be a common thing before the 90 -so no words for the first song -yeah no is a no immediately -it’s like they are trying to be david bowie and failing idk this is whack -some of the production i actually really like and then they ruin it with their weird vocals -like nothing is something in particular i actually like but it’s because it’s no words -

Despised by everyone on 1001's reviews? Likened to Devo, David Bowie and Can in said reviews? I had very high hopes, and was instead kind of... well this is some vaguely Echo and the Bunnymen 80s music.. it did nothing for me and just sounded like background noise.

Sounded like a stray cat yowling against synthesizers.

Meh, sohdns like a rip off talking heads. Not my vibe, 2 stars

Not awful, but also not good. Some jingles are nice enough, but largely forgettable as a whole album.

Synes egentlig musikken var fin nok, men Temu Morrissey på vokal trak ned

Bit boring, more new wave than post punk imo

Denso y oscuro new wave. De momentos algo gótico. No estuvo mal, pero no me volvió loco. 4/10

I don't like this.

First song has prince vibes. Pretty good pop tune. No is a really cool sound. A lot going on but I like it. Not a fan of bop, very dated. Gloomy Sunday is pretty cool. Jude spoons too. Nothing crazy but good enough song. Middle part is bullshit/unneccasary. Skipping was forgettable. Better this way is ok. Party fears two is definitely the best in the album. Very 70s. Not a lot of uniqueness on this album. No one instrument stands out. Club country is more of the same. This album seems more like pop than rock. Can’t believe it’s not even halfway done. Another album with great critical reviews that I just don’t agree with. This album is nothing. 18 carat love affair is pretty good I guess. Kind of catchy. Not a fan of them I read a book. Australia is pretty fun tho. Good songwriting. Good piano/bass on Grecian. Rest of it is pretty whack. Room we sat in is only good because it’s the last song. This album is very 80s pop. If that’s what you like then you’ll like this. I think it’s generic and lazy. Not at all life changing or “influential” from what I can see. 2 stars.

Their cover of Diana Ross’ Love Hangover is cute

Really amateurish sounding knock-off of Bowie and Bauhaus. The programmed drums are very off-putting to me. Absolutely shouldn't be on this list.

I do not like this album, i do think though if you enjoy the genre of early 80s goth rock, you’ll like this

Why, why, why are there so many bands like this on this list. Tedious 80s post punk/ nu wave Brit pop. Mostly dreadful 1.5*

Random 80s music.

Amazing album cover. Unnecessary long album. I had enough after just 30 minutes.

2 80s 4 me. Is there any other type of music that can be so easily assigned to a period of time? I suppose this was kinda interesting in parts, but it's got that artsy talking heads type thing going on that I don't get on with. I also don't really like the 80s synth sound as a rule. 1.5, but maybe closer to 2

Typical punk rock. Nothing special.

I recognised the enjoyable and jaunty ‘Party Fears Two’, but nothing else. Inoffensive enough listen but nothing inspiring.

Influence for New Wave? I don't know, but lots of bands did this style much better.

mm, not my thing

I normally have a lot of time for dark 80s pop but the vocal on this is jarring.

A bit messy and uneven overall, but “Gloomy Sunday” stood out for me, and “Love Hangover” is an excellent cover of an already classic track.

there might be some occasional decent melodies on here, but they're well buried under layers & layers of overblown 1980s production

01) Arrogance Gave Him Up - 6,0 02) No - 5,5 03) Bap de la Bap - 5,0 04) Gloomy Sunday - 5,5 05) Nude Spoons - 5,5 06) Skipping - 5,0 07) It's Better This Way - 5,5 08) Party Fears Two - 6,5 09) Club Country - 6,5 10) nothinginsomethingparticular - 6,0 TOTAL: 5,70 (57/100) Current ranking: 637/757

I didn't enjoyed the vocals and the record dragged a little, there are maybe a couple good songs, but it isn't my style, nor to my liking as well.

Loved the production, sounded crystal smooth. Lyrics were interesting but vocals hidden in production made it tough to really appreciate. Not my vibe but as an album a pretty cool project

I thought I was going to like this a lot after the first track, but it lost me very quickly. I just didn't want to listen to it anymore by the halfway mark

Meh sounds like the era and nothing really outstanding

its... different

I don't know what to do with this album. I've never heard of these guys. I was 12 when it came out so I have no context for them. I just know that 12 year old me would've hated this. Indifference at best. I'm sure it's a great example of the band and genre. It's just not something I havw experience with. To me this is poppy, gothy bullshit. (Bullshit might be too strong. But I don't know what else to use)

I hated this. Not necessarily because it’s terrible (which it is), but because there’s some potential in here. As someone who actually doesn’t mind the synth, there some good instrumentals here. Some of this, I swear to God, got my head bopping. It’s just that the vocals sound like a discount Bono trying to add ambience to a haunted house. I felt like I was having a good sleep, only for the anesthesia to wear off and I’m on the operating table with the doctor’s sawing through my rib cage. I keep trying to enjoy this, but it keeps hurting my ears. You know how Gloomy Sunday has an urban legend that hearing it makes you commit suicide? I think they were talking about this. As someone who identifies as a 80’s synth defender (basically a heretic), even this was too much. Bonus star for the instrumentals though. Favorite track: the ones without vocals (Arrogance Gave Him Up and nothinginsomethingparticular) Other hits: Nude Spoons, Party Fears Two

This was not my thing. Disc 1 was especially grating, and while disc 2 was an improvement it still wasn't a great time. 2/5

Kind of a meh album, nothing really exciting, but it was okay having it in the background. The popular song with the most listens was not that great, but it was definitely manageable.

The drummer sounds like he's having a good old time on "Arrogance Gave Him Up", but it might also be a drum machine, it's the early 80s, its hard to tell... it might all be drum machines, all the way down...

Det här var inget för mig.

Wanted to like it but couldn’t get there. Felt like a worse Bowie

not my cuppa, seemed like bad synth pop to me.

Oh wow I had no idea temu Bowie teamed up with the Cure to make emo music for daleks. But somehow in the worst way possible.

So many 80's bands had this slinky malinki vocal style, warbling wail. Some I love, others just grate my ears. Hadn't heard of Sulk before. Great elements, but I just found the 80's drums and synths operating in the same small window of possibility. Lots to love in New Wave, maybe not this.

I would have been more forgiving of this album if it was half the length. The full 1.2 hours was daunting because the music did not make me want to keep listening. A lot of this sounded just find, albeit strange and random. I'm all for strangeness when it feels more intentional than this, but there was just way too much going on in these songs. They all felt very similar too, so it was difficult to differentiate between songs or pick favourites. There are some cool sounds in the mix though and I don't mind the vocals either, even though they're a bit wild. They remind me a bit of the Talking Heads at times, which is a redeeming factor. I'll give this 4/10.

An 80's album that passed me by and I don't think I missed much. Seems like the band trying to do an update of Sparks material from the previous decade.

1,5/5

not my type, but there is golden music

Ça sonne exactement comme Talking Heads du point de vue de quelqu'un qui n'aime pas Talking Heads.

Should get 1 star by rights because of the utter tuneless nightmare of it but its intense operatic campness was hilarious

No conocía esta banda, pero solo por la portada está diciendo a gritos años 80. Me guardé "Party fears two". Interesante como cultura musical.

Movano, HDH - Gerstetten, Deutschland. Öde. Ultra öde.

Nja, helt ok.

Synthpop liebe ich ja. Aber das Album hier schafft das "Kunststück", unfertig/demo-artig und dabei total prätentiös zu klingen. Bin gerade so eben noch durch gekommen, war schon knapp.

Mom can we get Talking Heads. We have Talking Heads at home.

Музыка иногда адекватная, но вокал - никогда.

Sko tónlistin er alveg æðisleg. Byrjar á þvílíku stuði sem ætti að gera alla spennta yfir framhaldinu af plötunni en svo byrjar söngurinn og allt verðir bara hrikalega leiðinlegt og maður bíður bara eftir að platan klárist sem virðist aldrei ætla að gerast. Eiginlega bara of löng og hefðu mátt sleppa söngnum.

Music for dozing off in a valium haze in the back of a limo

Not that great.

Too much effort of the persona and gimmicky falsetto wailing; this was mostly a chore to get through, with occasional glimpses of enjoyment here and there. 2/5

O álbum é OK. Esquecível...Celest x Versekeys Ultra-Sense Planet.

Boring af.

Okay man.. whatever you say. I’m suuuure this is a top 1001 album ever.

Sulk: Interesting Wikipedia read. A lot of weirdness for weirdness sake. Drums often sound like they are at different tempo than rest of band. I lt had some moments but I mostly hard to listen to. I like the over the top dramatic vocals - definitely prefer it to typical sleepy post punk.

20 albums in: huh, it's weird how I keep getting these albums by British bands I've never heard of that aren't particularly good 589 albums in: we must declare war against the United Kingdom immediately and inflict punishment for their crimes

Meh

I enjoyed the instrumentals that begin and end the album along with the two big singles near the end. The rest didn’t have much I enjoyed but respect them for trying unique production ideas. Synthpop is one of my less favorite genres but I didn’t hate this nearly as much as most it looks like. Rating: 2.5

Party Fears Two Club Country

Estranho

Not my favorite

The title of track 2 pretty much sums up my reaction to this album: "No"

2.5. Not for me but interesting. Singer sounds like Bowie.

Something strage here - from completely unlistenable to some great tunes

Awesome instrumentals: great baselines, synths and some physicadellic touches to make it different. I do sometimes wish that this was a instrumental album, the vocals were a bit to much at sometimes.

Okay in places but give me ‘The Lover Speaks’ debut album any day.

2.4

Quite a forgettable record. Not sure about its placement. 2/5

The top review says that it’s “indistinguishable from any other Britpop LP out there”. This is not Britpop and sounds nothing like. But I agree that it’s pretty bad.

5/10 - the soundscapes are good but there isn't really one stand out track

# 564 : Sulk Sulk – Post-Punk Pop with a Side of “Please Make It Stop” Post-punk and pop—whatever that means—collide in this very 80s, very synth-heavy album that’s more miss than hit. Sulk isn’t bad music, but it’s bland, uninspiring, and occasionally just annoying. The vocals wobble between theatrical and grating, and the whole thing feels like it’s trying way too hard to be weird without actually being interesting. It’s over an hour of synth soup with no standout tracks, and the only reason it’s not a half-star is because it occasionally resembles music. Two stars for effort, and for not making me rage-quit. Verdict: Not hated, not loved, and definitely not remembered. File under “80s excess with no payoff.” Nothing stood out. Listened: 09/09/2025

Wannabe Bowie meets wannabe cure meets wannabe soft cell…pass

This was way too long. It kind of reminded me of that “Movies”album from a few days ago, but I less patience for this kind of thing today. 2.5

Didn't like them back then, don't like them now. But there is much worse music today.

I don’t get it. Nothing offensive, but also not much interesting

The last 3 tracks on the album, especially Party Fears Two, were Ok. But the rest was like a drunken tribute act to the most annoying of Bowie. "No" was a song perfectly named.

Återigen får vi fel platta. Det är ett jävla ljusår mellan 81 och 82 i new wave världen. 1981 är "White car in Germany", singeln från Associates andra album, världens kanske häftigaste låt. 82 är det storbolag (Wea), Duran Duran har slagit igenom brett inte minst i USA, Så först 82 lansareas gruppen i staterna på allvar med Sulk och då som ett slags arty Duran Duran, i kölvattnet på deras framgång. Så Sulk låter dyr, överproducerad, lätt qwerky och rätt menlös, perfekt för en USA-lansering 1982 alltså. Men inget vidare för oss med fäbless för gränslandet mellan new wave och syntpop dom där åren mellan 79 och 83. Här finns utan tvekan en handfull rätt bra låtidéer plus en ganska så bra version av "Gloomy sunday", men det mesta som är bra göms undan i överproduktion och att dom slår knut på sig själva i en dyr studio. Jämför det med den knivskarpa minimalismen i "White car in Germany" från 81, det är ett universum emellan. Det blir en svag tvåa, för det är svårt att ge det underkänt trots allt Lyssna hellre på O.M.D. - Organisation, Duran Duran - Duran Duran, Ratata - Ratata,

Jag kommer inte förbi 80-talsproduktionen och sångstilen. I mina öron låter det väldigt daterat. Bra driv i trummorna. Men det tilltalar inte mig.

It was OK. Very new wave, but not the top of the crop. A lot of it sounded like if somoene got David Bowie or Depeche Mode off of Temu.

asswater

Mysterious and experimental. Kind of haunting. Not the worst but probs won’t need to listen to this again.

I didn’t really enjoy this. Seems like a lot of other artists were doing the exact same thing, and much better, around the same time.

That was not a pleasant listen. Jangly, offputting, and unfortunate. It's not a one-star, but there's little here to recommend at all. Oof.

65/100 a very mixed bag of quality, some absolute stinkers and some bangers in here, unfortunately might be the worst album so far tho other than glam parsons' grievous angel

This album walked so of Montreal's Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? could run. And I'm glad it did bc honestly this fucking dragged. Started kinda interesting, I was enjoying the pomp and self indulgence of it but quickly fell off and became grating. I appreciate it was probably somewhat groundbreaking but theres just not enough there to call it a great album. It's influence is undoubtable, but what came after massively overshadows it.

This was not enjoyable and very annoying.

2 stars - stars - star - sta - st - s (excessive amount of echo used)

This started out fine but just got weird. 80's synth pop is all fine and dandy until you add bizarre, dissonant and almost nonsensical Morrissey-like vocals that don't have any substance or depth. Not a fan of this. Plus it's WAY too long for how unimpressive it is

It has interesting production and instrumentals but I don't think any of the actual songs are that good

Why relevant?

Of all the ‘why the fuck is THIS unimportant shit on the list’ moments, this may be the most WTF of them all. Bland, unremarkable, does nothing better than any of their peers. Just, why? Why is this here?

No

Weird lyrics and vocals, not great music. Overall I didn’t like this album a great deal.

Album was ok

Sulk? More like Suck. This album gave me Stockholm syndrome by the end. I still think it was awful but… catchy?

Not for me... At the beginning I thought the album was okay but the more it went on the less I liked the songs.

Had hopes this would be one final hidden gem for me, but this fell way flat. 2/5

This is not a great album. I truly struggle to find what anyone sees in this. "Party fears two" is a lovely track, but the rest is far from worth listening to.

This isn't great. Little too experimental for me. Also the whole thing sounded the exact same to me. Very electronic and the singer's voice definitely got on my nerves. There were some fun songs, but when there are 23 there better be. It felt a little too experimental for me. Kinda reminded me of a better version of the "Tom Tom Club." I feel like they have a solid catchy idea, but then the song goes NOWHERE and doesn't change AT ALL Liked Songs: "Arrogance Gave Him Up" , "Gloomy Sunday" , "Nude Spoons" , "Party Fears Two - 12" Mix" , "18 Carat Love Affair" , "Love Hangover" , "And Then I Read a Book - Alternative Version" , "Skipping (Alternative Mix)" , "Australia - John Leckie Recording" , "I Never Will - Demo"

Sulk...an apt description of my expression while listening to this album. I'm not really into the "New Wave" 80s scene. This had all the worst features of that. Low 2.

First song was a ripper. Rest of the album had me pretty much waiting for the end. There were a couple bright spots, but I was constantly checking how many more songs I had left.

Not really my jam. Instrumentals aren't bad and give some weird ass sounds, but overall just a bit too 80's for me. High 2

Frown

A lot of this album feels like game show demo music. The rest of it manages to feel like every 80s new wave trope rolled together, and it was still only 1982! I don’t know if that says something about how influential this album was, or my perception of pop music in the 80s. I’m not sure I buy the argument that this album had a meaningful influence on the later development of electric music. “Arrogance Gave Him Up” - 100% game show music. “No” - title sums up my thoughts. “Gloomy Sunday” - objectively the least good song about Sunday to come out of the 80s. “Club Country” - sounds like someone doing karaoke of this song, but that’s just the song. “18 Carat Love Affair” - another theme song for a show that didn’t exist.

Nothing unique or noteworthy to me

No - never heard of them, and don't feel that I needed to

Musically didn't mind it, good in parts, pure 80s synth pop. Just didn't really care for the vocals, not something I'll be in a hurry to listen to again

Say what you like about the 80's but they certainly had the best one hit wonders. Party Fears Two by the Associates was one of those, and bizarrely went on to be the theme music for Week Ending, a topical comedy programme on BBC Radio 4 that I listened to for many years. The rest of this album is best described as experimental, if the experiment is how can we sound like Sparks crossed with David Bowie playing using a cheap 80s synth and guitars filled with piss (seriously, the wikipedia article is an eye opener!). It's a bit of fun and bought back a few memories but I don't think I'd go back to it again.

This didn't affect me emotionally at all - well, not exactly true. It did make me feel - uncomfortable? mildly disgusted? No, not disgusted, more like when you're stuck in a room that's a little too cold. The sheer effort here is impressive, but the execution is a bit sloppy. The band tries for a long pass downfield and a spectacular goal every time, and we all want them to get it, but there always seems to be some foible. Sometimes it's the vocal affectation, sometimes it's the drums not quite hitting on time, sometimes it's the bass-heavy mixing. The Associates try hard, have a ton of confidence, and some of the songwriting comes right up to the edge of something great. A lot of flavor especially in the production, without much substance. Like a spicy piece of lettuce.

Huh, very 80s. Seems like a mix of a lot of 80s synth bands all in one.

Cacophonous, dissonant, sometimes overly dramatic and operatic, repetitive and oftentimes annoying. Never cared for Queen or David Bowie, but neither of them were ever this bad.

Eh was kinda boring. Might've just not been in the mood for it. Best song: Bap De La Bap Notable(s): None

This one felt like a very disjointed amalgamation of 80s synth without much holding it together. Not my favorite.

Well I just don’t really see any necessity to this. It was repetitive and didn’t add anything impressive, but it wasn’t even bad enough for me to notice anything.

no me gustó el sonido post-punk está vez

I really tried. There were moments.

Party Fears Two is a great song. Alas it doesn’t make an album though. Bland but for the breakout song

I think I’ll sulk if I ever get forced to listen to this again.

I am confused by this album, or more accurately my reaction to it. The first track has to be one of the worst opening tracks ever, just a ghastly 80s synth intro that wouldn’t end. All other instrumental tracks follow that tragic pattern. And the vocals, well, they are the star in all ways good and bad, albeit mostly bad. I think gloriously unhinged would be the kindest description, he had no intention to reign himself in. And oddly I kinda respected that, and found myself intrigued, in places it felt a bit proto-goth, in fact I even liked a couple of tracks, sort of. I really should hate it, but I don’t. Weird.

Nightmare trying to find the original track listing on this album. This is a truly impressive waste of talent. It really is like they looked at synth pop and took every annoying aspect of it and then focused solely on that. There is nothing on this album that I would ever recommend to someone to listen to other than to make fun of it, which I will do often. The thing saving it from a 1 is that they are obviously talented and could probably create great music, I think they’re just choosing not to. Truly I think phineas and ferb have better sounding synth pop music than this.

This had to have sounded tired and dated when it first came out. Vocal melodies are atrocious and the instrumentation isn't that much better. Not unlistenable, but definitely bad. Light 2/5.

trotos

Aika keskinkertaiseksi jäävää synapoppia. 2/5

The 80s strike again, holy hell was anything not synth pop in this decade...

Maso

Bit too experimental for me

The Wikipedia summary says David Peschek of Mojo called Sulk "their florid, hysterical masterpiece". I agree with florid and hysterical at least.

I just couldn't get into this. I think his voice is trying to emulate David Bowie, but it doesn't hit the mark. They're classed as a mix between post-punk, synth-pop, experimental etc. But I just found out difficult to reach the end. But guess they are highly rated by some 2/5

Album #1001! And the last one from the global worst list. The music is pretty jaunty and awkward, even for off-the-wall pop music. I’m surprised anyone was dancing to any of this. 4/10

It was fun, then bland, then weird but enjoyable, then weird but annoying

Not really for me Will I listen to again: 0%

This is not Bowie’s fault.

Kan ikke ha vært edru når de fant på dette

I wanted to like this so bad But in the end It was actually just so bad

Off the cuff remark: A lot if this is really grating. Histrionics of some of the vocals really irritate. Of course "Party Fears Two" was used for a TV or radio show, but I can't remember what. Standout Track: "It's Better This Way" brings to my mind Bauhaus. Revisit?: Highly doubtful

First reaction was this was another 80's dance pop album and I was going to struggle to get through it. A few songs in I was a little more intrigued and actually tried to like it but by the end, the drum loops and cheap sounding synth effects bore a hole through my head and I was officially glad it was over. In smaller sample sizes the sound is intriguing and could warrant a higher rating but as a whole this album was a bit of a chore.

picks: Party fears two, No

not for me

this album is weird. 2 stars

This record is like a time-capsule transporting you to the early 80's. Inventive arrangements. Cryptic lyrics. Peculiar song structures. Flamboyance dialed up to theatrical levels. New wave mixed with experimental pop and clearly a fair dosage of drugs. While it doesn't exactly hit with me, I respect the ambition and creativity.

Meh

My ratings are 1-hated it 2-did not like 3-it’s okay 4-liked it 5-loved it

Don’t understand how this received so many accolades

It seems that around 80 percent of post punk and new wave just doesn’t do much for me. This falls into that category. I can recognise that there is obvious talent and musicianship here, but the actual sound of it end up leaving me somewhat bored. This isn’t an awful album by any means, and if it came on the radio I’m sure I’d waggle my head, but it’s just not something I’ll be purposely seeking out again.

It's hard for me to believe that this album got any traction.

80s synth-pop, art-rock, whatever you call it, just is not really my jam.

A pretty generic 80s British new wave album, nothing too bad but not that interesting either. I am not a particularly big fan of the genre or the early production in general so I think it is a 2/2.5 at best.

What just happened? This is a rollercoaster from cool instrumentals to annoying vocals... If he could just stop singing 😅... Moments I liked, moments I hated. Experimental but at the cost of good songwriting... All in all, I did not like it or love it, I did not hate it (all the time)... Mostly between interesting and terrible, but more on the later, so 2 stars...

1.5/5 not great 80s synth

Another “never have I ever heard of this album / band”. And hope to never listen again

Starting to get the intense feeling this list was written by a white British man who grew up in the 80s... More like 1001 Albums You COULD Listen To Before You Die.

Dude has Bowie voice! Interesting stuff. While there were some good tracks I don’t need the entire album.

2.5/5. Hard to give the benefit of the doubt to any album I haven’t listened to before when they sound like this.

Wow. That was an experience. Sounded a bit like Bowie, but not Bowie. They seem peak new wave.

**An ok album

ok, i heard it, didn't much like it. i guess the weirdos need their representation too

80s ✅ From the UK ✅ Unnecessarily long ✅ Mid ✅ Perfect for this list! Considered a 1 here but it had just enough for a 2. Call it a 1.6

goddammit, this might be the worst week I've ever had in this project. This album sucks and I hate it. It doesn't make me mad, so it doesn't get one star, but it's very bad.

Kinda interesting in some ways, it sounds a bit like David Bowie's experimental stuff with Brian Eno. A lot of this is annoying to listen to though. The synths on Bap De La Bap, for example, are just a bit sonically unpleasant and that's just in my mind as I'm on that track at the moment. Also it's not even to mention the vocals which are... unorthodox, let's say

This is the only album that has bounced right off me. I want to give it a higher score based on the synths and instrumentals alone. But the lyrics and vocals do this album no favors. Dunno if it's just post-punk stylings but they don't work in concert with the great synth work, not at all. In fact it feels like they're actively clashing. I'm sure this appeals to some folks, but man it really doesn't do it for me. The synths sounding great are the only thing saving it from a 1/5.

I had high hopes but they weren’t met.

This is the sort of album that gives 80s music a bad name. The hysterical vocals in particular made it tough to get through.

Listened to a few of the songs right after my first listen, and I couldn’t remember having heard one of them before. Some interesting drumming on Sulk, but it’s overall quite the boring listen that I will soon forget.

I feel like these guys would be friends with Sparks.

Not our sort of thing

The Associates are NOT Bowie, no matter how hard they try.

5/10 One of those ones where I get it, but it didint really work for me. Nicely put together, well played, good use of electronic instruments. Vocals up and down, some sounded a bit like Bowie. Something of the Cure in here? Best: Party Fears Two

Some parts were cool, but not a fan of the vocals. Standout songs: Gloomy Sunday

Going into this, I had never heard of The Associates or their album Sulk, so I had no idea what to expect. This album took me on a journey—some parts I loved, some I couldn’t stand, and others just left me confused. There are a few solid tracks, like 18 Carat Love Affair and Club Country, but then there’s also a fair share of chaotic, almost video game-like 80s noise and outright terrible songs. It’s not a 1/5 disaster, but I won’t be revisiting it. Favorite song: 18 Carat Love Affair and Love Hangover Least favorite: Most of the album Album artwork: Really cool cover.

It is Boring

This was a little too 80s but some of the tracks were kind of dark, which I liked. Overall a fine album, definitely far from the worst of the decade.

This sounds like an Andrew Lloyd Webber version of the all puppet Dracula musical that the guy from “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” was writing. Blah!

Only ever heard Party Fears Two before. The rest of the album comes across as art school wankery, which is borne out by reading about how it was made. Bit disappointing really.

slideeeeeeeeeeee off, tear apart the earthhhhhhhhhhhhh and leave me alone

This album is an unpleasant mess. Moments of musical awesomeness, but they were just moments, and not many of them. Nope

Its just not for me - I found it a tough listen. The only highlight was hearing 'Tasmania' in the track Australia, I tried to look for the lyrics but couldn't find them anywhere?

Literally not a single song here is completely good. The stuff I enjoyed musically is ruined by overly melodramatic, spooky, Bowie-wannabe vocals. The rest is janky and boring 80s schlock.

The music sounds pretty good but his voice is like nails on a chalkboard for me.

I tired to like it but in the end I can’t help but feel this is what would happen if the Human League and David Bowie had an ugly musical baby

If I had to shoot a Halloween movie entirely within a party city- this would be the perfect album for that

2/18/25. I hear a lot of influences and sounds that my current favorite bands draw from! I liked the mix of pop and upbeat, to the cool instrumentals.

Would not listen to this again. Rating two stars out of respect for putting out something weird.

Horrible

It was a fun 3-star listen until it overstayed its welcome.

Forgettable synth pop

Couple of classics but many annoying ones

If these are the associates, I want to work alone.

Vocalist seemed to be trying to do David Byrne/David Bowie impersonations. I was not impressed.

This is a very strange album. Musically it is great in places, but as whole it doesn’t work for me. Enjoyed the cover of Love Hangover 2/5

meh

I’m fed up with the crappy 80’s new wave. Please God, enough.

Nicht mein Fall.

1. Sounds like a training montage song from an 80s B movie 2. Sounds like another 80s B movie scene with someone walking down a dark street trying to recover from a breakup. Super annoying vocals. Couldn't listen all the way through 3. This is shaping up to be a shit album. Skipped 2 minutes in 4. This would have been a decent instrumental track. This guy's weird vocals are unbearable to me. Skipped 3 minutes in 5. Nope. Skipped 2 minutes in 6. Least bad so far. Still bad 7. A new way for this guy to deliver bad vocals! How fun! Skipped 2 minutes in 8. This whole album was like the (rightly) rejected score from Neverending Story. The bridge on this song is actually pretty good (the guy wasn't singing) 9. I was tapping my foot until the singing. Skipped two minutes in 10. No singing at all, so not bad I'm absolutely not going to listen to the 4000 bonus tracks on this album. If they were substandard for the original release (which sucks), there's no point in continuing for me. 2 stars

Wanted to like it. On paper I should. Found it almost kind of irritating actually.

Jarentachtig-gegil, een woord dat in de Van Dale opgenomen zou moeten worden. Sjongejonge, wat een zenuwenmuziek dit. Als deze gasten bij me zouden aanbellen, zou ik snel de deur dichtdoen voordat ze hun voet ertussen kunnen zetten.