Hypnotised

Hypnotised is dumb pop-punk fun from a band that seems smart enough to see the value in such a thing. The melodies and riffs are catchy, and while it's far from a unique sound (even the vocalist's almost-bleating style reminded me of Roxy Music on occasion), I figured it was from further on in the 80s than it was. I feel like I'm getting an incomplete picture going into it blind given that there appears to be a theme of avoiding a sophomore slump for this second album, but the band feels genuine in their insecurities, making the irony of a track like "More Songs About Chocolate and Girls" come off less smug than it may be coming from another group. Cutting a track or two would probably make for a more enjoyable complete listen, but if I was thumbing through the soundtrack menu of a late-era Tony Hawk game, where this music sounds like it belongs, I wouldn't toggle any of them off. Key Tracks: Here Comes Norman, Under the Boardwalk, Hard Luck

And this is exactly why I wanted to join this group. Why have I never heard of these guys? And I'm from Canada where we love everything from the UK (apparently). UK music gets plenty of airtime. I've been going through 90's rock recently discovering some of the pioneering UK bands from that era (that are excellent) and I'd put these guys in that mix for 70's-80's punk. Just as good as any Ramones album. Loved it all - and now I've got a band to go listen to more of.

Genre: Pop Punk 2/5 Man, this thing turned into absolute mush towards the end for me. The whiny vocals want to sound like Jello Biafra so bad, the playing is fast but totally boring and uninspired, and this is another example of an album that just shouldn't be in this book. It was 15 songs, and nearly 40 mins worth, of the exact same material over and over again. A few songs slowed it down, and there were a few covers that kept it interesting, but this album faded into the background like a ghost. Really boring, really stale, and really annoying. Will not listen to this one again.

I was underwhelmed by the undertones.

This one didn’t do much for me. That little vibrating thing he was trying to do with his voice was dumb and stupid. Undertones? More like Underwhelming.

The vocal tone is killer. I'm digging the bass work. There Goes Norman is a bop! Man, I am having a lot of fun listening to this album.

Somewhat dull album. Felt like the songs were very beach boys Esque but without a lot of the pop flair. Felt that they were more of an 80s rebrand of the 60s pop that wasn’t as good. Did not find that interesting. 4.9/10

“Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention …, reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.“ -Wikipedia In response to this sophomore album from The Undertones, I had focused attention on the album and reduced peripheral awareness. I’m not sure I had enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion, unless that suggestion was that Hypnotised is a kick ass album. A great find. Thank you 1001!

Love it! Even moreso than their last album we received. Simple pop punk with dumb (but aware) lyrics. Great fun! Top Tracks : “Hypnotised” “Whats With Terry?” “There Goes Norman”

I wish I had known about this kind of music when I was in high school and it was brand new. Who knows, maybe I would have rejected it because it wasn't the classic rock that I was passionate about, but man I really like it now. I guess I was vaguely aware of bands like the Clash and the Sex Pistols, but punk and post-punk largely escaped my attention. It would have been great to see some of these bands live. In any case, I liked this a lot. I've heard a couple songs by the Undertones, but most of this was new to me. 4 stars.

I like even the weird cover

Fun; sounds just like the album cover

Maybe it’s the crappy music I’ve gotten all week making me biased, but this album IS GREAT. Just some northern Irish blokes having a laugh

Just a solid punk album. I really enjoyed it. There wasn't much that stood out but it was fun. The lyrics didn't take themselves seriously, the tracks were full of energy, and the production was solid but not polished (which is proper for punk). I liked it.

Not a fan of the album art. Not a great cover of Under the Boardwalk. I like the rhythm on The Way Girls Talk What's with Terry, a solid track to go out on. This is fine.

decent punk sound - okay to me, didn't blow me away.

Another underwhelming album. Doesn't even have the Undertones song that people actually know on it, the rest lacks the edge to be pop, lacks the energy to be proper rock, and lacks the tunefulness to be decently poppy. A straight down the middle 2, it's fine but it all feels like filler.

Ah, more UK punk/new wave crap, this time with a Jello Biafra impression as well. Whatever. Boring amateur shit. 2/5.

One-hit wonders and their one hit isn't even on this album. Seriously why are there 2 Undertone albums on this list? You don't even need 2 songs. A few good songs but in general mediocre, uninspired indie punk.

Die 2. Platte der Undertones in dieser Liste. Leute: die Undertones sind gar nicht mal so gut! 0 Platten der Undertones wäre angebrachter. Kann ich nicht durchhören.

Oh piss off and grow up

I really liked this album! The warble in the voice was grating on a couple songs but made it more unique. Also likes how they didn’t take themselves to seriously and had fun lyrics/subjects. Nice hooks as well. 4.5/5

Juvenile (teen love) lyrics aside, this is a fun album. Basically '60s bubblegum teen rock meets punk/new wave, with a splash of Beatles and Clash/Buzzcocks here and there. A very easy and enjoyable listen.

Brilliant - I bought it and I still love it.

10/10 album art Feargal Sharkey's voice somehow conveys the desperation of a lovesick teenager more than even Buddy Holly.

It's funny that thing people do where they believe that the order they have discovered music is the order that it was released and that because they've heard two thing with some similarities they believe one is automatically ripping off the other. Look at a couple of the other reviews. The idea that Feargal Sharkey was in any way influenced by Jello Biafra. Hahaha. Listen to the lyrics, read some Wikipedia, ask yourself if Dead Kennedy's records were available in Derry a year earlier than anywhere else in the world, if at all.

Album itself was probably four stars, but the corner of Spotify that I got into after the album was over, was absolutely amazing!

This was great! There wasn't any track on her that I didn't enjoy. I would definitely listen to more by the Undertones. This is a 4.5 star album, but I'm in a good mood, so I'm rounding up.

5/5

Super fun! Would listen to again. Great beats.

Didn’t know this band outside of Teenage Kicks, this album was glorious. How to do churn out this many catchy songs?

"Hypnotised" is the second album by Northern Irish punk rock band the Undertones. Lyrically, the songs focus on teenage angst, boisterousness and heartbreak. Critics found this album more sophisticated than their debut. I'd agree with that. Commercially, the album hit #6 in the UK. The album starts with "More Songs About Chocolate and Girls," an obvious poke at the Talking Heads' album with a similar name. A guitar start which carries the melody. There's layered guitars and a poppy beat. The lyrics are funny and meaningless from what I can make out. "Hypnotised" has a more driving guitar sound. It actually sounded very similar to the guitar sound in today's emo and pop alternative songs. He's in a trance when she dances. They do a decent cover of "Under the Boardwalk." I think this might been some sort of tribute to the 50's/60's pop songs which you can hear in their music. The albums' second side has their two singles. "My Perfect Cousin" has slashing guitar notes, a poppy, bouncey beat and is very, very catchy. People are comparing him to his perfect cousin Kevin and he's not too pleased about it. "Wednesday Week" is lighter with a Spanish sounding acoustic guitar and melodic electric guitar. Lead singer Feargal Sharkey is singing in a higher tone. This is a pleasant song. This album has music that is catchy, melodic, poppy, punk, garage and drving. At times, I really got a 60's pop vibe, particularly the Kinks and Zombies. Sharkey really stretches and strains his vocals. I actually went back and listen to their debut album again. This second album is similar but is more complex with better musicianship, layered guitars and better hooks. Both albums are worth a listen and are highly recommended.

SECOND NORTHERN IRISH ALBUM As a Northern Irish person, I was going to give this 5 anyway (😳) because I want to increase my country’s ratings on this site. However, the melodies are interesting, the songs are catchy and the lyricism is great! I recommend this for anyone of any nationality 😉 I need to listen to lots more punk and post-punk. 10/10.

Excellent record! Great songs, flows nicely.

😁cool

Loved it

This is what punk should be. Fun, breezy, and DGAF.

Fantastic stuff, jaunty, fun and very easy to listen to

Really ended up liking this one and then YouTube took me to more bands of the genre and I really enjoy it :)

Another banger today. I loved this! It's been fun rediscovering my taste for punk thanks to this list. New wave punk? Hell yeah.

chuli, chulito

Sure why not, 5stars

Classic punk, without the legacy of the two biggest bands perhaps. A few all time tracks, but even the surprising covers and less famous songs are great.

9/10 lots of fun, and certainly holds up from their previous album

I’ve enjoyed poppy-punk since the 90’s… so it is pretty fun to go back to the late 70’s and early 80’s to hear some older takes on that genre. I loved The Undertones’ debut album and I love this album. Fun!

So happy to get this. Absolutely love it. Played it a million times at the time. It really reminds me of being a geeky teen (still am geeky!) Listening back it has an authenticity that can't be bought. This is New Wave at it's best. Guitars, drums, bass and Feargal Sharkey. And I did have that Perfect Cousin that is now a millionaire.....it's enough to make you cry.

How have I've only just discovered the Undertones' Hypnotised album? I can't remember having this much fun listening to an album in a long time. And only 40 years too late! Is this the best album ever made? Absolutely not. But this proto poppunk makes me want to move and makes an bop my head. 4,5*

Loved this

Really good. Unmistakably The Undertones. Not as snarky as Sharkey often is. Wednesday Week is the clear stand out track from this album.

Sweet and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I did not expect to like this album as much as I did. I'm surprised I haven't heard of them before. I'm a sucker for happy punk.

I love The Undertones' self titled, but I don't return to this one as much. Still, it's a great album. Maybe closer to 4.5, but I always round up and I've had so many bad albums recently.

The first four Undertones albums are all great (same goes for Skids - not sure if their albums are also on the list but they should). I probably have listened to Hypnotized the most, nonstop catchy pop punk songs.

A great album that reminds me of a better time in music when things were not afraid to be original

Really liked this. Funny songs with good instrumentals.

Excellent punk album.

I love punk, by which I mean the 70s' variant, not Green Day and their ilk. In fact, the music I was weaned on was punk; my brother is 15 years older than me, so I got all his old punk LPs in the 90s. Anyway, depite that, I have never liked the song Teenage Kicks; I found it mawkish and overplayed. It still never really appealed even after I realised it was about wanking. Nevertheless, I lsitened to listen without prejudice and I loved it! The Undertones were really a great adolescent band, and this album showed a slight addition of postpunk jerkiness. Above all, this album is fun, unalloyed joy. What else do you want?

Absolute classic

Big DEVO energy. Good album.

Banger

Love this one.

Absolutely loved this album from start to finish. Great intro to the band and palatable punk-rock album for those just getting into it .

I kinda wanted to like this better, it's a lot of fun, I'd lands as kind link between Glam and Glam metal... Glam punk if you will. But it still didn't 100 bowl me over. 7.8 ★★★½

New band new music for me. Really enjoyed the energy.

I enjoyed it, I always saw them as a punk band but this is more poppy and varied.

Nice. Better than expected with this bad cover.

I'm always down for a good time, and this is short, sweet, and fucks.

Fun album, good guitar riffs and punchy songs that don't faff about. Like Fergal's vocals on this too, some very catchy hooks which give it quite a pop-punk feel. A bit short of a 5* album for me because it's not super deep or ground breaking really, but definitely worth a spin

I listened a few days ago I think I liked it I really like the album cover so 5

This didn’t feel like the other punk albums on this list. There was a little more to it and it felt like more effort went into it. A nice listen, though they were all very clearly about the same thing.

Weird ass album cover. But honestly the songs so far aren’t bad If anything, pretty good. Not the best but this album took me by surprise

I have to admit that seeing another band that I've never heard of with a very British looking cover, I wasn't expecting much from this. Turns out this is a fun, pop punk record. It wasn't until Under the Boardwalk that I thought to myself that the singers voice sounded familiar. After a bit of google sleuthing I discovered that the singer is Feargal Sharkey, the "A Good Heart" and "You Little Thief" guy.

great album

I have never heard of these guys before and though the album was great.

fun, early pop-punk that still bops today.

12/10/24 This was better than expected.

Got pretty interesting towards the end bust mostly still just the standard punk affair, it's decently enjoyable

I had a real blast with this. It feels like a 4/5

No "Teenage Kicks" in this one, but plenty of punk hits with pop overtones about the working class that are both wry and endearing, and can even be tender at times. I'm not gonna list the songs. I'm late for work this morning, and those great songs make up two thirds of this album anyway. As usual with The Undertones, the only minor issue is the relative lack of variety, but if some folks don't reproach the Ramones with this, why should they do that with the songwriters and performers on *Hypnotised*, huh? 4/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 9/10 for more general purposes (5 + 4) Number of albums left to review: 44 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 412 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 240 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 306

Really good energetic

Never heard of them. At least the music sounds good and the voices are singing not yelling nor rapping.

Straightforward early brit punk.

Fun! 4

Oh yeah, I like this. Even though their big hit isn't on here, they're still quirky and keep me entertained. The vocal stylings sorta remind me of The Buzzcocks - it's that's silly snarky attitude. 4 stars.

Very much sounded like Buzzcocks. Great listen tough. Will definitely seek more from them.

Fairly enjoyable romp. It would not be painful to listen to it again. However I dunno why this is on the list when there is a lot of Clash copies, and this doesn't stand out in any meaningful way. :shrug:

Just the kick in the nuts I needed to wake up this morning

Funny, bouncy new wave. I give this a weak four, it has room to grow on me, but I don't find it as endearing as other key works in the genre. That said, they definitely carve out a unique style, especially vocally, but their guitar work is also kinda punchy, and it generally works.

I had an Undertones greatest hits, which means I knew a few songs on here along with some that came before. I actually like this more than the greatest hits. The first song is amazing. It’s a tongue in cheek reference to their first big hits, which is very silly, but it also references some anxieties regarding being a new big band. Like hey now there’s pressure on us we’re trying our best. All the songs are these catchy poppy punk songs. It’s great.

Extremely charming pop-punk that works best when it's angsty and less so when it's about GIRLS!

The angsty punk vs. girls girls girls balance in the songwriting is a bit off, but it’s a really fun listen nonetheless. It sounds like it’s just a bunch of friends in a garage shouting the backing vocals into a single mic - as it should be.

Better than expected. What a voice.

It’s pretty damn good. A bit like if the Dead Kennedys made pop punk.

Great

Light, breezy and no skips for your summer adventure back to 1980.

Surprisingly good. Based on the album cover, I didn't expect much, but this reminds me of The Buzzcocks. Kinda like new wave, or early pop punk. It's feel good punk music. Favourite songs: Whizz Kids, There Goes Norman, More Songs About Chocolate and Girls, Girls That Don't Talk, What's With Terry, Under the Boardwalk, Hard Luck, My Perfect Cousin, Boys Will Be Boys Least favourite songs: See That Girl 4/5

I don’t know why I don’t know this band. I definitely should. Loved this album and spent the rest of the day listening to REM and The Specials. Super fun. Will listen again.

Enjoyable, with good instrumentation, singing, and lyrics. The definition of ‘pretty good’.

Proto-pop-punk ala The Buzzcocks. Similar vocal stylings as well, with plenty of vibrato. Kind of juvenile, but the band at least seems self-aware (as the into track "More Songs About Chocolate and Girls" would lead to you believe). Solid, maybe a little long. Favorite tracks: "There Goes Norman", "Hard Luck", "Nine Times Out of Ten"

I was bound to like this. I've liked The Undertones since I was 10 or 11. My mates liked them too, we all played subutteo, and I've got a cousin called Kevin!! They were fun and sharp, with their wit and guitars. I only had a singles tape and never got to see them live (too young) but did see That Petrol Emotion who were a great spin off with the O'Neill brothers and their brilliant guitars. It's typical Undertones; joyous, catchy, punk influenced pop. Lots of favourites but 'Tearproof', 'Wednesday Week' and the unexpected cover of 'Under The Boardwalk' stood out today. And of course 'My Perfect Cousin', a classic :)