Hypnotised

Trash pop

This album was very fun, and lighthearted. It was so refreshing to listen to an Irish band from the 80’s who wasn’t so serious and full of themselves. (I wonder who he is referring to?)

High‑energy and catchy, but the speed and surface‑level vibe keep it from delivering the depth or emotion I usually connect with.

I'll level with you; other than Teenage Kicks and a couple of their other tracks, I don't really rate these dudes. It's well produced but I find the lyrics pretty asinine most of the time. Some will find the youthful naiveté charming but to me it's all a bit too jolly to be punk. And a bit too calculating, somehow. They're closer to their own perfect cousins than they'd like you to think. Maybe a bit sexist in hindsight too.

The opening riff immediately caught my attention and put a smile on my face.

I really wanted to go listen to Bad Habits when I was listening to this. Which I did. The Undertones compared unfavourably. That may not be fair, but if life were fair I’d be unemployed and homeless.

Enjoyable three star - had the two year old and the four year old bopping along at the dinner table

Truly the most 3/5 album of all time

Bueno

Extremely mid "i'm just a boy girls suck" music- just made me want to hear the Buzzcocks instead.

Energetic pop-punk. Great fun. 3.5

Haven’t had time to listen to this properly so briefly catching up. About half way through track 7 and get the measure if it. It’s ok. Not really my thing. Will persevere but I don’t imagine becoming a mega fan. I can imagine collecting albums as a teenager tho.

Conflicted on if I want to call this punk rock or some weird power pop record. Either way a fun listen, the singer sounds like if Jello Biafra came out of the UK instead of the US lmao. 8/10.

Peak pub ambiance

7/10 A pretty fun pop punk album. I kinda wish they switched things up a bit, because even though the songs are short, they started getting a little samey. Still enjoyable regardless.

Worth listening to just for ‘my perfect cousin’ which I think is better than ‘teenage kicks’. This album is great fun and full of energy. A bit more depth and variety than their first album too.

3 5

Ok

3.0 Hypnotised (38:11, 15 tracks, 2nd album, 1980) Punk (early pop punk) Irish (Derry) First listen I was like ‘meh’ but it grew on me. Although the primary lyrical concern of the songs upon this album focused upon teenage angst, boisterousness, and heartbreak (as had been the case with their debut album), several of the songs upon are notably both lyrically and musically more sophisticated than previous material. The Undertones choose not to address The Troubles in Ireland which were ubiquitous in Ireland at the time. Hypnotised was the highest-charting album of their career. Brothers John and Vincent O’Neil originally, and after Vincent left Damian O’neil joined, along with 3 other childhood friends. Two singles: "My Perfect Cousin", and "Wednesday Week". Album Cover – hate it - the photo was taken by Damian O'Neill, and depicts the band's bassist Michael Bradley and drummer Billy Doherty. The image itself was taken at a seafood restaurant in the Bowery, where the band had been taken for a meal by the manager of Sire Records, Seymour Stein, on their first tour of America in September 1979. Favorite Song - Hypnotised and There Goes Norman 1. "More Songs About Chocolate and Girls" 2:43 2. "There Goes Norman" 2:28 3. "Hypnotised" 2:31 4. "See That Girl" 2:25 5. "Whizz Kids" 2:20 6. "Under the Boardwalk" 2:27 7. "The Way Girls Talk" 2:30 8. "Hard Luck" 3:42 9. "My Perfect Cousin" 2:36 10. "Boys Will Be Boys" 1:27 11. "Tearproof" 2:21 12. "Wednesday Week" 2:17 13. "Nine Times Out of Ten" 2:38 14. "Girls That Don't Talk" 2:27 15. "What's With Terry?" 3:19 The Undertones Feargal Sharkey - lead vocals John O'Neill - guitar, vocals Damian O'Neill - guitar, keyboards, vocals Michael Bradley - bass, keyboards (on "See That Girl"), vocals Billy Doherty - drums

this was really good, the whole album sounded super tight

Quick, fun album. 80’s bop-style punk. Sounds like something Tony Hawk grew up skating to.

It's fun for about 3 songs, after that it gets a little corny. They're still good at rhythm sections and have cool energy, but something about it rubs me the wrong way a bit.

не попал в меня это какой-то clash

Nice and chilled thx

This is another 3.5 for me, but I can't seem to bump it up to 4 for this scale, as I just think it is "good" but not really that impressive. I'm not a big pop punk fan, so maybe this proto-pop punk just doesn't move me in any significant way. I would listen to this album again, but that doesn't make it anything so incredibly substantial; it's just fun and a good time.

I didn't even need to listen to this to rate it, I know this album by heart. From Feargal's voice to the killer guitar parts and catchy songs, this is a pop album masquerading as a punk album, and I 100% love it for exactly those reasons. The first album (the U.S. version at least) has a slight edge in songwriting, especially since You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It) was technically a non-album single and not on this LP, but still, absolutely essential. If you don't love this, I don't know what to say.

A fun album although the tracks all start to sound the same by the end.

UNDER THE BOARDWALK

Fun album.

Never heard of these guys before and I enjoyed this listen. 60s garage punk new wave with simple but good melodies and the singer's voice reminded me a bit of Jello Biafra with his vibrato. This is definitely in my rotation now

There's just something about early punk I love

It was ok. Like a watered down Beach Boys.

Even before pop punk was a global phenomena and aesthetic choice for suburban youth in the late 1990’s, these guys were still singing about women as if they were some mysterious object over some super simple 4-chord-choruses. Some things don’t change. “Hypnotised” has the best chorus imo, the ‘H-Y-P Hypnotised’ line is great. Interesting cover of “Under The Boardwalk” that didn’t go off too terribly. But “Boys Will Be Boys” was my least favorite, as the title isn’t the only time that dumb line is mentioned in this album. 3/5 just put it on and have some fun

I need more Undertones in my life!

Just as I was finishing the album and thinking how much I enjoyed it, but also didn't think they probably justified having two albums in this collection, I discovered that I'd already listened to their debut album several hundred albums ago, and enjoyed that album a lot as well. It's not often that you get a band that puts together a solid track list, powers through them all (with a few fun videos thrown in), and you end up with only a few duds among the lot. My favorites were probably "More songs about chocolate and girls", "Hypnotised", "Wednesday week" and the ending pairing "Girls that don't talk" and "What's with Terry". And a great cover photo of the bassist and drummer setting down in the Bowery to seafood on their US tour. Well done (again), Undertones!

Wednesday Week was my favorite track on this new-to-me album. As a whole, the album is a fun pop/punk/rock blend and I appreciate their commitment to their unpretentious sound, which varies a nice amount across this album.

Ok

Easy to listen to. Extra point for lobster bibs on the album cover.

Enjoyed it...strong 3.

A decent little pop-punk album. Solid riffs only marred by the occasional dud track, Sharkey's overdone vibrato or both.

This is the soundtrack to a movie in the 80s where the nerdy kid gets hot because they got contacts instead of glasses and the braces came off.

New wave Irish guys, enjoyed and could listen again

1: Wednesday Week 2: Boys Will Be Boys 3: My Perfect Cousin

It's sort of like a big Mac. It's fine, but there's a world of food I'd prefer.

Rating: 7/10

Another gem from the Golden Era. Chooons, riffs, and joyful, funny and imaginative songs from start to finish. Sit down, relax, and cancel all other engagements.

Good fun, never heard before, thank you album game 🙏

Nostalgic even though I’ve never heard it before

This might be the most embarrassing album on this list. I'd wager even the members of The Undertones don't know why they're on this list.

Een soort crossover tussen punk en glamrock. Klinkt weer eens alsof het in een diepe put is opgenomen (maar kennelijk dus in Hilverrsum), maar op een bepaalde manier wel aanstekelijk. Ik had veel erger verwacht. Ze doen muzikaal leuke dingetjes, de zang is wat zeikerig, maar vooruit.

Het eerdere album van de Undertones werd door mij vrolijkmakende punk genoemd. Dit album heeft dat ook wel in zich. Al voelt het iets volwassener. Ik begin mij te ergeren aan de trillende stem. Was dat op het vorige album ook al? Eens terugluisteren. Yep, best wel. Maar op het vorige album wint de vrolijkheid duidelijk, terwijl bij Hypnotised mijn vrolijkheid redelijk in balans is met mijn ergernis.

We hebben eerder het debuut gehad van de Undertones, de plaat die bijna het hitje achterwege had gelaten. Verder had dat album weinig om handen voor zover ik me kan herinneren. Wat me nu wel opvalt, is dat er wel degelijk een kleine ontwikkeling in de muziek zit. Het klinkt iets volwassener, of meer poppy, net hoe je het wilt zien. Met nog steeds prima zang, helemaal voor een punkbandje. Dat volwassenere geluid uit zich ook in het genre van de liedjes. Waar het nog begint met een punky geluid, is er vervolgens meer afwisseling. Misschien is dat het begin van het einde van de band, want de zanger is natuurlijk daarna een solocarriere begonnen. De zanger van een punkband en solocarriere, dat hoor je niet vaak in 1 zin. Maar we kennen Feargal Sharkey dus met name van de 80s oorwum "a Good Heart" en dat stemgeluid herken je hier ook. De 80s ballads worden op dit album gelukkig achterwege gelaten. Het klinkt allemaal prima, een beetje braaf (het jeugdige is er duidelijk af), er staat een klein hitje op met "My Perfect Cousin". Laten we weer een 3 geven net als het debuutalbum.

Toll

Not my style of music at all. Was never a fan of the 1980s era British punk sound or scene.

Early 80s punk/alt short tunes nothing really stood out boring after a while

18 two and a half minute pop songs (on average) by a bunch of lads from Derry. There's not much "punk" about this though. Totally insubstantial.

Surprisingly enjoyable...

Never heard of them or this album, but it's crazy that seems to predate pop punk by a decade+. Pretty enjoyable, cleaner punk. 4* Highlights: there goes norman

I like the UNdertones but this kind of morphed into the background of whatever I was doing. Irish though so they get and extra star lol

Cool album

I was not expecting to get the other Undertones record in the book so soon after I got the self-titled debut. Although the major boon of listening to these two albums within a relatively short time span of each other is that the debut is fresh in my mind when going into their second record, Hypnotised. This makes the review of the latter relatively easy, as I can simply put that this album is more of the same from The Undertones. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing, as there are some notable bands out there that found a working formula, and The Undertones seemed to fit in that camp. If the catchy guitar riffs, harmonious vocals, and tight rhythm section already work well for these songs of teenage restlessness, then why not continue to build upon that stable foundation? It certainly helps that the production sounds a bit more polished than the debut, further brightening the guitar textures. Yet, much like with the debut, I'm not sure how well this record stands out compared to the pantheon of pop punk and related music that came before and after, especially as it's clear they continued to crib from the Ramones and Buzzcocks a year later. Also, I'll freely admit that I'm ambivalent towards their cover of The Drifters' "Under the Boardwalk". Not badly played, but also not enough of a distinguishable take to feel like an inspired choice. I can only assume that because Hypnotised charted well in the UK at the time of release, it was included in the book. Because otherwise, it is a good record that showcases a band refining its formula, but not to the point where I felt it was needed in addition to the self-titled debut.

Mild post-punk, similar but not as cool as the Ramones. 2/5

was pleasantly surprised by this one. very catchy!

Just a fun album

Another great slice of poppy punk from The Undertones. It's not quite as arresting and urgent as the other one I had a few weeks back, but it's really listenable. The vocals are great and the drumming is noticeably on point and crisp. It also, and this is the second time on the Project I've said this about an album, has a tremendous cover of Under the Boardwalk on it. Given that it's the polar opposite of the Tom Tom Club, but still absolutely stinking, it's clearly a song made to be covered.

Well, the album cover gets a point from me. Creepy yet funny. I’m hearing a bit of The Clash in this. Nah, this is play it safe pop punk. Middle of the road, near the end of the so so pack.

This is just a solid, bouncy time. The rhythms are simple, and it’s got that infectious energy that makes you want to move around the room. Hard to believe this came out decades ago because the production feels surprisingly crisp. It definitely appeals to the part of me that loves a good pop-punk hook. Nothing feels heavy or serious here. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - There Goes Norman - Hypnotised - Boys Will Be Boys - Wednesday Week

Nope, I hadn't heard of the Undertones, though now I realize I had heard of Feargal Sharkey solo in the 80's. Just based on the release date of the record and the bratty rock kind of drive, we might consider Hypnotised to be sort of New Wave, but I kept thinking of a mashup of Public Image Limited and Green Day, like the Undertones could have been a cohort among pretty boy neo-punk bands in the twenty aughties. Snappy, fun guitar romps about juvenile matters.

nothing special about it

Favorite track(s): There Goes Norman, Tearproof, Wednesday Week

Nothing special. Catchy though. 3.5/5

The Undertones would have been a great pop band in any era. The version we got, on this album, was powerpop infused with the sonic signifiers (and sometimes tropes) of new wave in its 1979-80 stage of development. The first track is rather odd (its chocolate-and-girls title self-deprecatorily mimicking the Talking Heads’ rather more weighty-sounding More Songs About Buildings and Food) in the way it’s almost nervous about whether this new album (produced “in less time but with more care” than their surprise hit first record) is all that good. They needn’t have worried as it’s mostly very good indeed. Some of the songs here are really superb pop songs, especially the lovely Wednesday Week, and Tearproof, as well as the hit single My Perfect Cousin. Others are filled with backstreets goofiness about guys called Norman and Terry and everyone’s often fruitless quests for girlfriends. It’s always charming and sometimes sublime. Feargal Sharkey brings one of the most distinctive voices in pop music and Damien O’Neill is a superb guitarist. It’s interesting that their cover of Under The Boardwalk (which could have just been a hurried second album space-filler) sounds so good - proving the point that these guys occupied the postpunk scene but were at heart brilliant pop performers. It has some 5-star tracks but isn’t uniformly strong. Nevertheless, a really good album.

The Undertones are musically and lyrically OK, but I just can't get on with Feargal Sharkey's high pitched warbling singing. I know it's distinctive and probably what others like but it's not for me.

I'd never heard of these guys until a week ago, and now I've gotten them twice in that time. Good album though, so I'm happy about that.

Very 80's

Meh

At first I felt like the sound was kind of outdated, but by the second half of the album it had grown on me and become more charming. Still, it does feel a bit repetitive throughout and there was not really any standout songs

I like how every review compares this to completely different bands. I personally thought it sounded like something between Beatles and Green Day

Another annoying mouthpiece of the Israeli Government. Wait, you're telling me they're just British Rock'N'Roll artists?

3/6

A solid punky album, I enjoyed it for the most part but it didn’t blow me away

I really liked it.

A fun and remarkably good Pop Punk album with a singer that interestingly sounds a lot like Rod Stewart. It might have been even better if the quality of the songs was consistent throughout the whole album, but roughly after a third of the tracklist, the quality dips from "great" to "just fine". Still, a worthwhile listen. 3.5/5

This was like a pop rock Dead Kennedys

The first album I was given that I had never heard of before and I loved it! This is exactly my kind of late punk early post-punk/new wave shit. The Drifters cover especially stood out. Excited to explore this band more.

2.5

Sounds like the ramones. Also hints of oldie rock. The most obvious is the cover of Under the Boardwalk, but other tracks also remind me of an older era (like The Monkeys). Fun listen.

There's a place in the world for big, dumb punk songs. And this is a solid collection of them. Also, A+ album cover

What if Dead Kennedy's decided to do nonsensical pop punk songs about chocolate, perfect cousins, and covers of Motown? Shockingly fun is the answer to that question.

1/5 Had high hopes from the album cover and name, but unfortunately didn’t deliver like i expected it to.

It’s all good, but none of it is great. I like that they pretty exclusively stick to light and fun elements, especially since this was a time when everyone was too serious. It’s performed well and sounds good when it’s on. But very little of it is memorable or exceptional.

15 x CTRL C, CTRL V. Lovely craic, easy silliness let down by early warble

I have to say, I did not enjoy this album. Wiki said it's punk......it is not punk. It's all new wave. It is so new wave, that I thought it was some hidden band with Elvis Costello singing and I instantly hated it. I hated it. I really hated the stupid electrocution vibrato of the singer, Feargal Sharkey. Yes that is his real name. I'm giving it a 2 because it was catchy enough and it wasn't actually Elvis Costello, but they probably deserve a 1 for attempting to emulate him.

I wasn’t sure what to expect jumping into this. The cover seemed very Revenge of the Nerds. I was pleasantly surprised! This was a good post-punk-pop album! I liked their teen angst that felt somewhere between Green Day and Vampire Weekend (…and probably influenced both). The cover of the Drifters Under the Boardwalk was a cool transition point in the album. First off, my dad loved that song and it played frequently on oldies radio so it was fun listening to their version which was more homage than reinvented cover. Second, it felt like it moved the album tone from punk to pop-rock with slower rhythms and melodic lyrical composure and “the Way Girls Talk” and “Hard Luck”. Then it was right back into punk again. Tearproof and Wednesday Week felt like ‘90s indie pop at its best. I am surprised I have never heard of this album before, except maybe in the post-punk era and rise of New Wave it disappeared in the noise. Shame. This deserved more credit! I may be over rating but….

Random thoughts: * This was an interesting listen and lands somewhere between straight 70s punk and Billy Idol. * Straightforward songs about girls, his cousin, and a fun cover of Under The Boardwalk among other rockers. * I appreciated this album and if I found myself in the right mood I could easily throw this one on again. * Art Brut kind of sounds like a modern version of this style of music but is a little dirtier. * I'll try to come back to this one at some point. I could see this growing on me.

Some cheeky Irish Ramones have only gone and bloody invented pop punk! Lots of chugga chugga chords, lots of hooks, lots of harmonies, lots of that thing where the bass goes up and up and up. A very non-aggressive approach to punk that’s more about having fun with the boys than raging against the man - kind of a new wave feel to a lot of the songs, despite no synths/keys.

It’s always such a bummer when summary and reviews of an album imply it might be right up my alley and then it just. Isn’t.

Really enjoyed this, could be getting an artificial bump due to some of the bad stuff we have had recently. It was an enjoyable listen nonetheless. 3.5/5

I could always take or leave these lads, but their impact on future punk/post punk artists should be noted. The songs here are short, catchy and to the point while not taking themselves too seriously. Still, the album is a bit too long. Shave off some songs and it probably gets a higher rating.

Pretty unique, too pop to be punk, and vice versa. Overall found this to be pretty middle of the road, not something I can see myself running back to. And too many songs.

I actually really liked it. Kinda cheeky and not very complex. But loved the chugging guitar, simplicity and attitude. 3.5 and rounding up because the album cover made me laugh.

Dug this. Prob would have rounded up if it included Teenage Kicks, the only song of theirs I actually knew. 3.25/5

Vibes: 3 Instruments: 4 Production: 4 Emotional Value: 2 Storytelling: 3 Album Cover: 0 Stand Outs: Boys Will be Boys, There Goes Norman Overall: 3.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------ The pop punk is slowly growing on me

I never thought I would call something "too dumb for power pop". Maybe incel anthems were just cuter in 1980, but I was entertained the whole time, and even checked out their debut. But, yes, the charm wears thin quickly and I can't imagine revisiting this.

Valt niet zoveel over te zeggen, prima

Heb hier weinig mee maar is niet bad. Prima 2 1/2

Simpel, catchy en fun 3/5

Had zijn momenten

Een soort blije, burgelijke smoothie van punk, new wave en pop. Deze mannen hoorden London Calling in '79 en dachten 'we doen dit maar dan gaar'. Ten minste wel vrolijk.

***An ok album

More Songs About Chocolate and Girls - 3/5 There Goes Norman - 3/5 Hypnotised - 4/5 See That Girl - 3/5 Whizz Kids - 4/5 Under the Boardwalk - 5/5 The Way Girls Talk - 4/5 Hard Luck - 4/5 My Perfect Cousin - 4/5 Boys Will Be Boys - 5/5 Tearproof - 4/5 Wednesday Week - 3/5 Nine Times Out of Ten - 5/5 Girls That Don't Talk - 3/5 What's With Terry? - 4/5 Average score: 3.9/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dead Kennedys if they were a bunch of cheery irish lads? i'm not sure i love this yet, though it's growing on me after a couple listens. they sound like they had fun making this at the very least and that's pretty cool i agree the main singer's voice sounds kinda like Jello Biafra so maybe that's why i was able to see the redeeming qualities of this album. both groups formed/made music around the same time as each other so who knows if they had any influence on one another, if at all

I would put them alongside The Jam. Punky fun.

“The Troubles” was an epic understatement for a time of unemployment, random terrorism and military occupation. The Undertones stuck two fingers up at all of that and got on with writing more songs about chocolate and girls. Following up the best song about teenage angst ever written was always going to be a tall order but they come pretty close with the fifteen tracks on offer here. Heartfelt, funny, angry razor sharp lyrics combined with tight guitars and drums playing perfect punk. Completely relatable for anyone who was a spotty teenager worrying about their life. Subbuteo-tastic!

quite the set of nothing-burger tracks, innit?

Music is fine but Feargal Sharkey’s voice is annoying. A positive grade for the punky attitude but a better singer elevates it.

Thought I’d like this more

Cock robster

This was mostly easy to listen and smooth.

Very catchy guitar riffs. You know when you see 15 songs in 38 minutes you probably got a punk album. The music here raises it above a typical punk album, but the spirit is definitely there. Sounds like they may have had some fun making this album.

An album that got better the more I listened to. An album I could truly rock to 🤘

It was ok

A fun listen - I like the style. I could have lived without the cover of Under the Boardwalk, but there are so many other bangers on here

They are pretty fun but nothing that is jaw dropping. Easy to listen to. 3.5

A solid album / but not my favorite from them

The Undertones are one of those bands that really helped lay the groundwork for pop punk. I’ll always have a soft spot for them because back in my late teens, I worked with an old-school punk who introduced me to their music. Since I was deep into new wave at the time, he told me The Undertones were my “beginner punk band” to help bridge the gap between new wave and punk.

Pleasant power pop punk that makes an effort not to offend. Fun album that is just enough not to be bad but a far shot from great.

Good old fashioned riff driven rock.

“Hypnotized” is a professional but otherwise unremarkable punk pop album. Feargal Sharkey is a pretty good singer, the band doesn't just strum chords, and the production is fine. But what The Undertones lack are good songs or truly inspiring ideas. It sounds like a music school band that is professionally coached but stands for nothing. Irrelevant.

Meh

A 2 because I enjoyed the first song or two. But then it was straight meh.

I do like a good punk album. This counts I suppose. I think I like their first album a bit better than this one but it’s still solid. I don’t like these albums that are 15 songs and 30 minutes long but that was the fad with this music I suppose. I’d give this one a good 3.5/5 but I’m rounding down because it’s not a 4 at all.

Endlich mal wieder etwas zum Entdecken in dieser Liste. Simpel, handgemacht, ehrlich, gut!

Actually really quite good

love!

I was about to give "Hypotised" a 2-star rating, but halfway through, I realised it was actually decent. Sharkey's singing is off-putting sometimes. Luckily, the rest of The Undertones aren't as bad. "Hypnotised" is a good album, but it doesn't deserve to be on the list. There are already about 20 similar punk bands from 1980. 3 stars for "Hypotised".

This sucks nothing remarkable whatsoever

Enjoyed the first couple songs then it got really repetitive

esperava menos?? foi mais agradável do que achei que seria

mais legal que o último deles que passou por aqui. pop punk rapidinho gostoso demais. ainda falta um temperinho, mas eh bem divertidinho de ouvir. tem umas guitarrinha boa!!

punk from NI, Feargal has a very distinct voice, one of the few people I can name that sing with an accent

Gear: ZMF Bokeh Closed Artwork: 🍽️🦞😬 Production: 🎧😐🆗 Music: 🏃‍➡️🧱💥 Rating: 😵‍💫😵‍💫/5

An album of mediocre pop punk that is undistinguishable from hundreds of other bands. The one positive is the heavy influence of the band Sparks.

Light and fun. Some good sounds. Worth a listen but didn’t leave me wanting more.

Слишком веселый и ровный для меня, хотя были и неожиданности. Не знал, что ставить - 3 или 4.

For some reason my brain thinks this band sounds like a mix of Green Day and Beach Boys? Fun album to listen to.

White boys with some groove. Felt personally attacked by the favorite cousin

Ok, didn't grab me but Worth a relisten

I can see how they influenced many of my favorite bands.

Fun album. Feels like been a teenager in the 80s Britain. This sound would be the landmark for the pop punk of the 90s. Great discovery. Fav. track: My perfect cousin.

Listenable.

Звучит

Nice, straight forward, fun punk / post-punk

Okay? I guess?

Had never heard of them apart from "Teenage Kicks," which isn't on this record. It's fine. Kind of grew on me the more I listened, but still found myself wishing I was listening to The Buzzcocks or something instead. The "Under the Boardwalk" cover is truly terribly, though.

7/10

2.9

I've seen the Undertones play live a number of times since they got the band back together. Last time was last summer at the Halifax Piece Hall where they supported the Saw Doctors. And were much the superior band on the night. They're a band that are at their best when they forget about being creative and just focus on dumb entertainment. For most of this they do that, although in places... Well, let's just say that Under the boardwalk is best skipped and move on... At that gig last summer they had a sign interpreter on stage. I now know how to sign "flick to kick" – it won't surprise anyone. My Perfect Cousin is probably the best song on the album and has a place in any Undertones compilation. They're probably a better listen on a compilation as it happens, but there you go. There appear to be a number of songs that reference subbuteo. Maybe I'll put a playlist together...

Pop punk that is a bit more pop than punk. It's perfectly average. Nothing stood out to me and nothing was bad. I'd leave it on if it was playing, but I wouldn't start playing it.

The Good: Who doesn’t like to look at a pendulum swing? The Bad: I don’t like walking like a chicken… The Ugly: Me, standing but naked once the hypnosis has stopped working… The Undertones, such a perfectly qualification for a band’s name as they are undertones… or nontones… neither here nor there… The only thing I can recall about this album was scratching my head and asking myself if that was Mr Sharkey I was hearing… and it was… and that’s when my good heart was no longer hard to find… Still, doubt I ever want to listen to this album again… really… unless someone pulls out a pendulum and tells me that, when they snap their fingers, I will love this album and rate it a 5*… 3* guess the pendulum didn’t work...

Enjoyable. Interested in learning more about the Northern Irish rock scene

I'd never heard anything about this band or album before. This was fine. Fun catchy power pop/pop punk, not sure why I'd go back to this album over other bands in the genre though. Just nothing really stood out to me even though overall it was an easy listen and a solid record.

I liked this. Fun rock album from North Ireland band. Good cover of Under the Boardwalk.

The Undertones have always had this Ramones-like contradiction about them. On the surface they look and play like scrappy, leather-jacketed punks with loud guitars, shooting out two-minute bursts of punk rock. But then you listen to the lyrics, you realise they're singing about girls, chocolate, cousins, awkward crushes, and the very innocent chaos of teenage life. They sound less like snarling anti-establishment outsiders and more like five lads your parents would happily let you hang around with. I came in through "Teenage Kicks", of course, the gateway drug for most Undertones fans. And once I had a chance to see them in my hometown, with Paul McLoone fronting, I dove into the back catalogue. "Hypnotised" has some great hooks: short, bright, unpretentious. The guitars are still doing that ragged, three-chord punk thing, but there's a lot of colour here, feeling surfy, bubblegum and a bit garage at the same time. Feargal Sharkey sings like he's somewhere between crooning and yelping. It sounds strange to describe it, but when you listen to The Undertones, it all just clicks perfectly. They just wrote short, perfect songs and played them like they meant it. As a side note during that hometown gig, a friend of mine, in a moment of pure impulsiveness, stole guitarist John O’Neill’s performer lanyard straight off the stage and used it to get backstage to hang out with The Dirty Three, The Frames and Buddy Guy. And that's a lot more punk rock than any of the Undertones' lyrics.

Thought it was pretty good. Definitely preferred the last few tracks to some of the earlier songs. Would happily listen to it again every note and then. 3.5 rounded down.

At first this was a 3 for me, but multiple songs on this album have made it into my regular rotation, especially the titular Hypnotized, i actually really like this album and think it deserves a 4 upon further reflection.

The Under the Boardwalk cover was terrible at times, but the rest was dumb fun. 3.8.

Is this new and unique? Not really. Is it fun? Hell yeah. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 2/5

This album was a pleasant surprise to me. 4 stars or B.

6/10 basically all the songs sounded the same.

I’m assuming this is an album of covers? Not a huge fan as I love the OG songs much more. But this was kind of cute.

It was okay.

Funny

This is some fun new wave/post-punk UK pop that I knew nothing about until listening to this, and I was happy to learn about it.

I had never heard of this album or even band before. It's really good post-punk

I’m not sure I “had” to listen to this but it was fine. Makes me excited for the Clash and Ramones records on this list.

az jensie said, boring stoned weezer not worth playing again, bg musik. 100 % agree

man.....

More fun than I expected.

wise beyond their years - short snappy songs about chocolate and girls. joyous

Interesting….will take this for a spin again

Enjoyed this! Early early punk!

Don’t think I have heard of them but this was a fun listen. Solid.

A fun little bit of “softcore“ punk. I enjoyed it, but not enough to round up from 3.5 simply because there’s a little chance I would seek this out to listen to again. But I’m not mad.

Bubblegum punk? Very simple, but easy to listen to. 3.5

It's decent early 80's pop-rock, I guess? Unsure why it's required pre-death, though.

Not bad but not sure if listen to again

Not bad, but not very memorable either. The Undertones are consistently underwhelming. Perfectly average is most ways.

Classic

135/1089 this genre of music just isn’t a bit of me, lyrically, instrumentally or vocally… Under The Boardwalk in particular was quite annoying i appreciate that the songs are mostly shorter and to the point, Wednesday Week is the most bearable along with What’s With Terry? 18/100

Their second album. Pop Punk. Pretty average. I was soon bored and it's not even a long album. I didn't like the Under The Boardwalk cover either. Overall a bit dull.

solid 80s dad band

Very fine punk. Good stuff. Like their self-titled album I like the cheeky Under The Boardwalk amongst all the fully punk songs.

It's a 1980s British version of The Beach Boys. Lots of love songs about girls. Favorite Track: "The Way Girls Talk".

The fact that there are two albums by this band tells me all I need to know about this stupid list. That said this is more refined and more well produced. And longer. They clearly have their own sound now. But I don't think any of that actually makes for a better album. Another meh for me

I was digging this, very clash-esque

Perfectly fine 80's punk. Nothing great, nothing bad Best Song: Whizz Kids Rating: 6.5/10 Stars: 3

Enjoyable, but didn't quite connect with me to the extent of their debut album; whether that's a judgement of the album or just my mood on the day, I'm not sure. Anyway, a solidly high 3.

3 stars

This left me Hypnotized.

Now I don't know if Tom Tom Club's under the boardwalk is a cover or not. Either way decent early pop punk over here.

Pretty average euro pop punk album. If you weren’t positive they were European, the references to University Challenge and Subbuteo in the song about Cousin Kevin give it away. The songs mostly sound the same and have the same juvenile (though not really in a bad way) content. Made me want to listen to the clash instead, to be honest.

No clue what to expect here. More Songs About Chocolate and Girls - 5/10. Typical early 80's pop. There Goes Norman - 5/10. Typical early 80's pop. Hypnotised - 5/10. Typical early 80's pop. See That Girl - 5/10. Typical early 80's pop. Whizz Kids - 6/10. More fun than the tracks that came before. Under the Boardwalk - 3/10. Not a good cover. The Way Girls Talk - 5/10. Meh. Hard Luck - 7/10. This is better than anything that's come before it. My Perfect Cousin - 6/10. Good, but not quite as good as Hard Luck. Boys Will We Boys - 5/10. Meh. Tearproof - 5/10. Not bad, but not great. Wednesday Week - 6/10. On the better side of the album. Nine Times out of Ten - 5/10. Average track for this album. Girls that Don't Talk - 5/10. What's with Terry - 6/10. Better than average for the album. Overall Rating - 2.63/5 (5.27/10). This almost feels as though it's trying to be Pop, New-Wave, and light Punk all at once, and, in doing so, doesn't really do any of them terribly well.

A few mildly catchy riffs, but why does every song have to be about teenage kicks?

9/10… Punk / College Rock / *1980

I guess I’d be ok if I came across these guys playing at a bar or something, but wouldn’t seek it out. I’ll give a 3 but then think most of my other 3’s should now be 4

This was pretty alright. I listened to it twice, and enjoyed it, but it was a little one-note. Three stars.

5/10

Fun old school rock

Love the cover There goes Norman is awesome Power pop dead kennedys

Pop-punk, new wave, Dead Kennedys, Dead Milkmen. Just no teeth. Like none. Kinda dumb.

A great time that starts out repetitive but shifts enough along the way that I stayed engaged throughout.

Pretty much the same review as the Self Titled. Vocals aren't bothering me as much, but yeah.

Meh punk album. None of the "lightning in a bottle" magic from the Teenage Kicks single.

Not for me. 1/5

The songs are pretty dumb, but they probably knew that. Solid execution. Not for me.

I’m curious

Muito bom! 3,5

Poppier than I expected

Can't say I was totally hypnotized by this album, but the charm lives in its self awareness of how dumb it is. That's smart and fun for the artist, but I'm still not sold.

It didn’t seem like enough new ground was trod here to justify two records from this band appearing on this list, and though the album cover did spark some joy, the incessant vocal warble really wore me down this time around.

Didn't finish the album, the warbly vocals very much didn't do it for me.

An infectious record that blends punk energy with pop sensibility. Hypnotised captures the band’s knack for youthful hooks while showing evolution in their songwriting. It’s still got that teenage charm and cheek, but with more polish and confidence. The result feels like a bridge between raw punk and the more melodic pop-punk that would come decades later: fun, catchy, and unpretentious.

Fun record. Has some punk influences, which I dig. It's an upbeat record, that's short and to the point, but kept my attention throughout. I dig the vibe that they lay down on this one.

Lyder lidt som noget musik man har hørt før, men man har ikke hørt det før, lidt meh tsk

God vibe, lidt absurd lyrik men ik så meget substans :)!?

Cute and fun

Easy listen but not memorable

I mean, pretty basic pop punk. The yodel singing was the only thing that keep this from a 5. 4/5

it made me laugh a few times, especially with the more songs about chocolate and girls. they don't take themselves to seriously but this also is to their detriment a bit? I don't the music is bad, but because it's almost to pop punk, they lose some of the seriousness. maybe they didn't care. I sensed some brian wilson inspo

Poppy, punky, nerdy garage rock… It’s fine, 2 stars.

Eh, it's ok. No issue with the music. But nothing stood out - just bog standard punk rock.

just boring.. the two blokes on the album cover look like kids from school that I would have avoided.....

Com certeza muitas pessoas nos anos 80 gastaram suas agulhas profundamente com este disco, o mantendo em constante rotação. Dá pra entender o porquê. Ele possui tudo que você pode querer em um disco de pop-rock, riffs poderosos e refrões memoráveis e fáceis de cantar. Nada aqui é plenamente desagrádavel, tudo é competente o suficiente. Mas no grande ano de 2025, é difícil pensar em muitos motivos para descer o play neste álbum, em específico. Tudo aqui é bem derivativo, e já foi feito de maneiras bem mais impressionantes por outras bandas e artistas vastamente mais talentosos, e com canções bem mais atemporais. É leve e divertido. Passa rápido, e a capa é bem legal. Só não é muito inspirador. 3.5/5

He’s got a good voice. I like it. But what’s wrong with the vibratos…anyway. Music wise ok, pleasant. Very happy.

Pretty underwhelming album. Not a lot of defining songs, and it was pretty monotone to me for most of the listen. I actually really liked the last song on the album, but otherwise it was pretty meh

I thoroughly enjoyed this album. I can’t say that every song was good, but the overall style was great and most of the songs had cool musical ideas in them that kept the album interesting.

I really enjoyed this but I couldn’t get over how, on a couple songs, the lead singer sounds exactly like the lead singer of a 90s Christian Ska band I used to listen to. There were fun groves and I definitely wasn’t expecting an Under the Boardwalk cover from an early punk band. I wouldn’t mind listening to this again or checking out more of their music.

I like the early pop punk kind of sound this band has, but I can't stand the ridiculous vibrato that makes it sound like this guy's trying to start a dead lawn mower.

6/10

No su mejor álbum, peeeero tampoco es horripilante.

Better than the first album. But the singers voice isn't my favourite. Also, did this band really deserve two albums on this list?

Kudos for including a bit of post-punk on the list. Unfortunately, it’s nothing to shake much of a stick at.

Very fun!

Again, pretty decent, non-obnoxious punk. I don’t think there’s need for a second album of theirs on this list but whatever.

This band sounded almost exactly like I imagined they would, even though I have never heard them before. The one surprising thing, however, was the flavor of sixty’s rock mixed with new wave. They almost hooked me but not quite.

Fast paced upbeat albums are always easy to listen to. I could hear the influence on lots of indie rock bands that followed 25 years later. Some tracks were a little weaker than others but it overall felt like a very cohesive listening experience in terms of tone. If I could give it 3.5 I would.

Always cool to discover a new band through this project. This is the kind of punk I enjoy. Fun, catchy, borderline silly

Fun little romp. What is with Terry?

I really enjoyed this

Just not sure why this was included. It’s not bad but it’s not awesome either.

I like their sound, but the lyrics are insipid

Oof not for me

A fun listen, but nothing special

This album is a roller coaster for me. Some songs I enjoy and find to be fun, others I find to be boring and tired. It weirdly inconsistent for me. It does fit the new wave sound well though.

Power-pop riffs, with the 70s punk vocal sound. It sounded very American (I was quite surprised to find they were from Northern-Ireland). There were parts of the album that I did enjoy. But, at the same time, it's one of those albums that has clearly inspired and influenced others who have gone on to do it better. Some pretty lame lyrics in there too. Song about chocolate?! Not great. Did enjoy the Under the Boardwalk cover. I listened, I got it, I didn't actively enjoy it. But I didn't hate it. 3 Stars.

This album is like playing hide and seek in a mirror maze with your friends. You’re having fun, but there’s a frantic undertone and you are scared of being caught.

Was alright. Started off well bit a bit one trick by the end.

Ok so the last time I got an album for The Undertones it was their debut album. Which I really liked and was interested in, but didn’t blow me away. This album was better than the last but definitely more of the same (in a good way). One of my biggest praises of their first album rings true with this album as well, namely being that the album is short, fast, and sweet. 15 songs at 38mins? That’s what we like to hear! Also I saved almost every song on the album where with the last one I think I only saved about half. Great album, definitely excited about maybe hearing more from them. Also small, side note, under the boardwalk is a great song and their cover is awesome!

I like it, some songs more than others, but overall I'd listen again.

so unbelievably boring

Enjoyable early “pop punk”. Heard lots of Sex Pistols, cars, Ramones, television, clash, influences probably go both ways but can’t be bothered to remember the timelines.

Why is this album here? Nothing on Wikipedia suggests it belongs on this list. The music is fine, I just question why I "must" listen to it. What great album was sacrificed to make room for this one?

Fun new wave with a sense of humour and self-awareness. Feargal Sharkey's voice does get annoying across a whole album though. Definitely more of a great singles band. Under the Boardwalk cover seems completely pointless.

Rattles on rightly

It's good to know that not all music on this list is amazing or awful. Didn't love this, didn't hate it. Just a pleasant listen. I don't understand why we need 2 albums of these guys on the list though? Surely we just need the debut that has the hits on it?

Great album, great band.

Never heard of this before. Some of the vocals remind me of Dead Kennedys, that warble. I like the punky sound.

Reminds me of Johnny Rotten on vocals with the vibrato. Otherwise it’s typical late 70s punk. 3/5

..

(1/5) Not really my flavor. Fun "Under The Boardwalk" cover.

מןזיקה שהתיישנה די רע אבל נשארה עם הרבה נהאנרגיות שעשו אותה מיוחדת לתקופה הזאת

Yeah it's okay, nothing horrible but fades into the background 3/5

Why is this here? Moderately successful British pseudo punk? I'd give it a 2 for just not being abjectly horrid, but the warble is just too cringe. And the lyrics? This sounds written by my tweenager.

Fav: Under The Boardwalk Least Fav: Hypnotised Couple of good songs in a sea of mediocrity

Super fun but not terribly essential My Perfect Cousin gets all the plaudits for rhyming cabbage with university challenge

I hear a lot of this sound and cadence in groups like Rancid and Goldfinger. Maybe a poppier take on the Ramones? Just those simple driving punk rhythms and drumlines. Not sure I will listen to this again, but if I hear it again I won't turn it off. Bonus points for it being a (Northern) Irish band.

Fun and a little goofy. I was tapping my foot to the beat the whole time, but I do kind of feel like the wiki entry for this kind of oversold it

01) More Songs About Chocolate and Girls - 7,0 02) There Goes Norman - 6,5 03) Hypnotised - 6,5 04) See That Girl - 6,5 05) Whizz Kids - 6,0 06) Under the Boardwalk - 7,0 07) The Way Girls Talk - 6,5 08) Hard Luck - 7,0 09) My Perfect Cousin - 10,0 10) Boys Will Be Boys - 7,0 11) Tearproof - 7,0 12) Wednesday Week - 8,0 13) Nine Times Out of Ten - 6,5 14) Girls That Don't Talk - 6,5 15) What's With Terry? - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,97 (70/100)

Terrible cover, but fun album. Wouldn't put it at the top of my list, but it was a good listen.

Never heard of these guys before ... not sure I would seek out more, but it was still a good listen today!

ожидала романтичных песен, а музыкально получила панк, неприятный поворот

Nice little early 80s punk album but nothing terribly special about it.

Not as bad as some of the reviews made them out to be. Had I heard if them before? They're my generation, but no, I hadn't heard of them. I give them a 3

This is a well done easy to listen to album. I wouldn't say that it is ground breaking but I think it's interesting and fun.

Angsty adolescent punky new wave pop. I had only ever heard 'Teenage Kicks', which I easily loved for its frustrated, angry, sweet, hooky, edgy rawness. This is more of the same. A lot more. Rocked out on the clever "More Songs About Chocolate and Girls" (because, like, of course) and my head bobbed to "Hypnotized" (great chord changes). But it's monochrome and some droppable tracks (like the not good cover of 'Under the Boardwalk').

Underwhelmed by The Undertones. Seemed like completely pedestrian punk rock. Maybe I would feel differently if I grew up listening to their stuff, but I can’t recover whatever it is that made them special.

Wouldn’t be made if someone were to throw this on. But after listening to it yesterday I can’t recall a single thing about it. 2.5/5

I have a real soft spot for the Undertones and had the greatest hits on heavy rotation in my teen years. I really like Fergal Sharkey's delivery and the playful nature of the songs. I prefer the debut album and I think the Board Walk cover is poor (no one can touch the Bruce Willis version..) but sentimentality is sufficient to squeeze it to a low 5.

Hypnotised Quite partial to The Undertones and I’ve always liked Fergal Sharkey’s voice, and like him more now that he campaigns to try and get chicken shit out of our rivers. My Perfect Cousin and Wednesday Week are really the only songs I was aware of prior listening, but there are some gems on here. I presume the title of More Songs About Chocolate and Girls is a reference to More Songs about Buildings and Food, and it’s a great track, and a perfect example of them hitting that sweet spot of pop-punk that captures the yearnings and feelings and frustrations of adolescence, but with a smart, knowing viewpoint. It carries on much in that vein, There Goes Norman feels like it shares a kinship with My Perfect Cousin, and What’s With Terry, as a nicely drawn character sketch, See That Girl has Kinksy pre Britpop stomp, Whizz Kids is another great slice of power-pop-punk. The Way Girls Talk and Wednesday Week add a lovely dose of lower tempo melancholy, but allied with their knack for melody, hooks and memorable choruses. My Perfect Cousin is of course a brilliant, brilliant song, I just love the way he pronounces University Challenge. Girls That Don’t Talk is another lovely power pop track with a great riff. The only real misstep is the cover of Under The Boardwalk, which while fine, with its punkish reggae lilt, feels a bit superfluous, but it doesn’t detract from a great, fun album of fine. knowing punk pop. Solid 4. 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 Playlist submission: My Perfect Cousin

I get The Knack and Ramones, I get Talking Heads, I get Devo, I get forefathers of Futureheads, Franz Ferdinand and other British guitar riff bands. A great musical sphere in which to cavort about. The riffs feel simple and the melodies effortless. The production doesn't bury anything under distortion. 'Hard Luck', great song. Have I heard it? Sounds ripe for an Apple advert with a gen z mucking about on a skateboard. Maybe a criticism is that a couple of tracks could be shaved off - but there's no obvious filler. I haven't seen this widely recited as a progenitor of melodic pop-punk but it surely is. Well-crafted and catchy as heck.

Fun and a unique sound. It’s also great when I am able to listen on vinyl.

This was decent until it hit the very unfortunate cover of Under The Boardwalk. Yikes. I recommend checking out "True Colours" by Split Enz instead for your 1980 post punk new wave fix.

Kind of fun

It was good but we can't remember

The best song was the last one- What's with Terry. Very catchy.

Started off Meh…. then got worse.

Not bad . Brit Pop Under the Boardwalk. Again uneventful… 5.0

Extra points for having most songs under 3 minutes. This was not bad, but had no elements that jumped out at me. It evoked in me The Lemonheads meeting The Kinks, with nothing to distinguish their sound.

Fun!

The album is ok. I’ve never been the biggest fan of The Undertones. Their music just feels bland.