Mike76

I suspected that for someone with decades of New Wave record listening experience like me, listening to this "Turn On.." wouldn't hold any great surprises, and indeed... upon the first listens, it immediately seemed like a tired and overused sound borrowed from many bands from '78 to '82, but more sweetened and polished. This impression was confirmed in subsequent listens, but at least I raised my judgment a bit considering that, after all, the songs themselves aren’t bad. The arpeggiated guitars combined with the melancholic yet melodic voice do indeed remind me of the Chameleons, but that guitar style is also somewhat akin to that of The Edge from U2, to name a not-so-famous example. Yes, you might also find influences from JD or, as pretazzo says, Josef K (maybe in some passages where the bass "pumps" a bit more) or Television, but the fact is that Interpol have a "mid-range" new wave sound that blends together various experiences from those years, as well as from before and after. For example, "Say Hello To The Angels" seems structured along the lines of Eno's "Third Uncle." If I had money to throw away, I would probably spend it on some second or third-tier New Wave group like Crispy Ambulance rather than on this reheated broth. In the end, one can't even say it's a bad record, but to me it has the whole air of a "school assignment." The rating? Any decimal between 2.5 and 3.00.

A spontaneous question arises: but was Photoshop around in 1984?

"Out of Time," however, was nice.

Engaging!

Beautiful album. I really like "154," but it has some experimental tracks that are musically remarkable yet emotionally cold; this one, on the other hand, is emotional from start to finish (and experimentation is still present). One could say that here Colin Newman has not missed a beat (even in the bonus tracks added in the reissue): well-crafted melodies ("Order For Order" above all), a sound that perfectly fits into the '80s without sounding stereotypical, compositions that are indeed "pop" but have little that is reassuring and accommodating, almost a soundtrack for employees, workers, students trapped in their gray life-routine and therefore on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Another New Wave masterpiece.

Great album "VS.", it alone devours for breakfast the discographies of Paola e Chiara and 883.

Ah, anyway, thank you for the review Fedezan, I didn’t even know a book like this had been released and I think I’ll get my hands on it soon. Recently, I took a look online at the interpretation of Siouxie & The Banshees’ lyrics which are full of interesting references to cinema and literature as well as personal experiences, which then leads you to watch those films and read those books to understand the artist's perspective and their lyrics (which in this sense are also "links" to discover more culture).

I agree with the reviewer: I also prefer this to "Mellon Collie & The Infinite Boredom."

Message to Untitled: I hardly ever comment on your reviews but rest assured that I read them and take note for future reference. When I’m not sure which album to buy, I will use your reviews and your links as, to put it in Costanzo’s words, “shopping advice.” In short, my silence is active—don’t be discouraged if only a handful of people comment; your reviews are a luxury for Debaser.

Surprisingly, some tracks like "Armenia" remind me of Diamanda Galas's "The Divine Punishment" (which, however, will be released three years later in '86).