Episode 208 - Manic Pop Thrill by That Petrol Emotion
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All genres are littered with bands that somebody somewhere thinks are unsung. Some are unsung because they influenced other, more successful acts, whereas there are artists that are unsung because they just didn’t land quite the right way at the right time. That Petrol Emotion are, arguably, the latter.
Formed by the brothers O’Neill from the ashes of legendary pop punk band The Undertones, That Petrol Emotion immediately come across as a whole different proposition on their 1986 debut album Manic Pop Thrill. Sure, primary songwriter (on this and subsequent album Babble) John O’Neill had already proven he knew his way around a tune in his old band, but this new outfit were something else entirely. Daring, politically charged post-punk all but blows away the cheerier, more saccharine vibes of The Undertones, and the result is truly great.
Our guest host this week, Ferruccio, is a huge post-punk nerd (as you all know by now) and he was torn between this album and follow up Babble. It’s a close call indeed - Babble is darker but also with a couple singles in tow - but on balance, we feel he’s made the right call here.
After Babble things start to go a bit weird for the band. John O’Neill left and the direction of the band changed from album to album, and by the time they called it quits in 1994 they were edging towards are more American radio rock, REM influenced vibe. A far cry from this album.
Is it an unsung classic? As ever, the choice is yours. Vote below.
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