TRUE CONFESSIONS: SINGLES AS PLUS BS

Recorded between 1978 & 1983. Includes liner notes by Paul Lester. Liner Note Author: Michael Bradley. Photographers: Fin Costello; Larry Doherty. Though they were hardly U2 in terms of mass appeal, the Undertones were one of the most important bands to come out of Ireland in the New Wave era. Like the Buzzcocks, they started out combining punky energy with poppy hooks and melodies. Feargal Sharkey's unique, high, tremulous voice and guitarist Damian O'Neill's sharp songwriting put them leagues ahead of most of their peers. Their brief but productive career is expertly chronicled here. Their first single, "Teenage Kicks," was one of the seminal pop-punk records of the late 1970s. Many of the band's early songs took a fresh perspective on the familiar travails of young adulthood. As they moved along, though, the Undertones matured by leaps and bounds, as heard here on the likes of "It's Going to Happen" and "Julie Ocean." Their last efforts incorporated a strong pop-soul flavor, and foreshadowed Sharkey's solo attempts at pop stardom, but ultimately this collection shows that the Undertones never made a real misstep, and often produced sparkling gems that still shine as brightly as ever.