This Week's Forgotten Gem of the '80s - The The's "Uncertain Smile"

As commodified as synth pop and new wave ultimately became once MTV succumbed to homogenizing trends in the genres by 1983 or so, one thing I continue to love about that era is the potential for unique, masterful singles like this one to linger and flourish just outside the mainstream. It's difficult to choose between "Uncertain Smile" and "This Is the Day" as The The's most representative tracks from the group's earlier phase, but leader Matt Johnson, doubtless, has earned some level of '80s immortality on the strength of both tunes. The melodic and rhythmic surprises that spring from merely the former song's intro cast an immediately gripping spell, and when Johnson's atmospheric vocals kick in, the track becomes an unpredictable joy, all the way up to Jools Holland's lengthy piano solo at the end. By turns soulful, complex and clearly "alternative" in the best way, this is '80s music that blows away the canned, keyboard-driven stuff that too often gains the majority of retro music fans' attention. Music like this rewards patience and repeated listens, and if you've read this far I'm probably not telling you something you don't already know.

• Sample or download "Uncertain Smile" here.
• Official The The Website

Album Cover Image Courtesy of Epic