Now this is more like it.
Every time I listen to synthpop or New Romantic music I generally get bored by the end of the album because the tracks blend into each other and it’s hard to really sense the personality.
Not so here. The Thompson Twins have personality and quirk to spare – their songs are already a little more varied than your average synthpop band – their variety reminds me a bit of Eurythmics – but their arrangements are the real star here, I think. Unlike most of the other synthpop bands I’ve heard, this is not a band that is scared of using non-electronic instruments, and the percussion that is all over the record (whether real or programmed) adds a depth of sound that is completely missing on so many sythpop records from this era.
And it also feels like I’m listening to a distinct voice – no matter how many keyboard overdubs are on this record, it still feels like there is a person who has written these songs. That’s not to say that most synthpop songwriters appear as machines, but merely to say that it’s more clear here, more individualistic.
This is not a genre I like, but if I’m going to listen to a synthpop record, let this be it.
8/10
- “Love On Your Side” – 4:25
- “Lies” – 3:12
- “If You Were Here” – 2:55
- “Judy Do” – 3:47
- “Tears” – 5:02
- “Watching” – 3:58
- “We Are Detective” – 3:05
- “Kamikaze” – 3:55
- “Love Lies Bleeding” – 2:49
- “All Fall Out” – 5:26
- Tom Bailey – vocals, synthesizer, drum programming
- Alannah Currie – xylophone, percussion, vocals
- Joe Leeway – congas, synthesizer, vocals
- Boris Williams – cymbals on “If You Were Here” & “Tears”
- Grace Jones – background vocals on “Watching”
- Monte Brown – guitar on “Watching”