Progression can do two things to a band – it can make them overreach themselves and kill off whatever audience they have. Or, it can add a whole new range of delightful colours to their palette – as is the case here. There’s no “dance direction” or other such horrors, but plenty of fine character studies. These, along with the nimble fretwork, make this a very full-sounding record. However, it’s not just more of the same – its tunefulness is enhanced and a few more bluesy minor chords chime in for good measure. They’ve obviously spent a long time listening to Marc Bolan (for the riffs) and The Faces (for the good-time feel). This album’s sound and overall feel is much harder than Costello Music – it’s a little darker in tone; the songs a little more personal, as if the boys have spent a bit of time thinking about them, living with them. To conclude, then, this is a long, thoroughly absorbing record that requires (and deserves) several spins before the payoff.
