I was fully prepared for this to be a disappointment, but luckily I was pleasantly surprised. Eyes of a Stranger is one of my favourite songs, and I had emotionally prepared myself for it to be surrounded by crap, the same way that Animotion did with Language of Attraction.

I’m happy to declare that it was all for nothing! I should have looked closer at the album’s back cover. The words “Produced by Mick Ronson” would have set my mind at ease like nothing else could. Another fact that I only found out just now as I was researching the album; Bob Rock, super-producer of Northern Lights and Metallica, was a member of the Payola$. Crazy.

This album is everything that new wave and power pop should be. It’s punchy and energetic, even in the slower songs. There are a couple of ska tinged tunes on here, which is par for the course in this genre, and more than a few instant favourites. I love this album. I’m finding myself with very little to say about this one, either because I’ve already done a MONM entry tonight, or maybe because I don’t feel I have to sell something this good.

Youth