IT'S MY LIFE

Here is a nice bit of '80s pop, or is it? It's got the familiar sounds, but there is more going on here (we would soon discover that there was actually a lot more going on). These guys started out much like their synth contemporaries, but there was something a bit different. There was an elusive quality that was hard to put your finger on. This second album showed tremendous evolution, and foreshadowed things to come.

There are plenty of elements of good alternative pop here. It begins with "Dum Dum Girl," and has the well known classic "It's My Life." It is some of the other songs that bear closer examination.

"Such a Shame" sounds very close to prog in the beginning.

"Rene" has some wonderfully rubbery bass, and percussion that you might expect to find on a Peter Gabriel album.

"Tomorrow Started" sounds like a cross between Nat King Cole, and Brian Eno.

"Does Caroline Know" has got a serious calypso influence.

At a glance, this album may seem conventional. Take the time to listen again, and listen closely. In a way, this is a form of proto-prog. It is the foundation, upon which they would build up to greater achievements. It's also a very good album. Because it's not actually prog, I can't say it would do anything to truly round out a collection. So I can only give it three stars here.

H.T. Riekels