SITTING TARGETS

An accessible yet very successful art rock album from Hammill sees him continuing his blending of New Wave and punk influences with avant-garde and prog ideas. The spine- tingling opener Breakthrough includes some great bass and guitar work from Hammill, the backing band (including Guy Evans and David Jackson - making this three quarters of a Van der Graaf Generator reunion) are tight, and on the whole the poppier numbers (such as My Experience) are catchy as hell, the prickly New Wave numbers like Central Hotel are full of the neurotic energy that pervades Hammill's work, and Hammill even manages to work in a gentle number in the form of the emotive Ophelia. If you liked the two Van der Graaf albums and Hammill's late 1970s solo work, you'll find this one is another winner.