Thompson Twins

What do you do if you're a group for whom the dance-rock imperative has started to feel
like a cliché? If you're bright and British, it's likely you'll either break up the band or take
up some new and drastic tangent, just to keep things interesting. Two groups who've
chosen the latter course are Thompson Twins and Madness. The three Twins made their
name with tunes like "Lies" and "In the Name of Love" – bright, splashy synth spri... More >

No longer saddled with one of the most vacant art reputations in the history of hype, this decidedly unavant unfunk trio are free to pursue the airhead pop they were born to, and first try they've scored a natural: "Hold Me Now" is a classic on chord changes alone, i.e., even though Tom Bailey sings it. Nothing else here approaches its heart-tugging mastery, but the album remains lightly creditable through the title-cut chinoiserie which opens side two. After that, as Alannah Currie herself puts it, who can stop the rain? (Grade - B-)