Negative Positive
Title: WITTY & MELODIC ROCK
Review: Although they emerged in the punk era, the Boomtown Rats cannot simply be lumped together with the angry sounds of the Sex Pistols or early Clash. Some of the themes on this underrated album mirror the rebellion of punk, like Rat Trap or Don't Believe What You Read, but the clever lyrics and catchy tunes have more in common with the work of Elvis Costello or early Nick Lowe. Songs like Me And Howard Hughes, I Never Loved Eva Braun and Like Clockwork have melodic hooks and almost Stones-like vocals. Other tuneful and energetic rockers include Blind Date, Mary Of The 4th Form (a gorgeous teen romance) and the catchy She's So Modern, my favorite on the album. Joey's On The Street Again is an impressive rock epic with an almost Springsteenesque feel in its blasting sax, tempo changes and an impressive dramatic structure. On the strength of this album, it is inexplicable that the Boomtown Rats didn't go on to greater things. The talent and the enthusiasm certainly were there.
Is the review positive or negative? 