Thursday, January 20, 2011

Waves - Katrina and the Waves


Waves
Katrina and the Waves
Capitol ST-12478
1986

I found this in a box of records abandoned in the alley behind my home.  The records were mostly 1970s singer-songwriter crap like James Taylor and Jackson Browne which I left in the alley, but this one I nabbed.  I liked their major label debut as well as one of their Canadian albums that I have.  This was their second Capitol album (fourth overall) and it has the reputation of being a flop.  I beg to differ.  No record with Kimberley Rew on it is ever going to be a stiff.  True there is no hit single and no song as good as "Going Down to Liverpool" like its predecessor had, but it is still very listenable and pleasant.  It sounds a lot like the earlier album, kind of a new wave flavored bubble gum.  Normally I dislike that sort of thing, but Katrina Leskanich has a great voice and the songwriting is better than average.  I particularly like the lovely vocal on "Sleep On My Pillow", the hard rocking "Money Chain," and the punchy, soulful "Is That It?"  It is not a classic by any means, but it is consistently fun and you could do a lot worse than this picking up records from 1986.  Recommended for Bangles fans who find Susanna Hoffs irritating.

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