Musically, the manic hooks in these songs match the obtuse lyrics, and the mix of frantically strummed guitars and playful keyboard flourishes keeps the pace moving throughout. Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley (Madness, Dexy's Midnight Runners) produced the record, though you'll find very few overtly "retro" elements; the music itself is at once ear-catchingly inventive and firmly rooted in the quirk-pop tradition. Perhaps younger listeners, whose only experience with XTC has been limited to Mandy Moore's cover of "Senses Working Overtime," will find something to love in these songs. For the rest of us, the pre-hash still sounds better than the rehash.
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