In the vibrant but often deadly serious late 70s post-punk era, the B-52’s from Athens, Georgia, put on junk shop mini-dresses and wigs and hammered out an unmistakeable party soundtrack, scoring hits with fun-time classics like ‘Rock Lobster’. They’ve had a rocky ride peppered with tragedy but, after never going away as a live attraction, the B’s are back in town with their first new album in 16 years, proving that having the best party in town will never date. It’s like they’ve never been gone, tracks like ‘Pump’, ‘Deviant Ingredient’ and ‘Too Much To Think About’ kicking up a storm led by Keith Strickland’s guitar licks and the three-prong vocal front-line of Fred Schneider, Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson trading lines and pillow-fighting. The lyrics are pure gold double-entendre worthy of Kenneth Williams, never short of an invocation to ‘shake that jelly and rattle them bones’, although they can handle a melodic 60s slowie like ‘Eyes Wide Open’ edqually as well. Another notable factor on the album is the group’s assimilation of modern electronic grooves and topping into a sound built for dancing anyway. It all comes to a glorious head in the closing track, ‘Keep This Party Going’, which says it all really but few outfits know how to throw one like the B-52’s.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Kris Needs
