Eurythmics
Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox, the New Wave's answer to the Captain and Tennille, broke through as the Eurythmics last year with their album Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). They are supported on this follow-up by, among others, bassist Dean Garcia, horn player Dick Cuthell and saxophonist Martin Dobson. The basic sound is still the same: Lennox's eerie, often dark vocals, backed by Stewart's guitars, keyboards, synthesizers and occasional singing. The sound remains curiously enticing: You can't tell whether to dance, go into a trance, or both. The lyrics by Lennox and Stewart certainly aren't the source of the enticement. For one thing, there's an undue affection for repeating phrases; the title No Fear, No Hate, No Pain (No Broken Hearts) is repeated, in its negative entirety, 16 times in a 324-second song. No Fear is, in fact, one of the LP's memorable cuts, with an octave-leaping vocal by Lennox. Cool Blue makes an impact too, thanks largely to a minimalist synthesizer solo by Stewart. This album is a slick, high caliber piece of work, one that shouldn't turn off any previous fans and certainly may win a few more. (RCA)
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