Listening to RAL for the first time

[Moz]

This is basically me half reviewing RAL, half rambling.

I'm listening to Rock a Little for the first time in it's entirety. IT'S SO EIGHTIES.

Some Become Strangers and The Nightmare completely caught me off guard. The intro to Strangers sounds like some funk song that one would hear while shopping in Sears.

THE NIGHTMARE. Oh my lord. The synths sound like Duran Duran crossed with New Order, but they also sound like they should be in the soundtrack to The Breakfast Club. Or something. Stevie says "drowning" like my mom - drownding. I love that. And then the reggae guy going "this is not the world."

No Spoken Word is average, not incredibly cheesy, but it doesn't give me goosebumps. I love the half-spoken "that disastrous sound" line.

If I Were You (too twinkly), I Sing for the Things and Imperial Hotel all go into the "meh" bin for me. I've heard Talk To Me too many times, but I don't really have anything to say about it. Okay, nevermind. TTM has some awesome coke-y parts. "WASI MAW THAT HARD, IS IT ALL THAT TOUGH? NOW I SAW THROUGH ALL MY CARDS, WELL ISN'T THAT ENOUGH? AND I'M YOUR HEARSE!" (yes, that's what it sounds like to me) and the ever-confusing, warbly "to veil a swelling teaahhh". Brilliant.

Rock a Little (Go Ahead Lily) - oh, the singing. I love it. THIS is what I hear when I think of RAL. Completely worn out vocals.

I Can't Wait is one of my favourite Stevie songs ever. I could talk about this song all day, but I'll leave it at this: I LOVE IT.

Sister Honey is campy love. This song makes me want to drive downtown in a pink convertible with the top down, blasting 'Sistah'.

HAEWAFY - It's yet to grow on me. I prefer BATB.

So... what's next? Street Angel? OSOTM? TISL?