 Secret Affair The mod revival of the late 70s had more than its share of Stones, Who, and Kinks devotée bands, but what about The Hollies and the Dave Clark Five? Where was the new wave version of them? Huh?! The world wants to know! Actually, no one wants to know, but the answer is: Secret Affair. These guys enjoyed opening-act status for the duration of their career, eternally outclassed by the likes of The Jam, who simply did everything better. Their legacy is similarly opening-band-ish … nothing to get excited about, but certainly pleasant enough. Business as Usual, their third and final album, is a crafty blend of skinny-tie jitters, white-boy faux-Motown, can't-help-it throwback harmonies, and chimey pop guitars. It's a bit of a lost pop classic, the sort of disc you wouldn't even see had you not already exhausted the catalogs of 50 other new wave-era popstars … hence, a real connoisseur's choice probably not enjoyed by many, but for the true pop fan, it's like discovering a cool little bar no one knows about, and they have your favorite beer, to boot. A terrific Side 1 kicks off with "Lost in the Night (Mac the Knife)," an extremely minor hit that is on par with The Jam's poppier moments ("Beat Surrender," "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight"). The supercaffeinated and admirably emasculated "Do You Know" is about as good … real true-believer pop bliss. "Follow the Leader" and "Hide and Seek" both boast plentiful hooks, though some fall into that jagged, discordant territory that was the Achilles' Heel of far too many new wave bands. "Somewhere in the City" manages to seem even more caffeinated and optimistic, leading to a Side B that doesn't let up, though after awhile it's more like the overall sound of early-80s powerpop, instead of the true melodic thrills you'll find in, like, The Knack. It's danceable, certainly, but I'd love to meet the DJ who could play any of Side B nowadays without clearing the floor entirely. Eighth-note guitars, big-beat drums, brash, blasty horns, earnest vocals … it's all here. You may want to convince yourself that this era was all about those who have stood the test of time (Buzzcocks, Elvis Costello, The Jam, The Beat, etc), but in reality, most bands who dealt in the mod revival trade back in the day probably sounded a lot more like Secret Affair. This album is not great by any means, but its spirit is so winning that I end up listening to it a lot more than, like, All Mod Cons or whatever. Maybe I just like to have things all to myself. Or maybe I can't help but root for the underdogs who will forever remain underdogs … certainly I am beginning to feel like my life is one long Secret Affair.
Review by Henry Hardball |