Reviewed by Jon Cooper

Recorded by Terry Taylor and his cohorts over 30 years ago, '¡Alarma!' is the album that your parents used to wish they were allowed to listen to over Sunday lunch instead of your Granddad's Harry Secombe LPs. If Captain Beefheart, Rush and The Police decided to collaborate on a concept album based around a Revelation-esque dream sequence, the results probably wouldn't be a million miles away from this. The vibe is very much "Dad's record collection" during opener "Central Theme" and the title track that follows, before "Props" (which wades in sounding like an 'Abbey Road' b-side) and the Doobie Brothers-esque groove of "My Room" start to draw attention to a light-hearted feel that contrasts nicely with the current Christian penchant for four chord, emotionally-driven predictability (fans of "Reggae Man" from the comedy series Look Around You will undoubtedly enjoy "Faces To The Window"). What was originally side two in the days of vinyl is pure early '80s guitar pop; chorus-laden guitars, harsh, driving bass and a drum sound flatter than a hedgehog that didn't wait for the green man. Musically brilliant, lyrically intelligent, more than a little quirky and surprisingly fresh sounding; certainly worth (re)discovering. Oh, and on this handsome repackage via Retroactive Records diehard fans get all manner of demos, outtakes and alternative mixes.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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