Men at Work, Cargo

Much as Wham! couldn't top their finest moment, these Melburnian new wavers lived in the shadow of theirs, but that doesn't make their sophomore outing a bad record. If you're expecting more of the infectious reggae of their blockbuster Business As Usual you'll be disappointed, but while none of the tracks here (with the possible exception of "High Wire") are as big a gut kick as the singles from that album, in some ways they're actually stronger. Although the leadoff "Dr Heckyll & Mr Jive" with its bloodyminded time signature is a bad way to start, "Overkill" is as good as anything they've done and the effervescent "High Wire" nearly as much; no less worthy are the anti-nuke "It's a Mistake," shades of the Police in the insistent beat of "Upstairs In My House" (with Colin Hay's piercingly clear vocals), the Sparks-esque "I Like To" and the richly mournful elegy of "No Sign of Yesterday." Not all is stellar: stylistically "Settle Down My Boy" is a little trite and "Blue For You" is a little lazy, though its callbacks to the first album should delight fans as much as closer "No Restrictions." Whether or not this is the album their fans wanted is another story, but it's no less a solid one, and sadly the last notable release of their brief discography. The 2003 reissue adds two fairly strong B-sides (the Far East fairy tale "Shintaro" and the fast if slightly underdeveloped "Till The Money Runs Out") and three bland live tracks. (Content: no concerns.)

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