The Politics of Dancing

by Stephen CookTaking a back seat to first-tier new wave dance acts like ABC, Spandau Ballet, and Visage, Re-Flex lasted long enough for this breakthrough debut and one career-ending follow-up. Enlisting producer John Punter of Roxy Music and Japan fame, the band come up with something of a new wave smorgasbord on The Politics of Dancing: the mix veers from hyper, synth-ridden dance cuts and smoothly sophisticated pop, to Gary Numan-inspired excursions and disco-fied new wave. Even with the admirable breadth, though, the album is mostly a bland array of robotic bass and drums, effects-riddled guitars, and annoying keyboard accents. To the band's credit, the songwriting is impressive at times, especially on the title track and "Hitline," and lead singer Baxter's vocals are admirable in their own, Bowie-rehashed way. The album's future cutout-bin status, though, was sealed with aimless funk like "Jungle" and the Toto-aping MOR of "Sensitive." Approach with tongue firmly in cheek.