Another great album for Thompson in the midst of the '80s. This album can be considered a bit of a younger sibling to the masterpiece "Hand of Kindness" (which remains a record of sublime inspiration that this one doesn’t quite reach, it would be asking too much) since in various songs it follows that same musical and thematic trail. In this sense, three particularly successful and irresistibly lively tracks are "I Ain't Going to Drag My Feet No More," the energetic "Fire in the Engine Room" (with a fierce opening), and "She Twists the Knife Again," but traditional ballads like "When the Spell is Broken" and "Walking Through a Wasted Land" are also beautiful, the latter, in my opinion, bearing the "stigmata" of a classic. However, it presents some substantial differences from the "older brother": on one hand, there are some concessions to more explicitly pop songs, though always "refined" and enjoyable ("Shine on Love" I like a lot). On the other hand, there is a mood that wasn't present in the previous album, darker and more somber, which particularly shines in the concluding and stunning "Love in a Faithless Country," a magnificent song. The sounds unleashed by his guitar are incredible as always; I love Thompson's guitar style (or styles), always balancing between originality/innovation and classicism. After all, this album is in a transitional phase that comes after and precedes his collaborations with David Thomas and Fred Frith. In short, a really great album. A guarantee.
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