Beauty Stab

Review Score: (8/10)
I can understand why this album disappointed ABC fans and those accustomed to what they were hoping to expect from the Fry/White partnership. The Lexicon of Love was just such an incredible debut album, the logical conclusion would be for them to follow on its success.

Nope! They didn't, they took a huge right turn and produced a 'rock' album. This album is so underrated, and I find this is yet another ABC album that can sit on your stereo from start to finish. There are no Poison Arrows Part II on here. From the start 'That Was Then But This Is Now' kicks off with energy, but one thing that remains from the songwriting of The Lexicon of Love are the brilliant lyrics, and the great melodies. They may have hung up their disco suits for leather jackets, but Fry and White did not stop writing very catchy, smart popular music.

The guitar and the drums are the main focus on this album. They dominate every track, except for perhaps my favourite song on this album, 'S.O.S'. One of the many underrated gems in pop music that get lost in the shuffle of inferior offerings. 'S.O.S.' is a great ballad, equal to anything that was written on Lexicon of Love.

Beauty Stab was a huge departure from where Lexicon left off, and maybe it hurt ABC's career in the long run, but I'm so glad they made the effort.

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