When
Pearl Harbour & the Explosions' tepid skinny-tie
pop didn't stoke the public's fancy, their singer's future seemed uncertain: Who could have predicted that she'd pull off such a rowdy, confident solo album? However, that's what happened when she moved to London -- note her stage name's British spelling -- and fell into the
Clash's orbit. Where
the Explosions were stilted and restrained,
Harbour's voice is loud and freewheeling on the
rockabilly driven rumble of
"Out With the Girls," "Fujiyama Mama," and
"Alone in the Dark." There's not a trace of hesitation in
Harbour's hiccups, whoops, and yelps; she sounds comfortable in a way that listeners simply hadn't heard before.
Harbour's breezy self-assurance also extends to the campy
girl group flippance of
"Everybody's Boring but My Baby," reflective
pop/rock of
"Heaven Is Gonna Be Empty," token
country weepers
"Losing to You," and a tough, but affectionate cover of
Ian Dury's
"Rough Kids." Harbour's co-conspirators include a motley assortment from Britain's
punk and
neo-rockabilly scenes. Former
Rich Kids guitarist
Stella Nova plays gutsily throughout; so do late
Whirlwind singer/guitarist
Nigel Dixon, pianist
Otis Watkins, bassist
Barry Payne, and drummer
Nick Simonon (younger brother of
Clash bassist
Paul Simonon). Their presence provides a dynamism sorely missing from
the Explosions' album. Only the mixing prevents this coming-out party from being a perfect affair, leaving
Nova's guitar to fight for breath on
"Fujiyama Mama" and
"At the Dentist." However, those are minor complaints for such an inspiring effort: there's nothing heavy or depressing about it. However, the public found
Harbour's newly rough-hewn image as off-putting as its slicker counterpart, so the album flopped: miss out at your own peril. ~ Ralph Heibutzki
