M - The Official Secrets Act

It was hardly a surprise that the follow-up to M's debut album didn't contain a song as groundbreaking as "Pop Muzik" -- or a tune that was anywhere near as big a hit as his one and only global chart-topper. Instead of trying to duplicate that near-perfect slice of electro, M (aka Robin Scott) veered off in several directions, exploring a slightly rockier sound as well as a fair amount of experimental noodling. The core band is the same as on New York, London, Paris, Munich -- including future Level 42 frontman Mark King, keyboardist Wally Badarou, and session saxman supreme Gary Barnacle -- but the looser arrangements here give them more room to stretch out (sometimes too much), and they get occasional help from strings and even Uillean pipes. Read More