CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
THE ALPHA BAND: “Spark In The Dark" (Arista):: This unholy trio’s second album is “humbly offered in the light of the Triune God” but T-Bone Burnett still sounds like a hell of a monad to me. He doesn’t know as much as he thinks he does, but when he steps aside from the songwriting, the group usually falls flat—and when he pitches in, these guys can almost pass for a country rock Steely Dan without money. B+
CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
DEPARTMENTS
Robert Christgau
THE ALPHA BAND: “Spark In The Dark" (Arista):: This unholy trio’s second album is “humbly offered in the light of the Triune God” but T-Bone Burnett still sounds like a hell of a monad to me. He doesn’t know as much as he thinks he does, but when he steps aside from the songwriting, the group usually falls flat—and when he pitches in, these guys can almost pass for a country rock Steely Dan without money. B+
JOAN ARMATRADING: “Show Some Emotion” (A&M):: OK, I’m convinced. I’ve even begun to enjoy the album I C-plussed last year. Sometimes funny, always real, and never, ever pretentious, she proves that a big husky voice needn’t turn you into a self-important fool. I played this record a lot when it came out, so why don’t I have anything more specific to say about? Because of the meaning of the' ordinhry-plus lyrics is conveyed by nuance and stance. B+