Chris Church

Radio Transient

Big Stir Records

While Chris usually plays in an early 80s new wave style, like the Fixx, this great new album also throws the styles of Lindsey Buckingham and Hall and Oats into the mix. While there are synths and keyboards on this album, this is not synth pop, which is to its credit. Totally guitar-based early 80s new wave is neat idea, and a neat trick.

And Chris pulls it off. From the outstanding single “Going Till We Go” to the post breakup song “One More Chance To Get Over You,” to the closer “Flip,” about accepting fate, he updates the early 80s well, smartly. Chris co-produced with Lori Franklin, his wife, and sounds very good, bubbly and effervescent.

It's a lot of fun to listen to, especially if your remember that era when things were wide open musically and MTV wasn’t dominating the landscape. It’s freewheeling experimentation that feels good. This album will take you back without living in the past, as the sound is very 2023, and makes 1983 sound a lot better too.

Andrea Weiss