Singles - 45’s and Under is one of the few hits compilations with a legitimate claim as the artist’s definitive work. The tight 12-track collection covers the English New Wave band’s early run from 1978 through 1982 in chronological order, which just so happens to make for a perfectly paced running order. Songwriting duo Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook were on fire in this period, turning out precisely calibrated pop compositions with clever, sophisticated lyrics that were particular to their quirky sensibilities, but in line with other stylish songwriters of the time like Nick Lowe, Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello—who had produced their 1981 record East Side Story.

Every song in the collection is expertly built so the chronological track listing doesn’t necessarily show an obvious creative evolution. However, the aesthetic jumps—from the half-Kraftwerk, half-Bond theme vibe of the early single “Take Me I’m Yours” to the twitchy synth-pop of “Slap and Tickle” to the mannered formalism of “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)” to the blue-eyed soul of “Tempted” and “Black Coffee in Bed”—correspond to shifting fashions in English rock through that short window of time.

“Annie Get Your Gun”, the one non-album track featured in the compilation, was initially understood as a farewell single, as the band broke up shortly after its release. Difford and Tillbrook reformed the group a few years later, and though they’ve written some strong material since, very little of it measures up to the consistent brilliance of the songs featured here.

Tracklisting

Apple Music

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