46 minutes, 37 seconds

Xmal Deutschland
Devils

This was Xmal Deutschland's last album, released in 1989, and it's a far cry from the edgy postpunk they recorded for the 4AD label in the early '80s. For one thing, most of the original band members had left by this time, and really the only link to the old days was the vocalist, Anja Huwe. But even her contributions had metamorphosed into something unrecognizable: The songs, once almost entirely in German, were now in English. And an angular, vaguely Siouxsie-fied sound had by now given way to what can only be described as '80s power pop.

It's sort of funny to listen to, because the production values and arrangements seem so cheesy, in that inimitably late-'80s way. Earlier Xmal albums like Fetisch and Tocsin at least had a gawky, raw vitality to them, whereas Devils just sounds like a band that's trying too hard to craft songs.

Still, it's a guilty pleasure. Tracks like "Sleepwalker" and "Dreamhouse," with their anthemic choruses, are played with just enough conviction to make you sit up and take notice.

But sometimes I wonder if somewhere along the way I forced myself to like this album because of the band's 4AD pedigree. Otherwise, would I even care about Xmal Deutschland? This happens with other labels too. For example, do I like Atrium Carceri--really like them--or do I simply buy their CDs because they're OK but, hey, they're on the Cold Meat Industry label, so they must be good? I'd hate to think I'd listen to music out of some sense of obligation rather than true desire, but then again, that wouldn't be entirely out of character for me.

Also today:

46:36 Project-X, Modus Operandi
46:36 The Wardrobe, Cups in Cupboard
46:34 Skoyz, Decay
46:33 Autumn's Grey Solace, Riverine
New arrival! 77:08 Liar's Rosebush, None Higher
New arrival! 73:28 Polygon, Blackeye
New arrival! 71:37 Polygon, Purpose
New arrival! 52:58 Horologium, The World Is Not Enough
46:32 Laufeyiar Sonr, Vorst
46:32 Rajna, From the Ashes