Slow to Fade

Red Guitars' first album was typical of much British rock of the early to mid-'80s in its drift from new wave to something a little more mainstream. There were rather generic new wave/pop concoctions with diffident vocals, echoed guitars, and a muted and stylish kind of moodiness. The lyrical perspectives honed in on the space between diffidence and despair. There were, too, occasional reggae and Afro-funk influences that were in fashion as Afro-pop made its first serious inroads into the Western pop consciousness. It's neither the best nor worst of a genre that became overworked, but it is kind of boring, though not as synthetically textured as much of this music was.