Men At Work CARGO

Men At Work: Colin Hay (vocals, guitar); Ron Strukert (guitar, background vocals); Greg Ham (flute, saxophone, keyboards, background vocals); John Rees (bass, background vocals); Jerry Speiser (drums, background vocals).
Recorded at A.A.V., Melbourne, Australia and Paradise Studios, Sydney, Australia. Includes liner notes by David Wild.
Men At Work's followup to the hugely successful BUSINESS AS USUAL was an album with a lot riding on it, but the Aussies come through admirably, upping the songcraft and the production values simultaneously. There's less of a reggae undertone on CARGO, and the Aussie-centric "Down Under," which provided so much novelty appeal on the debut, has no equivalent here.
Instead, there's a more sophisticated compositional bent that sacrifices nothing in sheer catchiness. The album's centerpiece, "Overkill," is representative of the blend of introspective self-doubt and arresting melodic hooks that makes CARGO an unqualified success. If BUSINESS AS USUAL tickled your pop fancy, you'll find CARGO digs a little deeper.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Pop