Record Label: Propeller Sound recordings
Genre: New Wave
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Ever wonder what might happen if the ‘80s New Wave sound never ended? Then have we got an album for you! The 1981 album “They Walk Among You” has gotten the digital facelift treatment nearly 45 years (am I the only one who thinks of the 1970s when someone says “20 years ago”????) after it first came out—and it sounds positively groovy.

“They Walk Among You” is perfect listening as we get into the spooky Halloween season. Get your boogie shoes and friendship bracelets ready for “Garden of Delight” and “Branded.” “American Survival” is an absolutely killer sonic kickoff of the then-new Reagan era, and “Two Tongues” has many meanings, all of which are legitimate—and probably all of which are very rock-star. Bonus tracks for the release include a live rendering of “Gonna Make You,” which is captured here in the intimate, kitchen-sink realism of a club recording. The live bonus tracks are likely of interest to the serious fans, but hang out long enough for “Hit Her With the Axe,” which has some punkish sensibilities going on—especially as the lead singer signs off the track (and album) with his observation that “it’s better than sex.”

Everything old is new again, including these New Wave merrymen from upstate New York, who came along at a strange transition from punk to electronic. The serious collector could do worse than this expanded disc of a spirited 1981 recording.

Notable Tracks: They Walk Among You, Branded, American Survival, Two Tongues, Hit Her With the Axe
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