Undertones: Positive Touch LP

The Undertones formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975 and released their third album Positive Touch in 1981 which peaked at #17 in the UK Charts. Positive Touch marks the departure from speedy pop-punk of their first two debut albums though the songwriting remains as tight and lively with plenty of hooks that keep you listening. The punk-derived energy is almost entirely gone, replaced by a more varied and softer instrumental palette that features new textures like piano (courtesy of Paul Carrack, then in Squeeze) recorders and brass instrumentation. Features the lovely "Julie Ocean" which has an undercurrent of anxiety, as well as much faster tracks like the pounding opener "Fascination" and the near- paranoid "His Goodlooking Girlfriend" are downright nerve-wracking. This reissue is an exact replica of the embossed original sleeve and has been pressed on colored vinyl for the first time.