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Personnel: Howard Wall (vocals); Pete Stride (guitar); Manic Esso (drums). Liner Note Author: Mark Brennan . Recording information: East Avalon (03/1979). Photographer: Andrew Douglas. The second Lurkers album found the band, of course, still pursuing the brittle punk-pop hybrid blueprinted on their debut the previous year, a dynamite collection that simply bristles with hooks. The single "Out in the Dark" was certainly one of the band's finest moments, but there's not a dull moment in sight as the Lurkers power along. The original 12-song album is appended on CD with a treasure trove of related material, including five previously unissued demos, plus a clutch of period singles -- "Just Thirteen," since re-immortalized by Germany's Die Toten Hosen, stands proud among these, while the scything "New Guitar In Town," the band's final single before their year's end break-up -- showcases guitarist Pete Stride's own immediate future, as he teamed up with the Boys' John Plain in a new axe-heavy project. Elsewhere, the likes of "Suzie Is a Floozie" and "Countdown" are classic Lurkers stormers, while "Little Ole Wine Drinker Me" joins the so-called "pub" version of "Cyanide" in pinpointing the raw musical humor with which the Lurkers frequently laced their best work. ~ Dave Thompson
