Chris Isaak

Isaak's retro-American debut stood out in the synth-and-stonewash mad 1980s even if it actually holds some new wave era production elements (especially the stripped-down drum sound). This contains some fine tracks ("Back On Your Side," "Funeral In the Rain," and "Pretty Girls Don't Cry") but Isaak's songwriting and presentation would cut deeper on future releases.

Like his East Coast counterpart Marshall Crenshaw, Isaak comes to his sources as a professional musician, not a bohemian dabbler. This is attractive, only his sources aren't as rich as Crenshaw's, and neither is his talent. Reflective modernized rockabilly played for echoing atmosphere. (Grade - B)