LENE LOVICH: "Flex"

Original released on LP Stiff Records SEEZ 19

(UK, 1979)

Lene Lovich's sophomore album, 1979's "Flex", found her still dabbling in her own quirky wave-driven waters. Her second full-length release in less than a year, it was packed with another handful of brilliantly composed songs of neo-wave intention. Unfortunately, it also marked the end of the British public's love affair with Lovich's admittedly edgy art. The octave-scaling "Bird Song," released some months ahead of the main attraction, should have been a smash, but failed absurdly. The innocent and singalong-able (except for Lovich's record-shattering instrumental vocal additions, of course) "Angels" followed it into obscurity, and that despite standing as one of "Flex"'s best offerings. A delicious cover of Frankie Valli's "The Night" rounds out the album's most spellbinding moments, but elsewhere, things get sticky. "Flex"'s biggest drawback is that it suffers somewhat from Lovich's own success. Stateless...Plus was remarkable because its sounds were so new. "Flex" merely reiterates them, and Lovich relies a little too heavily on rehashing earlier triumphs, most notably on the too-gimmicky "Monkey Talk," a Stateless...Plus-era outtake that had previously been released on a giveaway promo album, and the gratuitously irritating "You Can't Kill Me." Lovich herself appeared to share her audience's ill ease over the album's lack of progression; not only did "Flex" mark the end of her commercial era, it also prefaced two years of public silence and private re-evaluation before she would return. (Amy Hanson in AllMusic)

LENE LOVICH Debut Album + 4 Bonus Tracks

Original released on LP Stiff SEEZ 7

(UK, November 1978)

One of Stiff Records' most stable staples, the truly alternative Lene Lovich laid much of the groundwork for an entire generation of singers left to pick up the pieces in the wasteland of the post-punk era. Her stunning debut, 1979's "Stateless", was so unique, so vibrant, and her vocal stylings so unusual that the LP not only put her right at the front of the pack of nascent new wavers, it also sounded a commercial death knell of sorts, relegating her to the realms of novelty acts - at least as far as the mainstream was concerned. But that's not to say that the mainstream wasn't keeping an ear cocked. Re-recorded from the demo that landed her a deal in the first place, a unique rendering of the bubblegum puff piece "I Think We're Alone Now" provided such propulsion that its B-side, the now-classic "Lucky Number," was itself then re-recorded, to land Lovich a Number Three U.K. hit in early 1979. Elsewhere, the darkly sinister "Home" played off the rumors concerning Lovich's exotic Eastern European background (she was actually from Detroit, but she could fake a great accent). The piano-led Patti Smith-y "Too Tender (Too Touch)" allowed Lovich to explore a quieter corner, as did a sexy, sensuous rehash of fellow Stiff-er Nick Lowe's "Tonight." The rambunctious squeak of "Say When," on the other hand, not only tempered that mood but also scored Lovich another hit. While "Stateless" is certainly very much of its era, and well-placed in its time, inspired and adventurous songwriting coupled with a truly pioneering intent ensure that this LP will always remain the lit roadside marker that whispered "this way" to the hundreds of bands who followed. (Amy Hanson in AllMusic)