you know who were and remain underrated? THE ADICTS. this is not a review of one of their records, but that’s who i kept thinking of while listening to TUBE ALLOYS, along with WIRE and a few others. snotty, higher-register singalong vocals mix well with low, grumbly, almost grungy bass, stringy guitars and effects, and the occasional lo-fi keyboard. there are a few obvious experiments on here like “The Redactor”, which is a minute and a half that never quite pays off but keeps you waiting the entire time, but tracks like “The Man Who Disappeared” have a mean edge to them, though opener “Computer Love Again” could’ve come from any UK punk Best Of compilation released between 1978 and 1985. LA VIDA ES UN MUS DISCOS (who also released the HOME FRONT record) have had a pretty good year.