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by Andy Hurt, Sounds (UK), April 8, 1989
(****1/2 out of 5)
It is now commonly accepted that early '70s mainstream rock was generally pretty lame. It's only when you hear an album like 'Love Junk' that you realise it wasn't all bad.
The Pursuit of Happiness clearly don't care for the division of ghettos (metal/indie/goth, etc) and hark back to those '70s dark ages, in the sense that they have no compunction about sticking melodic sweetness next to mean mutha grime.
In these departments the Radio 1-friendly 'Man's Best Friend' and the REM-ish 'When the Sky Comes Falling Down' lend balance to the helter-skelter 'Ten Fingers' and the R&B-tinged 'Killed By Love'.
The blistering single 'I'm An Adult Now' is followed by 'She's So Young', a lightweight pop song (OK, with a meaty guitar solo).
There are two laws to which TPOH abide: The guitar is God and multi-layered harmonies are essential to every song. The second law, enforced by producer/guru Todd Rundgren, is the one that rationalises the whole album. Verily, the lion shall lie with the lamb.
Forget the pose, 'Love Junk' is about songs, and belters at that.
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