Forever Running

As you might expect, there's nothing on B-Movie's sole album for Sire that quite matches the atmospheric club hit "Nowhere Girl," one of new wave's classic moments. But the U.K. trio, led by singer Steve Hovington, weren't your average one-hit wonders, either. On Forever Running, they offered walloping dance beats (on the title track and the single "Switch On-Switch Off") and shimmering creations built around Paul Statham's piano and guitar ("My Ship of Dreams"), finding success in both approaches. And on the majestic, haunting "Just an Echo," B-Movie came closer to recapturing the melancholy glory of "Nowhere Girl" than anyone had a right to expect. However, by side two, the band had run short on ideas, and committed a common but still inexcusable faux pas with the last track -- a remake of "Nowhere Girl" that, needless to say, is far inferior to the original. Still, the good material here is good indeed, and certainly belongs in the collection of any true '80s fan. ~ Dan LeRoy