The Undertones – Positive Touch (Vinyl)

The Undertones’ ‘Positive Touch’ marks the departure from speedy pop-punk of their first two debut albums, though the songwriting remains as tight and lively with plenty of hooks that keep you listening. The punk-derived energy is almost entirely gone, replaced by a more varied and softer instrumental palette that features new textures like piano, (courtesy of Paul Carrack, then in Squeeze) recorders and brass instrumentation.