Perfect Strangers - Protected in America (1986, N-Beat)

Mostly a coincidence, this one ties in with another Chanukah entry I gifted you this week, and even a second one (tangentially anyway).  As for the record at hand, there have probably been no less than three dozen bands who've christened themselves as Perfect Strangers over the millennia, with a good chunk of them having had their legacies cataloged on Discogs. 

This set of Strangers congregated in Jackson, MS, and constituted something of a precursor supergroup for yours truly. Granted, it's unlikely you'd be familiar with any of the members or the other acts they were associated with. Not long after this record was issued  bassist Fritz Martin and percussion basher Chris Hall would compose two thirds of Square Root of Now, while guitarist, backing vocalist Scott Coopwood would eventually make another band we've covered before, Yazoo Beach his claim to fame, relatively speaking. The arguable fulcrum of the band, mouthpiece Kris Wilkinson has few outside affiliations, but does a bang-up job on this short but sweet ten-song platter.  Her cool vocal hues on Protected in America's commencing salvo, "Small Towns" sit atop Coopwood's icy, ringing arpeggios a la Martha and the Muffins timeless "Echo Beach," emanating a flawless and inviting pairing.  A similar sonic template courses through bittersweet post-punk traipses like "The Storm," the title cut, and the keyboard-inflected "2 Steps Back," the latter of these approximating a more benign variation on what Siouxsie and the Banshees were attempting just a few years prior.  Ultimately, P/S's modus operandi sat a few rungs shy of conventional new wave, but wielded a textured, noir edge that would've likely dissuaded mainstream FM playlists. Side A is near-perfect and a sheer delight on repeat listens.  

 A little further in "I Live For You" finagles with a poppier underbelly, the subdued, ballad-esque "Treasure is Kept" falters slightly, but Perfect Strangers regain their footing with a vengeance on the melancholic finale, "Shelter."  Not to belabor the point, the Strangers mesh of chiming guitars and vaguely downcast vocals make for a compelling and alluring combination just about anywhere the needle lands on Protected... As for the tie-ins I mentioned, I just featured a Square Root of Now single last night, and I'd be remiss if I failed to point out that Tim Lee of the Windbreakers sings and plays on "Treasure is Kept." Perhaps not a carpet-to-carpet masterpiece, Protected in America is still more than ovation worthy, and might be the most enticing LP I've unleashed in '23...so enjoy. 

01. Small Towns

02. The Storm

03. Protected in America

04. Another Faith

05. 2 Steps Back

06. Majority Rules

07. I Live For You

08. The Treasure is Kept

09. Halloween

10. Shelter

MP3  or  FLAC