The Act - Too Late at 20 (1981, Hannibal)

Is this my favorite retro discovery of the year?  Hard to say, as even in the eye of the beholder these things are difficult to quantify.  At the very least it's well above average, despite not being particularly visionary or inventive.  And though I've encountered this title years ago on a sadly defunct, and quite frankly outstanding blog, I didn't consider sharing it until I found a personal copy of the record, used and abused as it was.

If you have any familiarity with The Act, such beforehand knowledge likely resides in the fact that this was Nick Laird-Clowes band prior to enlisting as the frontman for the Dream Academy.  Not that there's much novelty in that mind you, but for what it's worth don't expect to hear any contemplative elegies to Nick Drake on Too Late at 20.  Instead, what the Act had in store was well-executed and concise power pop, bordering on the skinny tie variant.  Taking cues from the likes of more visible contemporaries, including but not limited to The Records, Nick Lowe, and less-so Joe Jackson, the quartet in question really don't place any new fabric to the table.  Other than the vaguest of finagling with dub rhythms on "Protection," Too Late... plays it safe...yet never calculated or rote.

Nick and the lads are at their most potent on "The Long Island Sound," "The Art of Deception" and "Get it While You're Young," and the sprite title piece - all of which slot into a mode akin to a more pedestrian Elvis Costello.  Despite this seemingly vanilla tableau The Act really did possess the songwriting chops and incisive melodies to turn what could have been an ordinary record into something considerably more substantial.  In 2024, that was good enough for me. 

01. Too Late at 20

02. The Long Island Sound

03. Touch and Go

04. The Art of Deception

05. Protection

06. Sure Fire

07. Skip the Beat

08. Zero Unidentified

09. Ok Jerko

10. Get it While You're Young

MP3/FLAC