NME - December 6, 1986

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Crime & The City Solution - London Boston Arms

Crime have thus far been nearly drowned in a sea of weak comparisons, and perhaps this is reflected in a poor turnout for one of their increasingly rare UK shows. Their vitriol is being absorbed more gratefully overseas.

But this is a music of precise deadliness, and if you can get behind Simon Bonney's slowly snaking hips and sometimes over expressive wrist actions, there's a deep scratching whirlwind. Crime have extraordinary musical talents, reflected in constant switching on guitar/bass/keys by Howard/Howard/Harvey. Rowland S., who was wearing the very same armour-piercing gaze three days later when passed in Old Compton St W1, hung grimly onto his whammy bar and also extracted sublime bottleneck 'n' shadow plays, while around him the remaining components were dangled gracefully, then inserted just so. Timing is all here.

Successive scrapings from the new 'Room of Lights' LP reveal them still charting inhospitable territories of the soul, although their claim to be taking these themes beyond the normal 'wallow' stage cannot be verified to any degree, but the soundings are deliberately compulsive.

'Right Man Wrong Man' was a particularly fine rumble, Bonney having dispensed with any inhibitions and content to flail himself in the face of any audience suspicion. The unacceptably ignored 'Kentucky Click', which boasts one of the years best crescendo choruses, was curtly encored by an unhappy band; this last tumbleweed rolled around the hall, and sloped out the door. By then, the only shadows walking with Crime were their own. A fiendish surprise.

- David Swift
(transcribed by Cat)