Mental As Anything - Creatures of Leisure (1983)

Following up their biggest album yet, the Mentals rose to the occasion on this, their fourth full-length release. Though it may seem to be the little brother to 1981's Cats and Dogs, Creatures of Leisure is actually an even better album than it's predecessor. With producers Bruce Brown and Russell Dunlop again spinning the knobs, the Mentals serve up a batch of incredible songs, making the Rockpile-meets-Squeeze comparisons more accurate than ever. There's not a bad track in the bunch, with many of them already confirmed Mentals classics, including "Brain Brain" (a radio staple on U.S. college stations in '83), "Spirit Got Lost," "Bitter to Swallow," "Kissing of Her Lips," and "Close Again." Martin Plaza's already warm voice was more sincere and emotional this time out, while Greedy Smith's songwriting had matured ten-fold since the band's debut four years earlier. Reg Mombassa and Peter O'Doherty's songs were their best yet, with O'Doherty's "Red to Green" being an album standout (on an album of standouts). The Mentals' best album to date, it is a must have for pure pop fans, new wave fans, rock & roll fans, and Aussie rock fans. ~ Stephen Schnee