Sextet

Personnel: Simon Topping (vocals); Peter Terrell, Martin Moscrop (guitar); Donald Johnson (drums).
In the early '80s, punk-funk forged a meeting place for black and white pop music traditions, and brought new wave to the dance floor while (initially) retaining an unassailably hip veneer. In New York, this feat was accomplished by the likes of minimalist scenesters Liquid Liquid, and groove savants ESG. On the other side of the pond in the U.K., nobody did it better than A Certain Ratio.
SEXTET, the group's third recording, is widely acclaimed as one of its best. While there's plenty of the bleak artiness (including some decidedly Joy Division-like touches) and spaced-out dub that made ACR a Factory Records favorite, there's an added sense of structure. New vocalist Martha Tilson, while nobody's idea of a soul sister, leavens the darkness of the mood somewhat (don't worry, she never fully succeeds), and brings focus to the compositions. Throughout the album, syncopated slap-bass lines, ambient guitar washes, and postmodern horns mesh in a glorious celebration of the disaffected dance that was ACR's stock in trade.