With their second release,
the Motels make steps toward a more seamless style of new wave-inflected pop.
Careful kicks off with the perky, sax-driven "Danger," and there are more hits than misses. The lyrics still lean toward the darker side as on the moody, watercolor melody of the title track, but there are also moments that are pop gems like the Europop-styled "Bonjour Baby," the midtempo rock of "Days Are O.K. (But the Nights Were Made for Love), which features the album's catchiest hook, and the uptempo "Cry Baby."
Martha Davis, with her distinctive vocals, is still the band's trump card, but this time around the band gives her a little more backing. ~ Tom Demalon