The Escape Club had a lot to live up to when the time came to deliver a follow-up to its successful debut album,
Wild Wild West. The pressure was obviously on, and the band avoided the infamous sophomore slump (from an artistic standpoint) on its second album,
Dollars & Sex. Not significantly different from what listeners found on
Wild Wild West, tunes like "Call It Poison," "So Fashionable" and "The Edge of Your Bed" offer the sort of infectious, catchy, R&B-tinged rock & roll groove that had made
the Club a hit in the late '80s. The rockers bring a sociopolitical agenda to some of the material (including "Shout the Walls Down" and the reggae-influenced "Freedom"), but that doesn't detract from the fun.
Dollars & Sex is an album that those who enjoyed
Wild Wild West shouldn't overlook. ~ Alex Henderson