Kayak enters the '80s with a slick sheen of L.A. production, and it proves to be one of their more palatable ventures into commercial pop. Slager's guitar work seems re-energized, though Edward Reekers' voice is still too squeaky-clean to have much character. Perhaps the band was aware of this, as Reeker is often quite low in the mix. His voice, bolstered by the subtle addition of female backing vocals, only really shines on "One Way or Another," an uptempo pop bubble with an eminently radio-friendly vocal hook embedded in the chorus. The best tracks come late in the album, such as the fine guitar line ringing out over the grandiose keyboard arrangement of "Lost Blue of Chartres." But it is "Anne," a minstrel's tale with a multi-part choral introduction and gentle flourishes of recorder, that stands out by the simple virtue of its willingness to experiment beyond the musical boundaries of Los Angeles. ~ Paul Collins