Under Wartime Conditions followed in 1984, simply subtitled as "a collection of pop songs." Newell hadn’t suddenly gone pro by any means-- there were faint degrees of progression in the slightly clearer arrangements and more complicated instrumental passages. If anything, it proved his most enjoyably rollicking record yet, evidenced by the the drum-heavy boogie of “Hand of Stone” and the frenetic instrumental “Fracas on West Street”, a jam where the Cleaners bordered on shredding. If there was more depth and variety to the muffled beats on the opening “Summer in a Small Town”-- as close as the Cleaners got to funk-- the introductory chatter, barbed expressions of contentment, and roughly textured vocals would definitely trace Newell’s increasingly parallel path towards that of future collaborator Andy Partridge of XTC. Meanwhile a tip of the hat to a mutual inspiration (also noting the perils of fandom) with “Song for Syd Barrett” once again showed Newell's propensity for lyrics that intially read as bucolic and pastoral, but revealed themselves to be questioning and uneasy.
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