After Advertising’s demise, guitarist/producer Simon Boswell joined singer/guitarist Mike Edwards’ talented London pub band. Live Wire had already released Pick It Up (which resembles Kilburn and the High Roads, or early Dire Straits without the flashy guitar work) when Boswell arrived. Replacing a guitarist named Chris Cutler (not the Henry Cow drummer), he also became the quartet’s producer, introducing a slicker, more commercial sound. No Fright has no stylistic connection with Boswell’s previous band, but it’s a worthy companion to other modest pub-veteran documents.
Boswell wields far more audible influence on the charmingly popped-up Changes Made, eclipsing Edwards’ Knopfleresque rock songs with his own delightful “Don’t Look Now” and the collaborative “Child’s Eye,” which suggest a gutsier version of the Records.