After recording a series of albums that established him as a pop-minded interpreter of soul styles, Robert Palmer surprised fans in 1980 with the stylistic about-face of Clues. On this album, he brought his sound into the new wave era by playing up the rock edge to his music, stripping the high-production gloss from his sound, and incorporating synthesizers into the arrangements. The end result became a big hit in the U.K. and paved the way for later international successes like Riptide and Heavy Nova. Clues also produced two notable singles in Looking for Clues, a clever slice of new wave pop that surprises the listener with an unexpected xylophone solo, and Johnny and Mary, a moody synth-driven ballad with perceptive lyrics about a doomed romantic relationship. There is also an impressive cover of Gary Numan's I Dream of Wires that retains the chilly electronic grandeur of the original while successfully working in an earthier rhythm arrangement that makes the song dance-friendly. Elsewhere, Palmer shows he hasn't abandoned his penchant for soul and ethnic music: Woke Up Laughing filters an African-style, chant-like vocal melody through a minimalist electronic production style, and Found You Now effectively combines a reggae groove with a deadpan sense of cool that is very "new wave." The end result is a bit short (it clocks in at barely over a half hour), but it remains one of Robert Palmer's strongest and most consistent albums. In short, Clues is a must for Robert Palmer fans and worth a spin for anyone into new wave. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, Rovi

1		Looking For Clues
2		Sulky Girl
3		Johnny And Mary
4		What Do You Care
5		I Dream Of Wires
6		Woke Up Laughing
7		Not A Second Time
8		Found You Now