Alice Cooper - Flush The Fashion
Warner Bros Records - 1980
8.5/10
Enter the new wave era. The experimental solo stuff had its ups and downs between its four-record span, and you can basically say the exact same about the following four. Thankfully, the first of this run, Flush The Fashion brings Alice Cooper’s latest shift in on a good start. If you’re picturing Elvis Costello or Devo with its own twist, you would be correct.
Literally right from the gate, you’re hit with the lighter guitar tones and dance-friendly beats. “Talk Talk” goes in head first without any warning, likely a shock to those who were there when this dropped. Interestingly, almost the entire disc runs from song-to-song right into each other, surprisingly very smoothly. The opener’s descent into the classic “Clones (We’re All)” allows a bit more identity to come in, injecting the robotic vibes and synthy-pedal effects. The harder guitars can still be felt underneath, too.
That very identity is what allows Flush The Fashion to work so well. You can envision the ‘80s vibes being reached for without leaning in too far. Closer “Headlines” still feels familiar enough, while “Pain” holds the title of one of the most overlooked songs in Cooper’s career. This one’s piano leads alongside synth rhythms and incredible poetic flow allows it to stand out so heavily; no idea how it got swept under the rug. The explosive transition right into “Leather Boots” is jarring in all the best ways.
Being a very short effort that barely touches the thirty-minute mark certainly worked in its favor. For what everyone may know the shock rocker for, this would certainly be unconventional. But if you can get past that, this should work as a pretty easy listen. I can’t really find anything on it worth complaining about.
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