by Brendan Swift
Punk-chewed bubblegum rock, fronted by sex kitten Wendy James, proved a winning formula on Transvision Vamp's debut release, Pop Art. Despite proclaiming &The rules are...there are no rules& in the liner notes, the set follows the time-honored rock/punk formula of guitars, attitude, and a healthy shot of sex appeal: Nick Christian Sayer's guitar work providing the perfect complement to James' anthemic lyrics. At their best with exuberant outings such as &I Want Your Love& and &Revolution Baby,& a nice melodic lull to the rollicking fun is provided by the well-honed ballad &Sister Moon.& The second half of the album, however, begins to wear a little thin, avoiding the beautiful simplicity of earlier songs with some experimental punk rock (&Sex Kick&) and ballads neither catchy nor deep (&Andy Warhol's Dead& and &Hanging Out With Halo Jones&). The light-hearted sounds and catchy hooks were further developed in their follow-up, Velveteen, but straying from the formula with Little Magnets Vs. the Bubble of Babble in 1991 ended public interest as well as the band.