Present Tense / Tongue Twister

The late '70s gave rise to new wave, where rock and pop's most economical attributes were brought to the forefront. The Knack, Blondie, The Cars, and The Jam made the most commercially successful noise, but the Zion, Ill.–based Shoes were quietly recording some of the era's best music. They'd already shown everyone what they could do with 1977's home-recorded Black Vinyl Shoes. Present Tense represented their jump to a major label and into a professional recording studio. Fortunately, the group members weren't intimidated by the big leagues, and Present Tense remains one of the era's classic "lost" albums, with "Tomorrow Night," "Hangin' Around with You," and "Now and Then" leading the charge. Or you could pick another trio of tunes from this stacked deck of goodies. The group's second major-label release, Tongue Twister, was equally engaging, adding the obsessive love of "Karen" and the brash and powerful "Your Imagination." Harmonies give a lushness to their appeal, while the group's pursuit of the perfect pop song makes every track a contender.