I haven't listened to a ton of 10cc, and the reputation of Deceptive Bends is that it is not one of their peak albums. Still, I found this to be a largely enjoyable record, if not a great one. At their best, 10cc combined immaculate pop hooks with a thirst for the unexpected - their songs often shift and mutate throughout the course of three and four minutes. In following this formula, if you can call it a formula, they were working the tradition of the best 1960s pop bands, although perhaps only because they came later on, their stylistic moves can feel forced and studied compared to the natural thrills of bands like the Beatles.
There is really nothing to gripe about with a beautiful pop single like "The Things We Do for Love," though, and there are several interesting and inventive highlights here. My main criticism is that this album is inconsistent, and although they get away with a softer number with the aforementioned "Things," they try their hand at one again with "People in Love" and just come off like a slightly more melodic Seals and Crofts. Apparently this sort of thing foreshadowed the rest of their career, which was not one to write home about. But they hadn't jumped into that abyss yet, and Definite Bends is still a good album.
There is really nothing to gripe about with a beautiful pop single like "The Things We Do for Love," though, and there are several interesting and inventive highlights here. My main criticism is that this album is inconsistent, and although they get away with a softer number with the aforementioned "Things," they try their hand at one again with "People in Love" and just come off like a slightly more melodic Seals and Crofts. Apparently this sort of thing foreshadowed the rest of their career, which was not one to write home about. But they hadn't jumped into that abyss yet, and Definite Bends is still a good album.
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