In 1979 the music charts in the UK, reflected the aftermath of the dominance of Punk- with more polished and melodic yet still spiky tunes.

I’m thinking the early Police singles , Nick Lowe and of course XTC with “Making Plans For Nigel”.

The subject matter of that single being overbearing parents planning a future career for “Nigel” at British Steel!

Quirky and catchy with falsetto, interesting rhythm guitar stabs and an incessant bassline : it was a million miles away from blues rock or funk .

Indeed this was something unique to the English provincial sound of XTC.

The followup album “Black Sea” in 1980 featured the inventive and extremely catchy “Generals and Majors” - really a satire on the absurdity of war.

Generals and Majors ah ah

They're never too far

From battlefields so glorious

Out in a world of their own

They'll never come down

Till once again victorious, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa

You can hear influences of 60’s pop (Kinks/Small Faces/ 1966-7 Beatles) - however XTC had an uncanny knack of not sounding like anyone else - and for a guitar band , they simply escaped the cliches picked up from other styles, be it rock, pop, funk or blues.

For me , this album was a high point in their career and despite subsequent albums delivering big singles such as “Senses Working Overtime” (which was veering towards more bland REM territory in my view!) - this 1979-80 period was profoundly inventive and original, with lyrics that pulled the listener in with captivating subject matter.

Check them out here:

https://www.discogs.com/master/70066-XTC-Black-Sea