The Searchers never quite went away but they did fall off the radar in the 1970s, failing to capture any momentum as they continued to tour and occasionally record. Their fortunes reversed in 1979, when they signed a contract with
Sire Records. This wasn't necessarily out of the blue -- the times had shifted back to the ringing guitar pop that was their specialty during the British Invasion. Crucially,
the Searchers didn't decide to re-create the sound of "Sugar and Spice" or "Needles and Pins," instead deciding to hitch their wagon to the power pop that emerged in the wave of pub rock, while taking a glance at the rise of new wave rockers in America. On their two records for the label -- 1979's
The Searchers and 1981's
Love's Melodies, which are collected on this double-disc
Omnivore set, along with a host of rarities, including the unreleased "Ambulance Chaser" -- the group explores both of these sounds, primarily by covering songs from the heavy-hitters on both sides of the Atlantic. A lot of this music feels as if it were channeled through the prism of
Nick Lowe and
Dave Edmunds -- not specifically
Rockpile, as
the Searchers never rock that hard, but rather their productions; for instance, the cover of
Ducks Deluxe's "Love's Melody" is as gorgeous and ornate as
Edmunds' productions for latter-day
Brinsley Schwarz, while
the Searchers cover
Mickey Jupp's "Switchboard Susan," which would be popularized on
Lowe's
Labour of Lust -- but there's an AOR bent to the production that suits a veteran group. Underneath that polish lies a nimble, versatile band with exceptional taste. Not only did they find songs from
Will Birch and
John Wicks of
the Records ("Hearts in Her Eyes," as perfect a pop single as there is, plus the
Birch co-writes "Everything But a Heartbeat" and "Radio Romance"), they dug up chestnuts from
Tom Petty,
John Hiatt,
John Fogerty, and
Moon Martin, and became the first prominent group to cover
Big Star in 1981 when they cut "September Gurls."
The Searchers mimicked the original arrangements, they bent the songs to suit their skills -- their recordings are layered with harmonies and the rhythms are supple -- and that dexterity is why
Another Night: Sire Recordings 1979-1981 is such brilliant power pop: it has evident roots in the past but it's focused on the now, as all the best pop always is. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
![Action Painting [With Book]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0825764106429_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Action Painting [With Book]")
