Thomas Dolby
didn't do his career much good by waiting four years between album releases. Pop music trends shifted away from the quirky synth-pop
Dolby
had pioneered in 1983-1984, and though he employed a heavy funk beat aimed at the discos and even covered a
George Clinton
song,
seemed less a true dancefloor king than a commentator on the same, especially in such songs as the (non-charting) single
"Airhead,"
"Pulp Culture,"
and
"The Ability to Swing."
's flirtation with film had also added an eclecticism to his style that embraced '40s jazz vocalese (
"The Key to Her Ferrari"
) and European balladeering (
"Budapest By Blimp"
). As ever,
was a man of many ideas, but on
Aliens Ate My Buick
they failed to add up to a coherent statement. ~ William Ruhlmann