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I didn’t expect a lot from The Fine Art of Surfacing, the third LP from Ireland’s Boomtown Rats, which I consequently found as surprising as it is enjoyable. The Rats employ dozens of rock influences—from Bowie and the Beatles to Thin Lizzy and Mott the Hoople—but the end result is entirely their own. Among the highlights on this elaborately produced, kinetic album: “I Don’t Like Mondays,” a controversial British hit that sardonically tells the true story of a schoolgirl who killed people solely for the reason cited in the title; “Having My Picture Taken,” a futuristic, schizophrenic romp; and “Someone’s Looking at You,” an expansive, well-hooked ode to paranoia.
By Jeff Burger 