Album of the Day

Spandau Ballet was originally part of England's New Romantic movement, but it wasn't until the group donned suits and reinvented themselves as blue-eyed soul crooners that they really hit their stride. That moment came on their third album, TRUE, which the quintet cut in the Bahamas. Still within the synth-pop vein, but with R&B and jazz influences to the fore, the set's eight originals boast spare, classy arrangements that put the focus on hooks; “Gold” hit the Top 30 in America, and the title track made the Top 10. The set's sleek production practically drips with style but there's passion here, too: when Tony Hadley croons “this is the sound of my soul,” you believe him. This is the frontman's birthday, and we'll celebrate with another spin of Spandau Ballet's most successful album, TRUE.