Without Love - From the opening guitar screech, this song sounds like one that wouldn't have been out of place on the first album. The guitar tone and style, chiming synths, driving bassline and lovelorn theme are similar to, for example, She Don’t Know Me. Lyrically though it’s somewhat more developed and in tune with the rest of the album; detailing how various character’s live have fallen apart as a result of a lack of love; and eventually taking up a hopeful note, with the main protagonist claiming “I was afraid / I won’t be afraid no more” over a sparse backing of synthesized strings. The guitar solo further distances it from the first album: backed by atmospheric tingling synths; relatively short and melodic; and very much an early example of a solo of feeling over technicality; although Richie would later get much better at such solos. Overall then, this is a decent song with a good message; but one that doesn’t quite match the development of the band that’s displayed over the rest of the album.

3/5