Considering the inaccessibility of their first two albums, White Music and Go 2, the success and general commerciality of XTC's third album, Drums And Wires, came as a surprise. This time, with Black Sea, XTC ought to find itself with an even wider audience, because there's plenty here to satisfy even the most timid radio programmer and borderline rock dance club DJ.

In only a few spots is this LP less than acceptable in a mainstream pop sense. But although XTC has modified its experimental zeal somewhat, it is still one of the most progressive of the newer British rock and roll bands to make it on any commercial level at all. Black Sea fine-tunes what was begun on Drums And Wires. Danceability abounds throughout most of the record, as does superb production, musicianship and writing.

Guitarist Andy Partridge's songs dominate the LP, and he's learned to finely craft a melody without losing sight of the need for incessant rhythm and meaningful lyrics. In fact, one of the most attractive characteristics of Partridge's songs is his ability to say something with punch while attaching his message to the most hummable melody. In a manner similar to that of the Kinks' Ray Davies, he often pens what may be termed neo-protest lyrics. Take for example "Living Through Another Cuba," a song which warns of impending war between the U.S. and Communist countries. While Partridge is singing lines such as "If they're not careful, your watch won't be the only thing with a radioactive glow," the band is cranking out some of the most rhythmic and melodic pop heard all year.

What is disappointing, though, is that bassist Colin Moulding didn't contribute more to Black Sea. Moulding has a fine pop vision which complements Partridge's nicely. His "Generals And Majors" (another song about the military) is one of the highlights of the album, and "Love At First Sight" exhibits a sense of ironic tongue-in-cheek humor that shows that Moulding and Partridge think along the same lines in many ways, which helps unify the band's sound. Unfortunately, those are the only songs Moulding contributed, and additional output by him would have helped balance the record.

Despite the few faults, Black Sea is a good followup to the popular Drums And Wires. Producer Steve Lillywhite took great care to keep the music from getting too soft while also keeping it from being too eccentric for the masses. The sound quality is hot and clean, but it doesn't assault. XTC is turning into a band that should appeal to both new wave purists and the average record buyer. And so far they've done so without sacrificing any integrity or by stunting their own growth.