X2 (Times Two)

Times Two's X2 is a late 80s cheesy-ish pop album. It may not have a lot of depth, but it does have solid pop songs. It scores bonus points for amusing liner notes. Not that it has much to do with the album, but Shanti and Johnny Dollar were pretty cute, too. Anyway, back to the liners, Shanti penned an amusing short piece about their rise to fame, and the dedications also give me a smile or two. Score.

The big hit from the album was "Strange but True." The follow-up single, a remake of Simon and Garfunkel's "Cecilia," features Paul Simon on backing vocals. It's not bad, but they had better tracks on the album they could have released. "3 Into 2 (Don't Go)" features both members getting a crack at lead vocals, and I think it would've made a nice single. "L.O.D. (Love on Delivery)" is a pretty smooth track, as is "Mr. D.J.," and while neither probably could have done a whole lot as singles, they're solid album tracks. "Come Over" is some nice upbeat synthpop, as is "Jet," which is one of the standout tracks. "Only My Pillow Knows (For Sure)" is a very good tune. Sounds like it could have been a hit for someone, if not these guys. "Painted Heart" isn't anything special, but it's nice enough. "I Wantcha" is pretty cool and "Romeo" is a strong album ender. In fact, I love it. Such a fun track.

Overall, this is good.

Tracks:
1. Strange but True
2. Cecilia
3. Mr. D.J.
4. 3 Into 2 (Don't Go)
5. L.O.D. (Love on Delivery)
6. Come Over
7. Jet
8. Only My Pillow Knows (For Sure)
9. Painted Heart
10. I Wantcha
11. Romeo