Critics' Choice 1981

1. Elvis Costello Trust [F-Beat]
Inspired and aggravated by a simmering disgruntlement with Tory rule, Costello and band recorded Trust under the influence of scrumpy cider, gin and tonics, Seconal and various powdered substances, none of which served to dim their collective focus. Many of the songs were explicitly influenced by contemporary acts such as The Pretenders, The Police, XTC and Squeeze. None of the singles from the album charted, but Trust sealed Elvis’s reputation with the critics as the man to beat in the early 80s.
2. The Undertones – Positive Touch [Ardeck]
3. The Human League – Dare [Virgin]
4. Elvis Costello – Almost Blue [F-Beat]
5. De Danann – The Star Spangled Molly [Ogham]