ELO’s 1979 album, where Jeff Lynne’s layered pop takes a stronger turn toward disco
Includes “Shine a Little Love,” “Last Train to London,” and “Don’t Bring Me Down”; 150-gram LP
For fans of: ABBA, Wings, Supertramp, late-seventies disco-pop
Discovery streamlines ELO’s sound without losing the stacked harmonies and melodic detail that make it recognizable. “Shine a Little Love” opens with a disco pulse, “Last Train to London” rides a funkier bass line, and “Don’t Bring Me Down” gets its effect from a much blunter rock refrain. “Confusion,” “Midnight Blue,” and the miniature narrative of “The Diary of Horace Wimp” keep the album from settling into one approach. Lynne’s production ties it together, giving even the most dance-oriented songs the density of carefully built pop.
“ultimately hosting some of the very best songs the band would ever put out”
— Ewan Gleadow, Cult Following
Listen: Don't Bring Me Down — artist listening sample
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