One of my favorite (and there are many, to be honest) post-punk bands is Magazine. Howard Devoto backed by a super band of sorts, with Barry Adamson, Dave Formula, John Doyle, and guitar god John McGeoch. Their sound is orchestrational in the same line as Roxy Music, in fact, they remind me of that band, due to not an image, but the way the music is put together. Every player in the group contributes to the group, and Devoto turns on his magic to make it work fantastically.
Without a doubt, this is their most commercial album, with solid songwriting, but the album moves from one track to another without a weak link. The one other influence I pick up on is Motown. I suspect the whole band is into the classic Motown sound. That, and a touch of funk mixed with the post-punk aesthetic and that vision to look out to the world makes Magazine a very unique musical force of its time.
Devoto is a superb lyricist. No one writes lyrics like him. Full of literary references, such as Fyodor Dostoyevsky runs through the songs, especially their incredible "A Song From Under the Floorboards." One of the great classics to come out of that era. Sinister, disturbing, and yet magnificent. Their cover of Sly Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" shows that they truly admire genius in other worlds.
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