Hypnotised

It's hard to follow up a classic, as the Undertones themselves well knew, starting their second album with the endearingly self-effacing "More Songs About Chocolate and Girls," a song that acknowledges the difficulty of writing and recording a second album after the unexpected popularity of your first. Surprisingly, the lads make a good job of it; Hypnotised is only barely less perfect than the debut, and even the primary flaw, a pointless and rushed cover of "Under the Boardwalk," has its charms. Other than that misstep, the album contains 14 punky pop classics, with a slightly tougher edge than the unfailingly sweet-natured debut. The giddy love rush of the title track is matched by some of Feargal Sharkey's most exuberant vocals, and the snotty "What's with Terry?" and "My Perfect Cousin" are yet more perfect slices of adolescent frustration.