(Beyond Music/BMG)

She´s the goddess of New Wave (besides Siouxsie of course!) and she´s back with a bang! The single "Maria" has been a chart hit and the album is not worse. Yes, it IS a Pop-album, but anyway, why shouldn´t we listen to good Pop-Music, as long as it is not such superficial and boring like Caught In The Act, Modern Talking or Elton John? DEBBIE HARRY has still a wonderful and fascinating voice and she still looks really good.

The album has such powerful tracks like the opener "Screaming Skin" (with some Ska-Rhythms), "Maria" or the brilliant "Under The Gun", which is dedicated to the Gun Club leader Jeffery Lee Pierce, who died some years ago, on it. "Forgive and forget" is going to become another BLONDIE-classic and a timeless Pop-Hymn, the title track "No Exit" has Rap- and Metal-influences and so on. Some more calm songs remind me a bit on Gitane Demone´s solo works meeting Annie Lennox, just listen to "Double Take". "Nothing is real but the girl" could directly come from BLONDIE´s late 70s period, "Night Wind Sent" is a loveable ballad, again reminding me on Annie Lennox and so on. This album contains 14 tracks and only two or three did not convince me while the first listening, but only at the second or third try, like the Country-Ballad "The Dream´s lost on me" or "Boom Boom in the Zoom Zoom Room". Just try out this CD, if you liked BLONDIE in the old times and/or their single "Maria", or even, if you liked Siouxsie´s adult-pop album "The Rapture" you will love "No Exit" ! (A.P.)