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Missing Persons were the most plastic of the Los Angeles New Wavers. With their layers and layers of keyboards and synthesizers, they could create glorious sonic confections. The problems arose with the lyrics and vocals. Often pedestrian and simple minded, the lyrics were never the strongest selling point for the band. Dale Bozzio’s hiccupping Kewpie doll vocals are a part of the band’s charm, but her limited vocal range and tendency to try to over-sing and over-work her vocals grates after a while. Unlike Berlin’s Terri Nunn, who had a bigger voice, Bozzio doesn’t know when to reign it in and lay off the cutesy mannerisms. The first half of the album is solid New Wave, the second half is where the filler creeps in, “U.S. Drag” is the crème of the crap. The singles really make the album. “Words” and “Destination Unknown” are classics, but nothing tops “Walking in L.A.” as far as pure infectiousness. Spring Session M isn’t a bad album, but it’s not a Los Angeles New Waver classic like Oingo Boingo’s Only a Lad or The Go-go’s Beauty & the Beat. DOWNLOAD: “Walking in L.A.”
