The first Roxy album to break the US Top 40 demonstrated that, four records in, the band were every bit as hungry, audacious and pioneering as on their debut two years earlier. Opening with the urgent, propulsive ‘The Thrill Of It All’, ‘Country Life’ effortlessly embraces avant-garde song structures, touching ballads, English nostalgia, visceral hard rock, European influences and even medieval Christian references without skipping a beat. The resulting album is yet another immensely satisfying musical experience. Compared to their peers, it’s almost frightening what sounds Roxy Music could perfect and make their own.
