12/1/1980 Trouser Press
Single Review
The love-hate dialect of The Affectionate Punch’s title song will strike a chord among The Associate’s ambivalent listeners. Their album can be too clever, and suffers a little from studio sterility, but it is an undeniably impressive debut. The band has filled out since recording - former Cure bassist Michael Dempsey, for one, has joined - and might loosen up as pressure is removed from Alan Rankine’s stooped shoulders (he played everything but drums).
