Fingerprintz - Distinguishing Marks

In the autumn of 1980, Fingerprintz returned with their sleek sophomore effort, Distinguishing Marks (Catalog No: V 2170). Having refined their hyperactive quirks on the road, Jimme O'Neill and guitar foil Cha Burns recalibrated the band's sonic framework. Rather than leaning back into the nervous, skeletal minimalism of their debut, they aimed straight for a hyper-polished, melodic juggernaut—a record constructed to sound like a collection of radio-ready hit singles while retaining an unmistakably sharp New Wave bite.

The album is also famously legendary for its physical presentation, wrapped in a brilliant, conceptual picture sleeve designed by the iconic Peter Saville (the visionary artist behind Joy Division and New Order artwork). Featuring a grid of perforated, punch-out "postcards" on the cover that depicted individual track concepts, the packaging perfectly mirrored the music inside. Under the guidance of producer Nick Garvey (from power-pop architects The Motors), the band traded in their rougher, pub-rock edges for an engine that hummed with a precision-engineered, caffeinated energy.

From the very first needle drop on the sugary, cascading opening hook of "Yes Eyes," it is blindingly obvious that Distinguishing Marks is pure power-pop in extremis. The songwriting feels immensely more focused, driven by punchy guitar riffs and sweeping, melodic choruses that practically demand radio airplay. Tracks like "Houdini Love" and the kinetic, chiming masterwork "Remorse Code" pulse with a tight, muscular efficiency, showing a band that had learned exactly how to trim any unnecessary fat from their arrangements to deliver maximum hook-driven impact.

Yet, despite the newfound sonic gloss applied by Nick Garvey, Fingerprintz completely refused to play by the industry rules. Beneath the bright melodies lies a dark, deeply eccentric lyrical core. Jimme O'Neill’s disjointed songwriting visions remain inspired by gritty pulp fiction, police blotters, and cold medical charts. Songs like "Criminal Mind" and the brilliant, soaring standout "Bullet Proof Heart" frame highly addictive, danceable pop music against a backdrop of deep psychological tension, clinical paranoia, and criminal underworld narratives.

The second half of the LP continues to weaponise this fascinating contradiction between form and content. The jagged, spikey guitar interplay on "Ringing Tone" and the twitchy, hiccuping vocals of "Amnesia" act as direct throwbacks to the band's twitchiest post-punk roots. Meanwhile, the back-and-forth tension on tracks like "Radiation" highlights the tight rhythm section of bassist Kenny Alton and drummer Bogdan Wiczling, pushing the band closer toward a muscular, driving art-rock sound that completely avoids standard power-pop clichés.

Ultimately, Distinguishing Marks stands as a beautifully frustrating document of an underrated band operating at a creative crossroads. It is an incredibly consistent, brilliant pop album that was simply too clever and lyrically perverse to ever catch on with the casual mainstream public. By hiding their kinky, high-tension fixations inside flawlessly polished, melodic shells, Fingerprintz delivered a timeless, spikey artifact that remains a definitive high point in the late-70s and early-80s British underground transition.

Ripped to MP3

Side A:

A1: Yes Eyes (3:00)

A2: Houdini Love (3:05)

A3: Criminal Mind (4:05)

A4: Bullet Proof Heart (4:50)

A5: Remorse Code (3:15)

Side B:

B1: Amnesia (2:45)

B2: Ringing Tone (2:40)

B3: Radiation (4:50)

B4: Jabs (3:25)

B5: Hide And Seek (4:50)