At first listen it's easy to dismiss the Housemartins as featherweight British zanies with more than a touch of Madness. After all, their brisk acoustic-driven pop melodies are theatrically sweeping, and P.d. Heaton's lead vocals are so light on their feet that they seem almost flighty.

Listen more closely to the band's lyrics, however, and you'll hear lots of potent zingers mixed in with the...