Book Review: Listen to New Wave Rock! Exploring a Musical Genre

Listen to New Wave Rock! is the first volume in the Exploring a Musical Genre series from Greenwood Press. According to the series forward, the series will consist of “scholarly volumes written for the enjoyment of virtually any music fan” (x). Rather than attempt to provide an exhaustive history of new wave music, this volume instead focuses on fifty musical works the author considers to be “Must-Hear Music” (xiv). This limited focus allows the author to devote more attention to the chosen pieces of music than is typical of most reference resources. The entries provide accounts of each band’s formation and early careers that one would expect in a volume such as this; however, what distinguishes Listen to New Wave Rock! is the rigorous critical analysis the author applies to each selected musical composition.