Following a collaboration with Giorgio Moroder that resulted in their sleek “Life in Tokyo” single, a clear step away from the enjoyable if self-consciously trashy glam rock of their first two albums, Japan worked with Roxy Music producer John Punter to bear down more clearly on an electronic-driven approach. Quiet Life was the result, and while it’s the work of a band in transition, it’s a fascinating and entertaining one — the title track in particular audibly predicts where acts like Duran Duran were soon to follow, quick, shimmering and elegantly melancholic.

– Ned Raggett