With an unchanged lineup but more attention due to their A&M deal, the Feelies hit the jackpot with their third album, a warm, inviting collection that finally addresses the endless Lou Reed comparisons with a cover of his "What Goes On." With its clearer feeling and peppier overall delivery, it avoids simply cloning the original arrangement and performance. The rest of the album shows off the band's distinctive yet flexible sound, as much jangle as it is quietly moody. Mercer and Million's previously tense guitar power becomes attractive shadings, implying a louder approach without always delivering it, while the Demeski/Sauter rhythm team takes the lead throughout; his steady drums and her low, rolling performances giving the guitarists something to play around instead of dominate. The Feelies always make this tranced-out rock their own, but this time around it's as quietly thrilling, if not more so, than ever. "Higher Ground" is a great example, with Mercer and Million trading off not merely notes and passages but differing approaches, whether laden with distortion or chiming clearly. Though Weckerman's work, as earlier, isn't easily distinguished from Demeski's, from the sound of it everything fit in right when recording. Where appears more audibly, as on the start of "The Undertow," his percussion adds an intriguing wild card to the proceedings, aiming at the same goal with slightly different sonics. Mercer's ghost-of-you-know-who vocals still pop up at times, but here his own ability to actually sing and hold notes comes forward, giving him a technical edge that he uses to great effect on the brisk "Away."
(by Ned Raggett, All Music Guide)
The third official album of the Feelies came out in 1988: called Only Life, it's another masterpiece. The sound is someway a melting of the first two records, with more electric guitars and a harder drumming (reminding in part of those crazy rhythms of their debut) but also with the quiet atmosphere of the predecessor. A great record. The Feelies started then a cross-country tour with Lou Reed, even if they still didn't like to play live, and thanks to some promotion by their new label (they got signed to A&M) their audience grew up. Unfortunately, A&M was bought by the big corporation Polygram and the new management didn't care a lot about the band.