U-Vox

Released in 1986 on the Chrysalis label, U-Vox stands as the eighth studio album by the British new wave band Ultravox. It marked a significant transitional period for the group, serving as the final studio effort featuring frontman Midge Ure before their long hiatus. The album followed a period of immense commercial success for the band and reflected the mid-eighties shift toward a more polished, production-heavy sound that integrated elements of pop and soul, notably highlighted by the involvement of session musicians like saxophonist Martin Kemp.

The album's cover design adheres to the group's established minimalist aesthetic, prioritizing stark, evocative imagery that aligned with their synth-pop roots despite the musical experimentation found within the grooves. While the album received a polarized response from long-time fans who were divided by the band’s departure from their earlier, sharper electronic edges, it remains a notable document of the mid-eighties transition in the UK pop landscape, capturing a specific moment where the pioneers of the new romantic movement navigated the changing tides of mainstream radio and production trends.