Like KICK, Shabooh Shoobah is packed from top to bottom with songs that perfectly communicate the essence of this band: cheeky, sexy grooves with post-punk punch. Unlike KICK, it is not an album that would pack stadiums. “Don’t Change,” which closes the album, is perhaps INXS’s most anthemic, charged, and ecstatic single. In present-day nostalgia for the band, it is probably the most played and well-loved, even more so than “Need You Tonight.” The album was their first U.S. release, peaking at #46 on the Billboard Hot 100, and presents a band with a far more cohesive vision than their first two albums, as well as a singer who’s come into his voice.

The album begins with “The One Thing,” which was also the first single. It hit #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983, aided by the success of its debauched video going into heavy rotation on MTV. This was the true start of Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence emerging as the band’s principal songwriters and hitmakers. They’re solely responsible for five out of 10 of the tracks on this album.

One of the best songs here, though, is the Hutchence-Pengilly collaboration “Golden Playpen,” a thumping, passionate celebration of drunkenness. As is characteristic of Pengilly’s songwriting, it’s got less groove and more rock — and a lot of good sax. “Jan’s Song,” one of the last tracks on the album, is seemingly about the plight of aboriginal people in Australia, establishing the mild political consciousness that would pop up on future albums.

It closes its second side with “Old World New World” and “Don’t Change.” When you listen to these back to back with your mind on the short past and longer future of INXS, they present a perfect juxtaposition. The former has a funkiness and immaturity more in line with their first two albums, while “Don’t Change” is epic. It comes in slowly, announcing itself with Andrew Farriss’ unforgettable synth line before the guitar tease and, finally, the drums kick in. This is Michael Hutchence truly debuting himself as a serious singer, giving us the full force of his ability to play the winking ingenue while being in complete control. Just as its intro is teased out, so is its outro, leaving you eager for whatever is going to come next from these guys.