Hard at Play

by Stephen Thomas ErlewineAs the title indicates, Hard at Play is a return to the straight-ahead blues-inflected pop/rock that made Huey Lewis and the News superstars in the early '80s. While the material wasn't as consistently strong as Sports or Picture This, the band rocked with a renewed vigor and a handful of songs, including the anthemic hit "Couple Days Off," were as catchy as their older hits.