Arriving in the mid 1980s, World Party is essentially the vehicle for former Waterboys keyboardist Karl Wallinger. Playing and recording every track on his first two albums, Wallinger hit upon a smart, potent sound that blended classic pop/rock styles in the vein of the Beatles, Dylan, and the Stones with contemporary studio flourishes. A solid presence on the U.K. charts for years, Wallinger scored a hit in the States with 1990’s “Way Down Now.” Wallinger would often use World Party as a platform for his political and environmental concerns, and continued to do so into the 2000s.