I approached The Blue Nile backwards. Having somehow stumbled across their Peace At Last album, then been moved to buy new their final album, High, I subsequently picked up their previous two albums when I saw them in sales. This one can't have made the same immediate impression as the later two, as it was relegated to the upstairs drawers. Let's see why.
There are no surprises. Seven longish sad songs lavishly accompanied with 1980s synth and drum machine backing. Electronic music which, thanks to Paul Buchanan's aching tones, couldn't sound less like electronica. My impression is that most of the songs are high on atmosphere, an easy, yet uneasy listen. Gentle background, but deeper when you actually listen. However, they also seem to lack hooks - themes which take you into the individual song as opposed to the general feel of the album. I'm halfway through the album, and it's only the more upbeat Headlights On The Parade which has registered as a separate entity, and the minimal slowness of From A Late Night Train has appeal, as does album closer Saturday Night, a worthy climax to a decent album.
I've enjoyed this, without being blown away, but I don't think it's as strong as the two later ones.
3* - a pleasing, restful album from Glasgow's turn of the century angst-meisters.
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