Long before and came along, enchanted college-aged Anglophiles with their jangly brand of emotive . Seen as musical fluff by fans of early-'90s pre- and ignored by fans of mid- to late-'90s post- , these five Scottish lads smoothed the edges but sharpened the hooks of a developing genre. ' 1990 debut, , mixes intricately intertwined guitars, in the spirit of a more charming, less gritty , with lush strings and sophisticated harmonies. Touchingly clever wordplay ("You came into my life/Like a brick through a window/And I cracked a smile") abounds, as on The clean production -- necessary for such elaborate orchestration -- is extremely warm and inviting. Singles like as well as prove to be the tastiest pieces of pure pleasure. But sugar can be bittersweet and laced with longing, as on Regardless of the relative mood, this debut is noticeably devoid of musical missteps -- quite a feat for a new artist. Easy on the ears and palate, is as filling and digestible an album as one could hope. Subsequent releases reach for the same greatness but ultimately fall a little short. This precursor to early 21st century darkens the occasional used record store bin. And it tastes almost as fresh as the day it was made. ~ Norm Elrod