This London quartet features the rather lovely (and often multi-tracked) voice of Coventry-born Julianne Regan (an early bassist in Gene Loves Jezebel) and utilizes, of all people, former Yardbird bassist Paul Samwell-Smith in the producer’s chair. With dreamy-looking cover art and songs about children, angels and clouds, one might expect lots of wispy, ethereal music, but 1988’s All About Eve mostly offers up mainstream, big-guitar rockers. Even the quieter moments, such as “Like Emily” and “Shelter from the Rain” (with Wayne Hussey of the Mission adding vocals), sound like arena fare by some U2 support act. (The CD adds three.)
Samwell-Smith gives Scarlet and Other Stories a much lighter, more acoustic sound. This setting is better suited to Regan’s voice, but the LP drags along laboriously; the softer spots come dangerously close to resembling Renaissance. In comparison to this, the debut’s variety is a real asset.
Guitarist Tim Bricheno left in ’90 and resurfaced later that year in the Sisters of Mercy.