The debut album by this overlooked
4AD
outfit from Colchester in Essex. In many ways,
Modern English
helped to define the sound and image of that pioneering label; while admittedly pretentious at times, they were also sharp-edged, intellectual, and obsessed with aestheticism. The standouts here are the title track,
"Smiles and Laughter,"
and
"Gathering Dust,"
an epic post-punk exercise in aural dynamics. The keyboard rush that they employ is one of the punkiest uses of
Stephen Walker
's synthesizer imaginable -- at least prior to the development of the industrial movement. ~ Alex Ogg