After making their debut in 1982 with the self-produced and released album , clearly wanted to aim for a more polished and professional sound on their next releases; for the 1983 EP , leader took the band into a real studio (admittedly a modest one), and the 1984 EP found them working with an outside producer for the first time, of paisley underground psychedelic heroes . The French indie label , then enamored of the paisley underground scene, licensed the two EPs and fashioned them into an album, , making it the curious follow-up to , flown in from across the ocean to the group's homeland. While doesn't cohere as an album as well as one might hope, the individual tracks shows that were growing past the home-brewed sound of , and "Penny, Things Won't," "Metal and Glass Exact," and "Life in July" are smarter and better executed than nearly anything on , while 's production was a great complement to songs like "The Red Baron," "Nine Lives to Rigel Five," and "Shark Pretty" (the latter featuring a guitar solo from sideman ). And while was clearly the leader of this band, bassist , keyboardist , and drummer were more than capable accompanists who gave these songs the flavors they needed. One could certainly hear 's talent and potential on , but the material that formed represented a major step forward for and his group, and this music suggested they were maturing into the great smart pop band that would emerge on 1985's . ~ Mark Deming