A great deal of the British bands remembered fondly and typically from the '80s probably employed a greater proportion of keyboards and synthesizer than electric guitars. However, a few groups from the U.K. breathed life into a guitar-oriented approach that would ultimately be responsible for the Britpop movement of the '90s as well as plenty of pop music contributions based purely on its own merit. While The Smiths undoubtedly personify the legendary branch of this species of early alternative rock bands, The Railway Children represent dozens of entirely worthy artists who tend to get lost in the '80s shuffle, especially in America.
Overlooking this band, however, will work purely to your own detriment if you're a fan of melodic, jangly guitar pop of the moderately cerebral variety. In fact, a number of songs from the band's first two albums (1987's Reunion Wilderness and 1988's Recurrence) could easily slide comfortably into this feature slot this week. Some may see it as a negative criticism to say that the lovely "In the Meantime" sounds an awful lot like several Railway Children classics of the late '80s. Others may choose to see this as evidence of consistency and genuine quality rather than uninspired limitation. I lean toward the latter approach, as music of the late '80s did not always freely exude the passion and straightforward beauty found reliably in the Railway Children oeuvre. So just put whatever digital music player you favor on shuffle when you check out the work of this band. Then just sit back and enjoy this one, as my favorite NHL hockey play-by-play man likes to say.
- Sample or download "In the Meantime" here.
- Compare prices on Railway Children CDs here.
- Top English Artists of the '80s
- Top Songs from British Alternative Legends The Smiths
Album Cover Image Courtesy of Virgin Music
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