Porcupine

Long out of print in the United States before its 2004 reissue, PORCUPINE, Echo & the Bunnymen's third album, has garnered a reputation for being as prickly as its namesake. Although the record is lined with jagged guitars and is arguably the band's darkest offering, these aspects suit the Bunnymen just fine. Ian McCulloch, in particular, sounds right at home on this brooding set of songs, with his deep, Jim Morrison-esque vocals perfectly conveying his intriguing, shadowy tales.
PORCUPINE is front-loaded with its two key singles--the startling "The Cutter" and the strangely grand "The Back of Love". Both songs benefit from the dramatic string playing of Shankar, who also lends an ominous drone to "Heads Will Roll". Throughout the album, McCulloch conjures up vivid lyrical imagery with his powerful voice, from the demonic depths of "My White Devil" and "Higher Hell" to the soaring heights of "God Will Be Gods" and "In Bluer Skies". The 2004 expanded edition includes five alternate versions of album tracks, along with the excellent B-side "Fuel" and the much-loved single "Never Stop (Discotheque)", rounding out a record that holds its own with other revered Bunnymen outings.|

Porcupine, Echo & the Bunnymens third album, has garnered a reputation for being as prickly as its namesake. Although the record is lined with jagged guitars and is arguably the bands darkest offering, these aspects suit the Bunnymen just fine. Ian McCulloch, in particular, sounds right at home on this brooding set of songs; his deep, Jim Morrison-esque vocals perfectly convey his intriguing, shadowy tales. Porcupine is front-loaded with its two key singles: the startling The Cutter and the strangely grand The Back of Love. Both songs benefit from the dramatic string playing of Shankar, who also also lends an ominous drone to Heads Will Roll. Throughout the album, McCulloch conjures up vivid lyrical imagery with his powerful voice, from the demonic depths of My White Devil and Higher Hell to the soaring heights of God Will Be Gods and In Bluer Skies. Expanded editions include five alternate versions of album tracks, along with the excellent B-side Fuel and the much-loved single Never Stop (Discotheque), rounding out a record that holds its own with other revered Bunnymen outings. ~ Eric Schneider

The groups third album is a solid outing, a noticeably better listen than its predecessor, Heaven Up Here. Songs are intriguing and elaborate, often featuring swooping, howling melodic lines. Arrangements here owe a lot to 1960s psychedelia and feature lots of reverb, washed textures, intricate production touches, and altered guitar sounds. Ian McCullochs vocals are yearning, soaring, and hyper-expressive here, almost to the point of being histrionic, most notably on Clay, Ripeness, and the title track. Driving bass and drums lend the songs urgency and keep the music from collapsing into self-indulgence. Parallels between the groups U.S. contemporaries such as Translator, Wire Train, and R.E.M. can be drawn, though all seem to have developed aspects of this style at about the same time -- and none utilize it as flamboyantly as the Bunnymen do. Highlights here include Back of Love (with its galloping drumbeat and fragmented yet ardent vocal line) and Gods Will Be Gods (which gradually speeds up from beginning to end, working itself into a swirling frenzy). This album is well worth hearing. ~ David Cleary