THE BENCHMARK

Prefab Sprout Steve McQueen ★★★★

KITCHENWARE/CBS, 1985 McAloon pushes pop’s envelope with wise-beyondhis-years love psychology (Moving The River, Appetite, Desire As), and bravura whimsy (When The Angels), while producer Thomas Dolby’s genius as an arranger and drummer Neil Conti’s groovesense keep it all on track. Yet McAloon still wishes they’d added the now-legendary Snowy Rents A Dog, nixed by Dolby. All the promise of debut Swoon realised, in spades.