Native Place

The Railway Children found themselves in a troubling dilemma in 1990. Dance records had pillaged the British charts, and the English band's intimate, jangly guitar pop was in danger of being crushed by samplers and synthesizers. Consequently, the Railway Children flirted with club music on their third album, Native Place. However, the slick production and sunny synths couldn't leech the buoyancy and emotional impact from the poetic, romantic songwriting and warm harmonies of Gary Newby (vocals, guitar, keyboard). In fact, Native Place includes some of the finest tunes from the Railway Children's discography. "You're Young" has propulsive guitars and an infectiously hummable chorus; the shimmering riffs in "Every Beat of the Heart," "Something So Good," and "Collide" are invigorating and even addictive; and "Fall On" has the deep sadness of mid-'80s Echo and the Bunnymen. Keyboards don't overwhelm the record; they merely add a teaspoon of sugar to Newby's melancholy melodies. Native Place received lukewarm reviews when it was initially released; perhaps critics were too jaded to appreciate the uplifting, gorgeously sung pop music that reside within it.