World Without End

A year after Echo & the Bunnymen released their final album of the '80s, the Mighty Lemon Drops recorded World Without End, an LP that actually sounds closer to the Echo & the Bunnymen's earlier stabs at late-'60s psychedelia. Recalling Echo & the Bunnymen albums such as Crocodiles and Heaven Up Here, World Without End is almost like a missing piece in the Bunnymen's discography. Dave Newton's ringing, swirling guitars reflect — or should that be echo? Will Sergeant's distinct Bunnymen riffs, and Paul Marsh's moody, hollow voice mirrors the woeful baritone of Ian McCulloch. However, the band deserves praise for transcending, and not merely imitating, the work of their influences. The opening track, "Inside Out," is a minefield of sparkling pop hooks — finger-snapping percussion, toe-tapping guitars, and a chorus so catchy that one listen to the song can turn into an addiction. Many of the tracks are propelled by Keith Rowley's forceful drumming; producer Tim Palmer wisely thrusts the percussion prominently into the mix, allowing every song, even the slower pieces, to have a sense of motion. Tony Linehan's stimulating basslines drive "In Everything You Do" and "Fall Down (Like the Rain)." The lyrics are often unhappy, and while they lack Echo & the Bunnymen's poetic narratives, there is real feeling in the vocals. World Without End is one of the finest British post-punk albums of the '80s. Its parts may be borrowed, but it runs like a well-oiled machine.