For those who have never heard of The Blue Nile, I can only encourage you to go and listen to their music. They are a three piece band from Glasgow with a penchant for taking their time to make records. In the 27 years since they formed, they have released only 4 albums. They formed in 1981, and released their debut album, A Walk Across The Rooftops in 1983. It’s an interesting blend of acoustic and synthetic sounds, with the end result sounding like beautifully crafted 80’s pop, firmly entrenched at the high end of that market. It was not a huge commercial success, but it received much critical acclaim. ‘Tinseltown in the Rain’ is the absolute classic from this album, and it was clear that this was a band to watch.

Their second album, Hats, was simply amazing, and as far as I am concerned, the peak of their career. It was also a long wait for it. 6 years it took from the first to the second album, an unheard of gap for most bands. Like their debut, this was a seven song offering, but the unlike the first album, which ranges from eclectic to funky and moody, Hats is a very coherent and complementary bunch of songs. This album will always be in my top ten albums of all time, so fabulous it is. In fact it’s one of the most amazing albums I have ever heard.

Their next two albums fit the same pattern of release. Peace at Last was released 7 years after Hats, and ‘High’, their most recent offering, was released in 2004, a full 8 years after ‘High’. These two albums are full of lovely songs, but don’t quite ever reach the heights of the first two albums. Of the two, I prefer High, as Peace at Last has overtly religious lyrics I don’t particularly like in my music.

Never mind. If any band can release an album such as Hats, as far as I’m concerned, they could retire immediately. Some things just can’t be topped.