Echo and the Bunnymen “Crocodiles” 1980. Their debut album, it reached #17 on the UK charts and received widespread critical acclaim for its dark emotion and power. Creem called it “moody, mysterious and fascinating.” Rolling Stone’s David Fricke rated it 5 stars, stating singer Ian McCulloch “specializes in a sort of apocalyptic brooding, combining Jim Morrison-style psychosexual yells, a flair for David Bowie-like vocal inflections and the nihilistic bark of his punk peers into a disturbing portrait of the singer as a young neurotic.” It also has stood the test of time: in 1993 NME rated it at #28 on the list of its 50 greatest albums of the 80′s and in 2006 Uncut placed it at #69 in its list of the 100 greatest debut albums.

Crocodiles has one of my all-time favorite Echo and the Bunnymen songs: “Do It Clean” with its relentlessly driving beat, a loud-quiet-loud structure, jangly guitar and raw vocals. Two tracks from the album were released as singles – “The Pictures on My Wall” and “Rescue” – “Rescue” is another favorite of mine, McCulloch’s voice perfectly plaintive and pleading.