Showroom (CD)

Engine Alley stood out, in a good way, back in the early ’90s. At odds with the end of raggle-taggle and the rise of grunge, the Alley seemed to exist in a more enticing, day-glo, Bowie-soundtracked universe. They had the tunes, and Canice Kenealy looked good in lipstick. That said, lost albums are usually lost for a good reason. This missing piece, however, had always been whispered about, by those lucky enough to hear it, as something special. They were right.

It’s the result of two recording sessions – one in late ‘92, and one in ‘96, although the songs were all written in between the bright pop of A Sonic Holiday (‘92) and the more shadowy and subdued Shot In The Light (‘95). There’s been some rejigging and re-recording, but not much.