Big Night Music by Shriekback

Big Night Music, the 1986 Shriekback album on Island, is the sound of a band rebuilt around its keyboard man. Guitarist Carl Marsh had gone, so Barry Andrews, the ex-XTC and League of Gentlemen player who'd co-founded the group in Kentish Town, stepped up to the microphone. The funk-flavoured post-punk of their early records edges toward art rock here, nocturnal and a little unnerving, with Andrews' voice now dead center like a man telling ghost stories after closing time. "Black Light Trap" is the pick for anyone who likes their pop with a chill in it.

It followed Oil & Gold and was the last word from bassist Dave Allen, the other remaining founder, who left once it was out; Go Bang! came next. Stateside it crept onto the Billboard album chart for six weeks, topping out at 145.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.