Like fencing foils and lovely girls I'll never kiss

Prefab Sprout maintain their vice-like grip on my ears. I suspect this will continue as autumn digs in. Overly ornate flourishes aside, Steve McQueen is the jewel, but the debut certainly has its moments. This would be the tune you'd reference if you wanted to explain how a band could make like Steely Dan in the English '80s — counter-intuitive melodic turns that net a nice return on investment and lyrics that look askance on love, longing, and loss. Metaphors aside, I suspect Paddy McAloon always pretty much sucked at b-ball.

Prefab Sprout - I Never Play Basketball Now