The second full album by For Against was the band’s early landmark, building upon the entrancing sound of their earlier efforts to create a shimmering and more uniquely itself variation on the UK postpunk that absolutely enthralled the band from the start. Singer/bassist Jeff Runnings’s winsome voice felt like a curious, intense choirboy’s, while the sometimes stark and sometimes overwhelmingly epic and romantic music hits song for song, especially on standouts like the title track and “The Last Laugh.”

– Ned Raggett