A secret masterpiece of this era, Heaven Up Here dials down the guitars for Crocodiles and pushes the rhythm section to the front. This is my favorite mode for the band, as hyper as they were the first time out, just heavier. Two of the band’s most durable melodies are here—“A Promise” and “All My Colours”—and I think “No Dark Things” is a personal favorite. Also a perfectly balanced record!

Having already made a strong mark with Crocodiles, on Heaven Up Here Echo & the Bunnymen somehow perfectly upped the ante, creating a dark, propulsive collection of songs whose closest contemporary might have been the last efforts of Joy Division. But Echo’s sound and impact was all its own, with “Over the Wall,” “Show of Strength,” “A Promise” and “Heaven Up Here” having a sinuous, nervous energy that showcased the quartet’s individual skills brilliantly in turn (not least Ian McCulloch’s sometimes misunderstood surreal sense of humor).