The steady work clip of the Verlaines continued without a pause when they shifted in the US to major label distribution on 1991’s Ready to Fly, the quick guitar jangle and understated vocal warmth of Graeme Downes still in place but accentuated further by various string orchestrations and more that he was able to bring to the fore, as can be heard on “Tremble.” There’s some fun near-big band in the form of “Such As I,” fraught rock angst via the stirring title track, and what might even be a bit of a gentle self-ribbing with the lyrics of the opening “Gloom Junky.”

– Ned Raggett