By the time of their fourth album, 1984's Ocean Rain, Echo and the Bunnymen had
begrudgingly accepted that they were part of a musical wave that might never achieve
mainstream UK and US acceptance. Their blend of retro-60s psychedelic pop and '80s
new wave aggression fared far better in England where the group's distinct Englishness
was easier to assimilate in an era when the U.S. was celebrating the heartland rock of
John Cougar Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen. But that didn't stop the group from
trying to make the most challenging and accessible music of its career. The band
advertised Ocean Rain as "the greatest album ever made." While that's a serious bit of
overhype, the album does contain several group highlights. The otherworldly shimmer
and singer lan McCulloch's British Jim Morrison come-on for "The Killing Moon" makes it
a serious candidate for the band's finest track. "Silver" and "Nocturnal Me" explore the
moody temperament that made the band natural favorites among emotionally high-
strung adolescents.

- Apple Music