While the band received massive airplay for their power-pop soaked third album Bandwagonesque, they first attracted critical attention for a record far more sloppy and sludgy sounding. Their debut album A Catholic Education predates the emergence of grunge, and has more in common with the pacific northwest bands than Big Star, of whom they would later draw massive comparisons. Like a lot of my favorite albums A Catholic Education doesn't fit readily in a category, it is not a genre record. A Catholic Education has shades of the early brit-pop sound, but is removed from it in the way only a bunch of Scots could be; the record is at once both warm and isolating.
A Catholic Education, was released in 1990. The band is best known for their third album, Bandwagonesque, here is what KCMU thought of the Glasgow band's first release:
“Way cool. Remind me of the Jesus & Mary Chain. Not that they sound like them, but in that they’ve created a specific sound w/in the pot punk genre that is uniquely + distinctly them. My friends Mike + Katie say they’re awesome live.”
“& they have good taste, too!”
“Don’t ignore this! Cool, Byrds meets Dino Jr. Scottish buzz-pop.”
“Almost perfect crushed burnt orange guitar sound. Pure guitar blues seduction. Early psych furs w/out the disco bottom.” [I don't think I've seen this person's handwriting in RR before, but I think they're my favorite KCMU reviewer to date.]
“This is way better than the Pixies rec in H; well, oh at least a little better. More deserving.” [All right, I take that back.]
“I could see H, too.”
“You’re on drugs!”
“Dino Jr. makes more & better amounts of noise with 3 people than TFC does with 5 — a little too flat for my taste.”
“Hate to say it, Dave, but I agree with you. I found this to be second-rate Dinosaur Jr., but I suppose I should give it two more spins.”
“I don’t think they’re trying to sound like Dino Jr. — much poppier & more melodic than that.”
“Some things are too straight-ahead trad-like.”
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