As the blurry, greyscale scenes of 80’s shoegaze seeped into a new decade, A.R. Kane provided an uplifting gleam of colour which would help move the genre into brighter territory, and provide a Dreampop blueprint for years to come.

Despite this monumental influence on the canon of rock, the band are widely considered to be extraordinarily under-recognised, and when listening to this compilation ‘Americana’, released by a David Byrne’s (at-the-time) Luaka Bop label, we come closer to an explanation: Earnest song writing sensibilities which tease studio experimentation, whilst being shy of sheen. Alongside the support of their label, Rough Trade, their separation of pop-prowess from commercial checkboxes placed them firmly into the hearts of cult fandom.