For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

Candleland is a standout album from a standout year in music. 1989 brought on many great debut albums, banner releases and solo efforts. Candleland was a much more interesting listen to me in its entirety as opposed to the individual singles that found their way on modern rock radio such as “Faith and Healing” and “Proud to Fall”. In my opinion, “In Bloom” is a better song than the aforementioned.

“In Bloom” draws striking similarities to the iconic Echo & The Bunnymen track, “The Killing Moon”. With its epic structure and other worldly accents, it’s an ambitious rock song built to make an impression. The supplementary guitar riffs in the background are fantastic, standing in stark contrast to the muscular guitar hook in the foreground. And the lyrics, they speak for themselves. Poetic and simple. McCulloch always had a way with words.

“Rice fields, Feet soaking. Minefields, Here's hoping.”