by James Chrispell
With the popularity of the Smiths and New Order, British pop burst wide open with a plethora of homegrown acts, of which the Railway Children were but one. Reunion Wilderness takes that sound and adds bits and pieces of dance music to the mix in hopes of drawing in all sorts of listeners. What it did, instead, was confuse most who chanced a listen to this album and make the Railway Children turn into just another faceless band of the mid-'80s. Everything here will sound quite familiar, but there aren't any all-important hooks with which to keep the listener interested. Reunion Wilderness doesn't insult the ears, it just lulls them into a false sense of serenity.