Lick The Tins were a Londonbased (mostly Northern Irish) four-piece who enjoyed a small hit with their fast version of Can’t Help Falling In Love in 1986. With influences drawn from a combination of traditional Irish music and some of the lighter elements of rock, their attraction was an immediate one. In The Middle Of The Night begins like a solid Fairport number, but then settles into an instantly memorable singalong akin to the Saw Doctors. Several of the tracks, such as Light Years Away, are dominated by Alison Marr’s clear voice, and her penny whistle is a neat lynchpin for many songs, songs including a folkish take on Hey Joe.
This compilation collects the majority of what they recorded in the 80s, and adds three extended 12” versions of the strongest tracks, including Belle Of Belfast City; although and original of theirs, it sounds like a well established standard. If you liked Kirsty MacColl with The Pogues, this one is well worth checking out.
