Catatonia - Way Beyond Blue (1996)

Catatonia's major-label debut, Way Beyond Blue, is an infectious set of jangle pop, injected with the punkish attitude of indie rock. The guitars ring as if they were recorded in the late '80s, but it has a muscular backbone, and vocalist Cerys Matthews has a tough edge to her voice, which never makes the music sound weak. And a good majority of the songs -- from "Sweet Catatonia" and "You've Got a Lot to Answer For" to "Painful" and "Way Beyond Blue" -- are excellent, shimmering pop gems, making it an impressive debut.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo