Due to
Paddy McAloon's obsessive perfectionism,
Andromeda Heights was the first
Prefab Sprout album in seven years. Of course, it was greeted with anticipation, but the album doesn't quite fulfill the hopes of the group's fervent followers. On one hand, it doesn't deliver enough after the sweeping
Jordan: The Comeback, since it is just a collection of 12 well-crafted songs. On the other hand, the sound of
Andromeda Heights is so similar to all of
Prefab Sprout's previous albums, it's hard to believe that it took
McAloon so long to write the album. Even with these faults,
Andromeda Heights is a solid
Prefab Sprout record, filled with elegant melodies, wry lyrics and immaculate production, but after seven years, that nevertheless ranks as a disappointment.