The Cult's 1984 debut, DREAMTIME, proved to be an intriguing, if sometimes muddled, combination of early U2 and the Doors, topped off with Ian Astbury's ongoing lyrical fascination with Native American mythology. The immediate follow-up, LOVE, was a notable improvement. Ditching the most overt Doors references in favor of moody neo-psychedelia that sounds like a harder-rocking version of Echo & the Bunnymen, LOVE includes "She Sells Sanctuary" and "Rain." These driving singles introduced the UK band to the American college-radio market and laid the foundation for the group's mainstream commercial breakthrough later in the decade. The rest of the album is nearly up to the level of the singles, with Astbury's less-mannered vocals and Billy Duffy's powerful guitar riffs offering a much more assertive musical presence than ever before.