Biography
Ireland’s Engine Alley blended sleek pop with touches of 1970s glam rock. The group formed in December 1989 around vocalist Canice Kennedy, guitarist Brian, bassist Eamonn and drummer Emmaline, later expanding to five members. Taking its name from a desolate Dublin thoroughfare, the band earned attention for its vivid, high-energy live performances. Following a deal with the U2-supported Mother Records imprint, Engine Alley issued the Flowerbox EP in August 1991. Recorded during spring 1992, the band’s first album appeared solely in Eire and centered on character portraits such as “Diamond Jill And Crazy Jane,” “Telescope Girl” and “Mrs Winder.” The outfit’s initial British single, “Infamy,” arrived with the 1993 move to the UK and featured the B-side “Robin Hood,” a critique of the Kevin Costner movie sharing that title. Yet Engine Alley ultimately lacked the songwriting depth needed to endure.