Standing on Ceremony

AMG Review of Standing on Ceremony

Stewart Mason
All Music Guide

The full-length debut by Figures on a Beach features the glorius "No Stars," a swelling, romantic tune with a memorable melody and gossamer production. While the group's two indie releases from 1983 and 1984 were complex and melodic synth pop with a slightly arty edge, the comparatively slick production of this album (by New York remixer Ivan Ivan, who had recently done good work with the fairly similar though more airy Book of Love) makes these songs sound underwritten. Songs like "Rhythm" and the mildly over-the-top "Pagan Gift" feel like empty exercises, and even some of the better songs could stand a thorough remixing.