Electronic’s debut could’ve been thought to wane over time, yet it’s exceeded expectations with some exceeding Sumner & Marr’s partnership. Though not all songs succeed, its success is remarkable, particularly when the full ensemble of harmonious keyboards, precise rhythms and emotive choruses come together. Its sound resembles New Order more than the Smiths, with Rolands and synth bass as substitutes for Hook’s uncanny bass lines, and Marr’s soft strums or repeating riffs. Occasionally the album feels a bit stiff, like on “Gangster” where Sumner’s lyrical efforts overlap its cinematic mood. However, its most prominent tunes, such as “Get the Message,” “Feel Every Beat,” and, in America, “Getting Away with It” featuring Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of the Pet Shop Boys, remain exemplary. The Tennant-Sumner duet, “Patience of a Saint,” is an exceptional standout.

1. Idiot Country
2. Reality
3. Tighten Up
4. The Patience of a Saint
5. Getting Away with It
6. Gangster
7. Soviet
8. Get the Message
9. Try All You Want
10. Some Distant Memory
11. Feel Every Beat