Pale Saints

Pale Saints formed in Leeds in 1987, Ian Masters's ethereal vocals and the band's layered guitar sound giving them a quality that was immediately distinctive. They signed to 4AD Records and released their debut single 'Barging into the Presence of God' in 1989 — a song of extraordinary atmosphere that announced a band with a fully formed aesthetic.

'The Comforts of Madness' (1990) was the debut album — one of the finest 4AD records of its era. 'Sight of You', 'A Thousand Stars Burst Open', and 'Fell from the Sun' were all excellent. The album showed a band capable of creating music of genuine beauty and strangeness. Masters's vocals in particular — high, fragile, and completely distinctive — were unlike anything else in the scene.

'In Ribbons' (1992) was a more experimental follow-up that showed the band developing. Masters left in 1993 and was replaced by Colleen Ann Browne, whose vocals gave the band a different but equally distinctive quality. 'Slow Buildings' (1994) was their final album. The band split in 1995. Their back catalogue has been reassessed very positively in recent years.