Is Porcupine a good place to start with Echo & the Bunnymen?

Yes, Porcupine is recommended as a starting point for new Echo & the Bunnymen listeners. Atmospheric melodies intertwine with brooding lyrics, creating a soundscape that is both haunting and immersive. Porcupine was Echo & the Bunnymen's third studio album, released in 1983, following their successful album Heaven Up Here. At this point in their career, they were firmly established within the post-punk scene, building on their growing reputation with increasingly ambitious soundscapes and lyrical depth.

Who is Porcupine for?

Porcupine works well if you're into ethereal soundscapes with urgency, steady pacing with emotional depth and haunting introspection throughout tracks.

How many songs are on Porcupine?

Porcupine has 10 tracks, running approximately 45 minutes.

Porcupine

Echo & the Bunnymen · 1983

45 min · 10 tracks · post-punk

Atmospheric melodies intertwine with brooding lyrics, creating a soundscape that is both haunting and immersive.

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Top tracks — play these first

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The Cutter Start here — Opening with an infectious guitar riff, this track exemplifies the band's ability to blend urgency with poetic lyrics, setting a dynamic tone for the album.
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Porcupine — The title track encapsulates the album's themes of isolation and introspection, featuring layered instrumentals that complement its reflective lyrics.
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My White Devil — With its haunting melody and vivid imagery, this song dives into personal conflict while showcasing the band's lyrical depth and musical complexity.
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The Back of Love — This track combines driving rhythms with an anthemic chorus, illustrating the band's knack for crafting songs that are both catchy and emotionally resonant.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

60 /100

Treeline

Higher than 66% of albums we've rated

The album showcases strong melodies and arrangements but has moments that feel less cohesive.

What we noticed

The first three tracks feature driving rhythms and layered guitars, establishing a high energy that contrasts with the more subdued fourth track, which introduces a slower tempo.
Several tracks employ a call-and-response vocal style, creating a dynamic interplay between the lead singer and backing vocals.

Composition 25% of the score: 7/10
Craft 20% of the score: 8/10
Durability 25% of the score: 6/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 7/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 6/10

Influence 6/10

Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

ethereal soundscapes with urgency
steady pacing with emotional depth
haunting introspection throughout tracks
consistent progression to climax

Maybe skip if you

seekers of instant gratification
prefer standalone radio singles

Where this album fits

In the catalog: Breakthrough — Solidified their presence in post-punk, reaching number 4 on UK Albums Chart.
Themes: post-punk existentialism· dark romanticism
Career context: Porcupine was Echo & the Bunnymen's third studio album, released in 1983, following their successful album Heaven Up Here. At this point in their career, they were firmly established within the post-punk scene, building on their growing reputation with increasingly ambitious soundscapes and lyrical depth.
Stylistic neighbors: The Cure· Joy Division· Siouxsie and the Banshees