Alan Rankine

She Loves Me Not is Alan Rankine's second release as a solo artist. It really doesn't qualify as a second record; half of its material comes from The World Begins to Look Her Age, an album released the year prior by Belgian label Crepuscule. Similar in scope to the Crepuscule record -- which was intended to attract a bigger label deal and did exactly that -- She Loves Me Not is a grab bag of slickly-produced adult pop and dance tracks with little lasting value past its year of release. Supported by a couple of decent singles (with packaging used to take advantage of Rankine's jockish/model-like good looks), the album did moderately well but didn't really increase Rankine's exposure in the pop scene. Singles "The Sandman" and "The World Begins to Look Her Age" (a Flood remix of the original) are the definite highlights. "The Sandman" is the best of the sophisti-pop half of the record, just as good as anything by David Sylvian from the same era with a poppier chorus. The other holdouts from the Crepuscule record ("Your Very Last Day," and "Last Bullet") are bright spots amidst new songs like "Loaded" and "Days and Days." Disappointingly tame, it remains good enough for its time to hold as a curiosity for any Associates fan. Just don't expect Associates. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide