by MacKenzie WilsonScotland's Simple Minds get creative and passionate on Sparkle in the Rain, their seventh album released prior to their mid-'80s heyday of heralding the charts. Produced by Steve Lillywhite (U2, Morrissey, XTC, Psychedelic Furs), Sparkle in the Rain marks the band's best effort thus far, capturing thick seascapes of illustrious lyrical visions. Frontman Jim Kerr's anthemic love songs are political and personal, and synth-beats throb over Charlie Burchill's new wave third-chord guitars and swooning basslines. Songs like "Waterfront" and "Book of Brilliant Things" are finely cut tracks with Simple Minds' signature harking, but the glossy verse behind "Up on the Catwalk" is what's most appealing. Piano vibes are pinch-hitting and Kerr's songwriting thrives on celebrity and the falling grace that coincides that. Sparkle in the Rain is a glimpse of what's to come from Simple Minds. Kerr's heart-wrenching vocals soar and such emotion only leads to earning a global following. Like U2 did with 1984's The Unforgettable Fire, Simple Minds will touch hearts by stripping their soul. The process has already begun on Sparkle in the Rain.