1984's The Orange Juice album is comprised of semi-gloomy descending tones, except for the first song entitled "Lean Period." As Edwyn Collins' last hurrah with the band, it seems his involvement is lackluster, as his creativity and impact are barely present. Unlike You Can't Hide Your Love Forever or Rip It Up, The Orange Juice contains a pace that is crawling and, at times, stagnant, with a few bright spots emerging from some rich-textured keyboards and a minute amount of quirky guitar. "The Artisan" is kept alive by some lively organ and a poignant Collins, and "What Presence" contains some admirable guitar twang, but aside from these songs the rest of the album is short of any gloss in both flow and bounce. A repetitive undercurrent runs through all of the songs, and the starry, romantic feel that is usually prevalent sounds a tad empty, like on "Get While the Getting's Good." As suave as Edwyn Collins is, it still helps to have a few catchy rhythms or melodies tucked away somewhere to hold interest. Three or four of this album's songs are average sounding, but earlier work from Orange Juice presents the band in a much more upbeat atmosphere.