While Gene took flack in the notoriously finicky British magazines for the debt it owed to the Smiths, that oversimplification obscured one of the most rapturous and exquisitely etched bands London provided in the 1990s. Led by the admittedly Morrissey-esque vocals of the wry Martin Rossiter, Gene's debut OLYMPIAN sparked a U.K. sensation in 1995 with its intricate lyrics and sharp, layered melodies, spawning U.K. top 20 hits in the title track and "For the Dead." The vastly underrated follow-up, 1997's DRAWN TO THE DEEP END, found the band adding elements of progressive rock and shoegazer to the mix, while retaining an air of pop majesty. While the band never found a significant audience in the Oasis-crazed U.S., their live shows earned them a cult following.