With more time and resources, the band recorded Songs from Northern Britain—a tongue-in-cheek title referring to their native Scotland—with producer David Bianco in Surrey.
[5] In 2016, Norman Blake ranked Songs from Northern Britain as his second favorite album by the band, remembering, "I think we had been on a bit of a roll at this point.
[4][3] The original press release for the album details the trip: "They visited the nuclear power station at Torness, saw the funfair being dismantled at Aviemore and played a round of golf under the gaze of Ben Nevis.
The label planned to emphasize college radio stations in marketing the album, aiming to group them in with the burgeoning alt-country scene, such as Wilco and the Jayhawks.
Rick Reger of the Chicago Tribune considered it among their strongest LPs, while noting that "there are no surprises on Songs from Northern Britain, no changes in direction, just catchier tunes and a lot more of them.
"[10] Elisabeth Vincentelli, writing for Rolling Stone, criticised what she felt was a "homogeneous" sound to the record, summarizing, "Overall, Songs is soothing to the point of narcolepsy.
"[18] At AllMusic, reviewer Matt Collar held a similar sentiment, admitting that it "may be too gentle and subtle for those listeners not willing to give it more than one spin."
[21] The original review for Pitchfork by Brent DiCrescenzo negatively compared its sound to dentist office waiting room music, though it acknowledged that "this album has its moments of jangly, sun-drenched, harvest pop pleasure.
Club praised its "classic yet contemporary" nature, while bemoaning that the band seemed to lose followers as they grew older and more mature: "Songs From Northern Britain's legacy is an unfortunate one, an example of a great record that struggled to find a home beyond its loyal admirers.
"[22] Sam Sodomsky, reviewing the 2018 vinyl reissues for Pitchfork, commented that "In both its thematic concerns and its gentle, pastoral tone, Songs From Northern Britain is an embrace of native terrain.