 This moniker went down badly amongst members of the band.Nonetheless, listeners of the Toronto-based radio alternative radio station CFNY-FM voted "Sparkle in the Rain" the third best album of 1984, behind "Mirror Moves" by The Psychedelic Furs and U2's "The Unforgettable Fire" but ahead of Echo & the Bunnymen's "Ocean Rain" and Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Welcome to the Pleasuredome".In a retrospective review for AllMusic, MacKenzie Wilson awarded the album four-and-a-half stars out of five, saying the record marked "the band's best effort thus far, capturing thick seascapes of illustrious lyrical visions".