Nightbird

Performer: Erasure
Engineer: Steve Walsh
Producer: Erasure; Jon Collyer
Distributor: Caroline Distribution

Notes: Erasure: Andy Bell , Vince Clarke. One of the more high-profile synth-pop bands of the 1980s, Erasure continued recording into the following decades, and was able to experience the '80s revival of the 2000s firsthand. NIGHTBIRD (2005) bears all the characteristics of Erasure's classic sound--drum-machine beats, highly processed keyboards, and vocalist Andy Bell's heartfelt croon. Most importantly, Bell and synth master/sound architect Vince Clarke have maintained their keen sense of pop songcraft, as evidenced by the 11 catchy, solidly built tunes that fill the album. It appears that time has made Clarke and Bell wiser and more reflective, since the songs on NIGHTBIRD actually seem stronger and more resonant than Erasure's earlier work, radiating honesty and authenticity even on first listen. "Breathe," for example, with a mid-tempo verse groove building to a lush, expansive chorus, is quite beautiful, and the deeply romantic "Let's Take One More Rocket to the Moon" is enough to make even the hardest hearts flutter. Erasure remains leagues better than the dozens of synth-pop acts they've inspired, and NIGHTBIRD--with its combination of old-school sound and compelling latter-day songwriting--finds the band better than ever.

Rolling Stone (No. 966, p.61) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[F]ull of elegant dance pop....One could easily mistake NIGHTBIRD for something the duo made in the Eighties..." Entertainment Weekly (p.88) - "A throwback to the duo's roots, the disc marks the 20th anniversary of the synth-pop pioneers....NIGHTBIRD soars." - Grade: B+

After founding seminal synth-pop outfits Depeche Mode and Yaz, Vince Clarke joined forces with singer Andy Bell in the mid-1980s to form Erasure, combining Clarke's melodic electro-pop pedigree with a more danceable approach. The duo scored numerous hits throughout the second half of the '80s. Though their chart presence diminished somewhat in the '90s, the pair continued tenaciously into the 21st century. Latter-day releases found Erasure saluting their influences, with an EP of Abba tunes in '92 and a covers album, OTHER PEOPLE'S SONGS, in 2003.

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