RSSReview: Andy Bell Non-Stop Dance Party
Jun 08
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Andy Bell’s new solo release (his second) is the dance party you expect from the extravagant lead singer of Erasure. His solo breaks from the pop group are interesting because while they don’t divert too far from the pop formula Erasure perfected decades ago, they still offer up something new. His first release, Electric Blue, was carefully crafted songwriting, playful and sexy, and intent to showcase his vocal talents. Non-Stop, released this week, is something else altogether. It’s faster, rougher, and seems to throw caution to the wind. Maybe Bell let his hair down in the recording studio (figuratively, of course) but whatever motivated him, Non-Stop is a blast.
Tracks from the new album have been leaking through iTunes and other outlets since the end of the last year. The funny thing is that I think I like the tracks I hadn’t heard before better than the ones that were released to radio. Call on Me, the album’s official single, is a good pop tune ratcheted up on bpms, although the album version has a weird spoken word interlude that I didn’t totally appreciate. Will You Be There? has an infectious groove. (It wouldn’t surprise me if some people thought the song was kind of grating; it’s electronica fashioned to the extreme.) Erasure rarely dips its feet too far into techno, so this is a chance for Bell to dive in to the deep end.
But deeper in the album is some of his best work. Say What You Want is more along lines of Electric Blue, giving a little more play to melody and vocals. But hands down, the best song is the slow groove of Slow Release. Is it bad that Bell succeeds the most when he’s singing a ballad? Not a bit, nor does it really detract from the rest of the songs. It’s just that a song like the Perry Farrell duet Honey if You Love Him (That’s All That Matters) seems less polished than the track Running Out which seems to be more melodic and accessible. As you listen through the album, that kind of schism seems to pop up often.
For all that, longtime fans won’t mind a bit. Non-Stop is a great listen, danceable (remix-able too) and a surefire treat. Andy Bell knows how to throw a party, and most of us are just glad to get the invite.
