Album Results
Album Reviews
Soft Cell's fourth studio album was released a full 18 years after the duo's third, This Last Night in Sodom (1984). During those 18 years, both Marc Almond and Dave Ball pursued solo careers to huge success, and occasionally worked together on albums (Marc Almond's wonderful 1990 album, Enchanted) and remix singles. But here, the two are together in full force. Almond's lyrics are among the best he has ever written, especially on the tragic "Whatever It Takes," which seems to be the sequel to their debut single, "Fun City," revisiting the same character 25 years later. It all comes together with brilliant writing and Ball's atmospheric and swelling arrangement of the eerie music. And the music has grown; sure, it sounds like an updated Soft Cell, but the '80s are nowhere in sight. Wisely, this is not a "retro" album with re-recordings of the duo's big hits, but rather a more mature Soft Cell. Overall, the album has a dark, semi-political tone reflecting the late '90s and early '00s. While it is dark, it is also captivating and accessible. Almond's voice is strong and emotive, living and breathing his stories and observations. Autobiographical? Perhaps, but in the end it does not matter. The stories are vivid, and the music incredible. The only real shame is that Almond and Ball were not creating music for 18 years, because this album shows the talent and ability of these two writers, and how the times have adapted to them. ~ Aaron Badgley, All Music Guide
Track Listing
| 1. Darker Times |
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| 2. Monoculture |
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| 3. Le Grand Guignol |
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| 4. The Night |
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| 5. Last Chance |
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| 6. Together Alone |
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| 7. Desperate |
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| 8. Whatever It Takes |
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| 9. All Out Of Love |
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| 10. Sensation Nation |
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| 11. Caligula Syndrome |
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| 12. On An Up |
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| Featured Review | |
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My Delirium LadyHawke |
| Pip Brown a.k.a. Ladyhawke is a Kiwi born, Aussie based and, thanks to her timely 80's revivalism, Shoreditch adopted singer who started a solo career after many indie ventures, launched through the always trendy Modular stable. Her album, one of the most accomplished debuts of the year, distils big love for synth-pop in each and every cut and has earned her widespread critical acclaim. It was previewed by a couple of trendy bar favourites, "Paris is burning" and "From dusk til dawn" and offers many other excellent moments to discover. Third single "My Delirium" is a little pop-rock gem, nicely revisiting new wave era style. It could have been taken off one of Kim Wilde's early albums and hopefully will be the one that wins over the general public. | |
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