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Written by Marc Farr Wednesday, 03 September 2014 23:01

This is an album of high-energy synth-pop, complete with undeniably catchy melodies.

 

With the release of their 16th studio album, Vince Clark and Andy Bell, together known as Erasure, bring fans The Violet Flame. Always packed with delicious melodies, Erasure once again proves it is the kings of modern synth pop.

With Richard X’s expertise (Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys), the production here is crisp, clean, and delightfully moody. After so many releases, it is easy for an artist to suffer from either monotony or complete burnout, and make an album that just goes through the motions. Not so with The Violet Flame. This is an album of high-energy synth-pop, complete with undeniably catchy melodies. Rocking beats and entrancing bass lines make the tracks here slide nicely into each other.

The album opens with the eerie “Dead of Night,” and then transcends to the first single, “Elevation,” a thumping track about the elevated feeling of falling in love. Other spotlight tracks here include “Paradise,” a sort of anthem about believing in yourself and finding your own paradise. Vocally, Andy Bell is sweet, soulful, and on his best game.

Lusciously danceable, Clark and Bell are experts in the ways of the synthesizer. The duo has always stayed true to its New Wave roots. They know who they are, and do what they do with great aplomb, always able to deliver an album of kickass electronic tunes. Overall, this is a great album by the frontrunners of the genre. B+ | Marc Farr