Sanctuary Records
2005
Electric Blue
About This Album
As delicious as it would be to hear the voice of Erasure covering the Icehouse chestnut that shares the name of his debut full-length, it's not to be. The minor disappointment deserves a sigh, but Electric Blue is a wonderful collection of chirpy, effervescent dancefloor motivation that's a perfect tonic for Erasure's melancholy and deeper than expected Nightbird. With mere months separating them, it's hard not to think about Nightbird while listening to Electric Blue. Nightbird was a cathartic release, Andy Bell coming to terms with a public, HIV-positive announcement. Electric Blue is about moving on by getting back to business -- dancefloor business, hip-shaking business, and insinuating lyrics over hooky music business. "Shake My Soul"'s "please stop your cheating" over a glorious B-52's meets neo-gospel meets Vince Clarke beat is just one great example of the latter on this lyric-filled album, but you can find Bell wryly twisting the knife with a killer quip just about anywhere you drop the laser. No disrespect whatsoever, but Clarke isn't missed as much as you'd think, perhaps because collaborators Manhattan Clique are either doing a fine impression of him or offering something of their own, mostly '80s-flavored.
Track List (try tracks 3,5,8 and 11)

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