Erasure - The Violet Flame

Buy Erasure's The Violet Flame here (Lexer Music)
Read my 25th anniversary celebration of Erasure's Wild here

Incredibly, it's been 30 years since Vince Clarke and Andy Bell teamed up to form what has been one of the most enduring duos in pop music - Erasure. That's an amazing amount of time to be working together and to be striving to constantly put out the best music you know how. 2014 is turning out to be a stellar year as new album, The Violet Flame, and follows the winter themed album Snow Globe (2013) which is just the Christmas gift which kept on giving (and most likely will do again this holiday season). What their new album manages to bypass is the threat that is posed to many long serving pop acts - that their music will sound like they are trying too hard to remain relevant or that they are chasing trends. The Violet Flame doesn't feel that way at all - it's a cohesive body at work that feels contemporary in a way that is synonymous with the band's legacy; it's as much a gift to their evergreen fans as it is a delight to those discovering the group for the first time. The guys have collaborated with famed producer Richard X on all 10 tracks and it feels like a joyous celebration of their sound as well as a tip of the hat to their continuing evolution as a band. It all opens with the dark disco opus Dead of Night - it's a relentless invasion of the senses in the best possible way and a definitive opening statement that sets the listener up for what is to follow. Dominant beats combined with studio 54 finger clicking grooves which sets an ominous backdrop for Andy to propel the melody forward with this distinctive, impassioned vocal. It's never less than mesmerising and a sturdy opening number. Current single Elevation follows - and remains as euphoric & uplifting as when I first heard it. Synths swirl around like cascading raindrops before ushering in a fully textured wall of electronica with a gloriously pulsing beat underscoring it all. Andy accentuates the dramatic theatrical nature of the song, never getting lost in the lush, sumptuous production values. The lyrics deal with the stirring, uplifting nature of love and Andy, at times, sounds positively giddy at the prospect - "it's more than a feeling, you just got to feel it" indeed. There's a positively hedonistic vibe to it that compels you to grab the one you love and shimmy (hard). The elation of Elevation continues with Reason - an ode to the restorative power that love can bring, sounding all the more heavenly thanks to a prominent synth-piano riff that is pure utopia. It's the type of Erasure song that easily deposits itself in a number of formats, easily imaginable as a delicate ballad or pervasive club thumper. In it's current format, however, it screams to be a single and is just utterly delicious.

Not everything is sunshine and roses however - on Promises, the message is clear: actions speak louder than words and when a relationship starts to sour it can have a deep, lasting effect. Despite being tinged with gentle recrimination, yearning and melancholy the music is as vibrant and buoyant as their vintage hey day (at times bringing to mind classics like Victim of Love and Chains of Love). The juxtaposition of the world weary lyrics against an effusive dance vibe works wonders - and in it's own way, you can imagine this being sung 25 years ago as much as you can envisage it being one of their timeless standards in years to come. Sadness has never sounded so radiant. The sparse mid-tempo majesty of Be The One follows, the first ballad of the album. I've always had high regard for Erasure's more downtempo numbers (their 1995 self titled album remains a favourite, as do songs like You Surround Me, Am I Right and Always) and this is as breathtaking & hypnotic as any of those numbers. Organic sounding percussion and a minimilistic synth riff weave beautifully around the plaintive, earnest vocal, a concoction that is musical alchemy at it's very finest. It's the perfect demonstration of how seemingly cold electro effects can give the real warmth of emotion in a way that's tangible and comforting. This is followed by what may possibly be Erasure's most joyous, commercial song (and potential) single in a while - Sacred feels like it should be spearheaded for a residency in the top 5 any time now. It starts off as a restrained ballad, highlighting the intimate emotions shared in the track before it fully blossoms into a propulsive, groovetastic anthem that can't and shouldn't be contained. Punchy rave-infused synth effects accompany a galloping beat that is adorned by a cavalcade of sounds that are more ecstatic and gleeful than a month full of Christmasses. Combine this with the lyrics "never feel that you're alone/hold on tight and I'll be strong" and that house-inflected middle 8 piano and it's entirely a winner on every single level. Quite quite marvelous.

The final third of the album evidences that Erasure have never been afraid to vary influences, genres and tempos within their musical endeavours. Under The Wave rides the crest of it's bubbling, buoyant vitality with a percolating aura that recalls the halcyon days of Blue Savannah & a lyrical melody that dances like sun rays hitting the bobbing ocean. When Andy taps into the lower register of his voice, it resonates as emphatically as any liberated vocal acrobats ever could (and often with more nuance and passion than many of today's reality show singers could ever manage). Conversely Smoke and Mirrors is probably the darkest of this new material, not sounding out of place if it came after last winter's haunting Gaudete remake. Gothic themed bleeps and sirens add to the pathos of the lyrics, with exquisitely aching yearnings like "I'd give anything to hold you once again" saying an unwritten novel's worth about love in just those few moments. The instrumental at times feels a little bit raw and menacing as if the hurt, frustration and pain is being manifest through the composition. It's a way the innovative twosome manage to tap into your own memories and experiences to make it feel like the music is directed at you personally. Paradise may be a more club-oriented throbbing thumper that will have you sweating up a storm on the dancefloor in the early hours of the morning, but it's no less relatable and those Giorio Morodo moments in the opening bars are a thrillifying treat for everyone. The textured music grows more intense towards the end, as if it takes on sentient life of it's own, mirroring the complex nature of love, hurt, betrayal, redemption and loyalty that is constantly reflected in the writing of this album. It all comes to a close with the witty and wry Stayed A Little Late Tonight. It tackles the oft-ignored act of being in a relationship that is unhealthy for both parties. It's confessional and honest - like being able to sneak a peak at someone's diary or listen into their behind-closed-doors argument. Brilliantly voyeuristic, you'll recognise yourself or similar situations instantly amidst the compulsive melody and ingratiating rhythms. And that's really what The Violet Flame is about - an exploration of love and relationships balanced with the continuing journey of a band comfortable with their sound yet willing to explore more. The results have proved to be absolutely exhilarating. Love, love, love.
Suggested singles: Elevation; Sacred; Reason; Be The One