Bananarama - In Stereo

Buy In Stereo here (Amazon GB)
Read my Bananarama album anniversary celebrations here

The recent creative explorations of duo-trio-duo-trio-duo Bananarama have really become the halcyon days (and halcyon disco nights) of their career. Keren, Sara and Siobhan taught the children how to embrace nostalgia for their timeless tunes with some scintillating live dates. Captured for posterity by the magic of blu-ray, it becomes a moment in history that captures their legacy as one of pop's most enduring acts. But that doesn't mean it is the end of the story. Post Siobhan, the ladies who have flown the flag as a duo for fans across the world for the past 26 years have, in the form of new album In Stereo, newly provided some decadent pop music which will prove to be the honey which captivates for people looking to move in their direction and shimmy on the dance floor. Across ten delicious songs, Keren and Sara (with longtime collaborator, the mighty Ian Masterson) have created an opus which seduces and satisfies even the most pernickity of pop lover. Dive in, play loud (and, ahem, in stereo) and tell everyone you've ever met about it...

The album opens with the almost title track, Love In Stereo, gifted to Bananarama by the original Sugababes. It is perfect for an introduction into In Stereo. "Been a long time" sing Keren and Sara during the opening bars of the songs (and at various points throughout, including in that irrepressible chorus), reminding us it is been a long minute since their last album. It is a gorgeous groove, with pulsing beats and a throbbing electronica which will remind you of all the great records co-writers Hannah Robinson and Richard X have been involved. This is up there with the best and a fine, fine future Bananarama single which deserves all the chart success. Next up is teaser track, Dance Music. It is a tale of the irresistible appeal of late night seduction and physical attraction that bodies dancing together can inspire.The music is enhanced by swirling synths and a lascivious percussion to tantalise your senses. Keren and Sara are full on sirens, their vocals as sensuous as any steamy romance novel, their cooing harmonies the embodiment of desire. With a chorus to die for, this is one piece of dance music you just can't get out of your head - and neither would you want to. I'm On Fire continues the throbbing rhythms and palpable passions on a red-hot gem which lures the listener into the song with the hypnotic tango of the verses. It then explodes, like a firework, in a glittering chorus which is drenched in desirable beats - crafting a sumptuous wall of sound. After 30+ years in the business, there is no doubt the duo know how to perform a song, immersing themselves in the lyrics rather than just singing along.

Intoxicated is the type of song which you need to leave you in the state the song title suggests. It does not disappoint. It is so delectably danceable and fuelled by such joyous percussive cadence that it conjures up images of Liza doing poppers in the corner with Elton John whilst Gloria Gaynor busts a move under the glitter ball. If you are left giddy and panting for more by such exhilaration then you may need emergency attention when you hear Tonight. Co-written with one of the finest gentlemen in pop, Bright Light Bright Light, it is a sensational disco moment which makes you believe in hope. This congregating of the high priestesses of dance with one of its most fervent disciples takes you deep into the night they sing about, making you at one with their alluring singing. The music dances provocatively alongside the potent melody, every moment designed to make you FEEL IT. Looking For Someone begins with the album's most poignant and relatable lyric - "I don't know who I am anymore"; the song then taps into your most personal thoughts and desires by (far more eloquently than we could ever achieve) conveying the worries and fears we have into one rallying call to arms - a cathartic anthem for these troubled modern times. And if you then want to dance your cares away, Stuff Like That has got your back. The ladies sing of either being whispered sweet nothings by a romantic paramour or the type of arousing pillow talk that would have made a fortune on premium rate phonelines in the 90s. Regardless of your desired interpretation, their signature layered vocals are a delight in such an opulent setting and you can sense the lip-biting joy they get in performing such a number. That inescapable chorus makes you want to swirl around with gleeful abandon, hips swaying in time to the all encompassing beat.

It's Gonna Be Alright is the tear drops on the disco floor melancholy we didn't know we all needed in our lives. There is a theme of loss and longing permeating the more euphoric moments of In Stereo; this mirrors human nature - we can be happy and sad at the same time, the two aren't mutually exclusive. This song helps lift your spirits, an aural hug which chucks you on the chin and sends you to a better tomorrow. Got To Get Away is the most theatrical moment on the album - it feels like a triumphant end-of-act-one moment which sends you into intermission with the hook in your head, your feet a-tapping and craving for more as soon as you can get it. That fabulous middle 8 really lets the message of the song breathe before Keren and Sara bring it all back together for one more run through of the catchy-AF-chorus. The album closes with On Your Own - the most beguiling, bewitching moment In Stereo has to offer. This mariachi-infused, mid-tempo future favourite oldie is a devastating denouement to an errant lover, a final kiss off where words have the ability to clearly define the actions taken. It lingers long after the song has finished playing - and that is exactly what you want at the end of an album; something that makes you want to begin the adventure all over again. And there we have it - In Stereo. A marvellous addition to the Bananarama discography.
Suggested singles: Stuff Like That / Tonight / Love In Stereo / Looking For Someone / I'm On Fire