To Go With What You Know4 Out Of 5 Stars
I haven't had much interest in a new Erasure album since the string that started with "Other People's Songs" in 2003. They seemed to be coasting for a spell, until "Tomorrow's World." After some lackluster albums and a batch of live sets, Vince and Andy made a vital change and handed their music over to an outside producer, Frankmusik. He pulls the duo into the new century with some timely production, putting some much needed carbonation in Erasure's sound. "Tell me that you want me," Andy Bell calls out as the album opens. For a change, the answer is yes. Erasure has (since "Light At The End of The World," at least) matured into a consistency that puts them into a pocket.
There are plenty of songs here to remind you why you fell in love with Erasure back when their first album came out in 1986. "When I Start (To Break it All Down)" is the kind of questioning love song they've always specialized in, as well as dance floor pumpers. Both "Fill Us With Fire" and the auto-tuned inflected "Then I Go Twisting" are itching to get remixed, as are several other songs on the CD. Even the band knows that they're no longer the kids they used to be.
"Then I go inside, bored of this modern town
Sick of this techno, monophonic sound
Turning the lights down, modern life's so dull
More of the same stuff."
...And Andy is singing this over a popping synth groove. It's nice to listen to Erasure who are not only making good music again, but that they recognize where they (and we) are. "Tomorrow's World" is their 14th studio album, and it fits in well with many of their other albums.
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