Erasure - I Say I Say I Say (94)

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1 Take Me Back
2 I Love Saturday
3 Man in the Moon
4 So the Story Goes
5 Run to the Sun
6 Always
7 All Through the Years
8 Blues Away
9 Miracle
10 Because You're So Sweet

Released three years after Chorus, I Say I Say I Say found Erasure for the first time fully interested in essentially staying in place.

The album as a whole is at base an attractively redressed version of what the duo had already done, the occasional slight surprise notwithstanding.

While Clarke in particular shows some virtuosity with his performances, helped by Human League/Heaven 17 veteran Martyn Ware's production, I Say lacks any real novelty (certainly Bell's singing isn't going to change any earlier perceptions, positive or negative).

It's not as experimentally indulgent as the self-titled album or unfortunately unmemorable as Cowboy, but it's still not quite the group at its sharp pop finest track for track.

When it does succeed, though, it has plenty of the flash and verve of old.

"Always," the wonderful ballad that was the album's lead single, with a slightly quirky opening, strong verses both musically and lyrically, and a flat-out brilliant chorus, Bell's impassioned delivery one of his finest moments.

I Say's lead-off one/two combination is also a winner; "Take Me Back" also plays the sweeping, slow card effectively, Bell in particular getting in some fine singing.

"I Love Saturday," meanwhile, neatly balances pepped up energy on Clarke's part with a lower-key delivery from Bell, a striking combination that makes for a better result than the strident, full-on pep of "Run to the Sun."

Other winners include "Man in the Moon," which has a delightful chorus with a sweetly silly pipe/synth melody, "So the Story Goes," and "Miracle," the last two of which feature the singing of a cathedral choir.

It's a nice look ahead to the reach of the self-titled record, though, with more pop-friendly song lengths and two of Bell's best, strongest performances on the album.

Erasure – Erasure (95)

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1 Intro: Guess I'm into Feeling
2 Rescue Me
3 Sono Luminus
4 Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)
5 Rock Me Gently
6 Grace
7 Stay With Me
8 Love the Way You Do So
9 Angel
10 I Love You
11 A Long Goodbye


Having continued course on I Say I Say I Say without adding much to its overall reputation, Erasure took a surprising turn on its self-titled album.

With statements at the time indicating Clarke claimed inspiration from the complexity and reach of prog-rock keyboard experiments, the duo entered a less pop-friendly turn for this extensive record.

Clarke definitely aims for a more spacy atmosphere throughout Erasure, assisted by sometime Orb compatriot Thomas Fehlmann.

While the catchy hooks with which Clarke made his name remain, the arrangements show more grandiose reflections and less full-on dancefloor fun, more Jarre than Moroder.

Songs are often much longer than the quick, punchy numbers the duo became known for, sometimes getting a bit lost along the way as a result.

Bell, to his credit, matches Clarke's ambitions well, trying different vocal deliveries, especially with his trademark backing vocal overdubs — "Rescue Me" being a great example of that.

While the overall results don't lead to a fully spectacular record, it's certainly Erasure's most experimental, an indulgence that pays off in surprising ways.

One of the more interesting features of the album is who helps out on it — the London Community Gospel Choir takes a wonderful bow on two tracks, the quietly intoxicating lead single "Stay With Me" and the gentle shimmer of "Rock Me Gently."

In one of the more unlikely guest appearances of the time, meanwhile, Mute labelmate Diamanda Galas delivers haunting solo turns on "Rock Me Gently" and "Angel."

If not as harrowing as much of her own work, it does provide an interesting addition to a duo not known for its particularly dark vision of life.