I used to love Erasure. I was there at the start, I remember buying their unfairly ignored debut Wonderland on cassette back in God knows when, and they hold a weirdly special place in my heart, as they are literally the only one of my favourite bands that I have never seen live; I’m not sure how they have managed to elude me for the last 40 years but they have.
But for all that, cards on the table, I’ve never heard one single from Andy Bell’s previous solo output, of which Ten Crowns is proper album number three, for unknown reasons, I think I’ve always assumed it would be the opposite of his duo’s stuff, a sombre solo side project, an antidote to the pop singles.
And with this record, as it was completed in the year that he turned 60 years of age, having signs that it could be a reflective, somewhat sombre look back over his life, possibly over some miserable orchestral slush, feels like the wrong entry point to jump in.
So, it was something of a shock when just 67 seconds into the album, the beat kicks in and a roaring dance anthem emerges in the form of cosmic opener ‘Breaking Thru The Interstellar’, although it feels weird hearing Bell’s usual silky voice filled with glossy space-age sounding effects (a la Cher‘s Believe). It’s a hell of an opening statement and turns out to set the scene for what follows. ‘Lies So Deep’ features a scene-stealing vocal from Sarah Potenza, before there’s another cameo, this time from a fellow megastar, and one that Bell has always been a massive fan of.
Debbie Harry (for it is her) sounds like she’s having such fun on one of the record’s many highlights, the What-Have-I-Done-To-Deserve-This call and response wistful feels of ‘Heart’s A Liar‘, before the two voices merge on the childlike chorus, “you said I’d always be in your heart, your heart’s a liar, liar, liar”.
Following this, there’s no let-up in the disco-ness of it all, ‘Dance For Mercy’ is a glitterball in song form, containing bits and bobs that sound so familiar musically, (the bell from Hall And Oates‘s Out Of Touch being just one of them) before a non-more so early 90’s Italo-piano kicks in, it’s glorious carefreeness seeping out of every line, it’s a great way to end side one.
The second half is even more musically creative, the speedy Blue Savannah-ish ‘Don’t Cha Know’ and dual language ‘Dawn Of Heaven’s Gate’ slows things down a touch, but it’s no less thrilling or catchy, before he really lets loose, hitting his vocal stride with the stomping, theatrical battle-cry of ‘Godspell’ and the frankly lovely, yet cynical banger ‘Put Your Empathy On Ice’ , showing that musically he is adept at life outside his normal day job, the backdrop being as delightfully synth-driven as anything he has put his name to over the last 40 years.
The record concludes with the stunning ‘Thank You’, a ‘My Way’ for the White Lotus generation, funereal yet powerfully moving. “I want to thank all the people and friends that came along for the ride/I thank you truly”, which ends with talk of seeing and feeling the light coming, it’s a suitably euphorically apt farewell note to end on.
He may not be in the midst of his once imperial pop phase, but Bell’s ear for a hook shows no sign of diminishing, despite the on-rushing aforementioned passing of time. If Erasure’s comeback album (coming soon) is anywhere near as good as this, then the world a better, poppier place.
