Fridae

Ms Scary absolutely adores British pop duo Erasure.

Why, nothing else can make a femme like Ms Scary feel more "butch" than flamboyant lead singer Andy Bell's girlish mannerisms and his habit of prancing around the stage in skimpy hot pants.

When Ms Scary was but an impressionable convent girl back in the early 80s (she still is by the way), Erasure was already the undisputed dancing queens of the pop kingdom. And it is with great fondness that Ms Scary thinks back on those smoky afternoons spent at many a tea dance waving her embroidered handkerchief to the electronic duo's uplifting tunes such as Oh L'Amour, A Little Respect and Chains of Love.

With the recent revival in the fashion sense and sounds of the 80s, Ms Scary was glad that a newer generation of homo-bodies would finally be introduced to the great sounds of 80s dance music - that and the fact that Ms Scary can finally step out of her mansion in her Alexis Carrington inspired outfit (Dynasty anyone?) replete with intimidating shoulder pads, shoulder-duster earrings and Jennifer Bealsque leg warmers.

Following Wheatus' successful version of their hit A Little Respect, Erasure has just released their new album entitled Other People's Songs, a twelve-track covers set of tunes popularized by music greats.

Comprising of songwriter Vince Clarke and super diva Andy Bell, Erasure is no stranger to the world of cover versions. In 1992, it released a chart-topping EP of ABBA tracks charmingly entitled ABBA-esque. Yet while ABBA-esque featured only songs by ABBA (duh!), Other People's Songs offers a more diverse collection of hits made famous by the likes of Elvis Presley, Buggles, Cockney Rebel, Buddy Holly, The Righteous Brothers and The Korgis.

Produced by Gareth Jones of Depeche Mode and released by Muted Records, Erasure's tenth album is essentially a covers album which showcases the effervescent duo's unique take on some of their favourite songs with the usual bleeps and twirls. Just imagine your favourite evergreen hits after an electronic facelift.

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Unfortunately, as with most facelifts, some tracks work while some tracks don't.

The tracks that work include Peter Gabriel's Solsbury Hill, the chirpy first single off the album as well as two tracks by Buddy Holly: Everyday with its upbeat digital melodies and fart-like sounding beeps as well as True Love Ways, a wonderful ballad transformed into a jubilant piece of electronic torch by Andy Bell's crystalline vocals. Equally endearing are the uplifting Make Me Smile with its do-bop backing vocals and the Buggles' Video Killed The Radio Star which has been given an out-of-this-world feel with its use of computerized vocals.

The tracks that don't work include two Righteous Brothers tracks: Ebb Tide which sounds like a lacklustre and low quality Depeche Mode reject and You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' where Andy Bell tries to sound super butch and succeed only in sounding super scary. Then there is the appalling cover of the King's Can't Help Falling In Love which is even worse that the recent bastardized version from the gag-inducingly effete Taiwanese boyband F4 and When Will I See You Again where Andy Bell tries to deliver it straight but fails spectacularly.

Overall, Other People's Songs may not be the group's best effort with its inconsistent mish-mash of electronic doctoring - but Ms Scary is willing to bet her last Dior mink coat that there is at least one place where the album will be embraced wholeheartedly: the karaoke lounge.