Fridae

Ms Scary's Trivia Time!

Question: What will you get if you take away the sequined hungry outfits and the Euro-disco electronic embellishments of Erasure? (Hint: Ms Scary is not talking about the retina searing sight of ageing popsters Andy Bell and Vince Clarke in the buff.)

Answer: The timeless songwriting talent of Vince Clarke as well as the soaring and distinctive vocal stylings of Andy Bell - a combination which made Erasure one of the most successful acts of all time with 32 consecutive Top 40 singles and a pop career spanning two decades.

Following the recent spate of acoustic releases from artistes the likes of Alanis Morrisette and Cyndi Lauper, the synth-pop duo just released their much-anticipated follow-up to Nightbird entitled Union Street which features the slide and strum guitar playing of collaborator Tom Walsh.

Unlike Erasure's previous releases with their electro-pop flourishes, Union Street offers "unplugged" renderings of Erasure's earlier hits such as "Boy" and "Love Affair" from Cowboy, "Piano Song" and "How Many Times?" from Wild!, "Stay With Me" and "Rock Me Gently" from Erasure, etc..

Upon taking a listen, Ms Scary immediately finds herself transported to a tropical isle with a conch to her ear ("Boy" and "Stay With Me"); then to Nashville, Tennessee with a glass of bourbon in her hands ("Piano Song," "Home" and "Alien"); and back to the warm embrace of her Victorian bed serenaded by lullabies ("Spiralling," "Love Affair" and "Rock Me Gently").

Ms Scary's itsy bitsy grouse with Union Street lies in the unfortunate sequential order of two tracks: "Blues Away" where Mr. Bell comes across as a strident Jimmy Sommerville is immediately (and jarringly) followed by "How Many Times?" where the 41-year-old openly gay singer sings in a tone not unlike Felicity Huffman's deep timbre in Transamerica.

That aside, Erasure's latest acoustic effort is definitely a (Union) Street worth taking a walk down.

Scary's Selected Spins: "Boy;" "Piano Song;" "Stay With Me;" "Home;" "Tenderest Moments;" "Love Affair;" and "Rock Me Gently."

Related reviews:
Andy Bell: Electric Blue
Erasure: Nightbird