Music Review | Erasure: Nightbird
Written by: Kage Alan

Album Rating: A

As much as I hate to say this, mostly because I’ve grown up listening to the music of Erasure, their last two albums were fairly forgettable.  Come to think of it, I don’t even remember much about them, so you can tell the kind of impression they made.  That aside, a new CD from Vince Clark and Andy Bell always feels like I’m stepping back in time and visiting with friends I haven’t seen for a couple of years and who I have some history with.  Hey, it sells discs, so I don’t think they’re going to complain about my having stated that.  I’m not weird…really.

“Nightbird,” their latest outing, didn’t jump out at me in the way many discs do in that I hear a song and say “Wow, that’s going to be a hit…and that one’s filler…and that’s a great follow-up single, etc.” Rather, it elicited a mood that can best be described as melancholy in the pensive and thoughtful manner.  It’s like watching a film that really resonates with you and then wondering whatever happened to the characters after the credits rolled.  This is that story.  It’s not meant to be another massive blockbuster like yesteryear so much as a gift for having traveled with them this far and wanting just that little bit more, to see their spark shine one more time.  Any group who can accomplish this feat is worthy of our respect and Erasure has earned it.

The first track, “No Doubt,” sets the tone with its seemingly ethereal background vocals and melodic main vocals.  It’s an effective mix of the two and a beautiful mood arises.  “Here I Go Impossible Again” continues the musical landscape and has quickly become a song I look forward to hearing each time the first few notes begin.  For you single-driven fans, this could easily be a decent hit for them.  And talk about setting the mood I’ve been talking about, the lyrics for “Let’s Take One More Rocket To The Moon” hit the mark perfectly.  “Breathe” is an absolutely gorgeous and lush track, certainly one that reminds us that Erasure can write a radio friendly song and still make it sound like they didn’t mean to.

The pace is picked up in the uplifting “I’ll Be There” before calming back down with the plucky sounds of “Because Our Love Is Real.” Andy Bell’s voice remains at its melodic best and compliments Vince Clark’s layered audio landscapes like a dream.  Speaking of landscapes, “Don’t Say You Love Me” will have you tapping your foot along as will “All This Time Still Falling Out Of Love.” It’s back to thoughtful in “I Broke It All In Two” before lightening up in “Sweet Surrender.” “I Bet You’re Mad At Me” brings the disc to a close and feels much like a conversation that might take place at the end of a visit.  We’ve been through the highs and lows of the brief reunion and what’s left is uncertainty.  Yes, all is as it should be.

“Nightbird” isn’t an album that should be judged by its separate parts that make up the whole so much as it should be considered by the whole itself.  This is a beautiful journey that casts a spell from its first track on.  While I haven’t always enjoyed every album Erasure has released, this one resonated with me in a whole new way.  Just look at some of my other reviews and you’ll that this one is pretty different, so I rest my case.  Maybe I’m just getting old, but I needed this little walk with old friends.  If nothing else, it makes me feel a little less alone being one of the few self-confessed kids who grew up with ‘80s music and never really left it behind.