Amazon.co.uk Review
Nightbird,
Erasure's first album of new and original material since 2000's rather disappointing
Loveboat, sees the boys enter a new stage in their long partnership with a self-produced, well-crafted slice of pure synth loveliness, which squashes any rumours that Andy and Vince are no longer the purveyors of fine pop they once were.
This is a highly personal project for both Vince and Andy, both in terms of the songs and the production: Nightbird is the first Erasure album to be solely produced by Erasure themselves. Listen to the lyrics and you'll soon realise that this is ultimately about love; both the good and bad sides of it. The 11 tracks represent a nice mix of slow and up-tempo numbers. Ever present are Vince's trademark synths that make up the catchy riffs and simple bass lines, some of which wouldn't sound out of place on some of Erasure's earlier 90s releases, and Andy's vocals sound as strong as ever. Standout tracks on this solid album include "Here I Go Impossible Again", "Because Our Love Is Real" and "I Broke It All In Two".
If one criticism can be made, it's the lack of Digimpro: anyone who's tinkered with remixing Breathe, the first single taken from the album, with the free Digimpro software that's on the second CD single will be itching to mix some more. Nightbird, however, is without doubt one of Erasure's best pieces of work to date and, while it doesn't quite match the magic of listening to The Circus or The Innocents, its catchy riffs and clever lyrics will become lodged in your brain for some time. Ultimately, Nightbird has the perfect balance of classic pop tunes and sombre love songs. --Martin S
CD Description
'Nightbird' is the twelfth studio album from pop duo Andy Bell and Vince Clarke. Erasure return to the synth pop sound that helped them sell over 25 million records in the late eighties and early nineties, mixing infectious disco and electro infused beats and melodies, with singer, Andy Bell's choir boy like vocals. The single 'Breathe' is also included.