Tomorrow's World

Personnel: Frankmusik, Vince Clarke (piano, keyboards, programming).
Audio Mixer: Robert Orton.
Photographer: Dan Kvitka.
Erasure's previous effort returned the synth pop duo to form, so on their 2011 release, and 14th overall, they take the logical step of handing over a bit of their legacy to an outside producer. Electropop enthusiast Frankmusik (Lady Gaga, Pet Shop Boys) is the wise choice made here, and the results are generally quite good, sometimes excellent. Many tracks benefit from the attractive combination of lead singer Andy Bell's increased lyric-writing skills and the hired producer's presentation of the 2011 house music "thwak," as both "I Lose Myself" and "Be with You" are fine acknowledgments of Gaga and Benny Benassi's dancefloor domination. Fans get to experience Vince Clarke's fingerprints on "Fill Us with Fire" and "When I Start To (Break It All Down)," as the recent reunion of his Yaz project is reflected in the nocturnal synth pop and soul muscle driving these highlights. There's a cohesiveness issue that keeps this one off their top shelf, but Erasure have settled nicely into that groove that the best veteran bands often do. Last time out it was the vital release while this time it's the very attractive diversion, adding new flavors to a group that sounds much more inspired than you'd expect at this point. ~ David Jeffries