Title - 'Non-Stop' (Mute)
Artist - Andy Bell
With "Non-Stop," Andy Bell continues to show how his solo work is the yan to Erasure's yin. (Or maybe it's the yin to Erasure's yan. Whatever.)
Erasure's music is whimsical, with soundscapes that are often innocent and childlike, inhabited with Andy's androgynous, emotive voice. Andy's solo material seems to be more conventional modern disco/dance music, with consistently higher beats per minute, and more of the sexuality and grit that coincide with club life.
That said, this new solo album was co-produced and co-written by Andy Bell and Pascal Gabriel (S'Express, Ladyhawke, Debbie Harry, Kylie, Little Boots) and is a lavish 10 track collection of exquisite dancefloor confessionals.
So yes, it's good. Less original, but the quality is still there. Similar to Kelis' last album, Andy's voice is so heartfelt that it keeps the songs from ever sounding too mechanical (as a lot of dance music does).
And the production is really pretty good (think "X" era Kylie Minogue or "Confessions" era Madonna). You would listen to an Andy Bell album on the way to the club, or on the treadmill. Erasure's music is better suited to before bedtime. [DK]
www.andybell.com