What does it sound like?:
Best known for his vocals in Erasure, Andy Bell returns with a sequel to his 2014 album and Edinburgh Fringe Show Torsten The Bareback Saint.
Forget the pop preconceptions of Erasure, because this is quite a different beast – a song cycle of a polysexual semi-immortal being outliving his numerous friends and lovers and ultimately living out a lonely existence.
The album overall has a theatrical feel, with many pieces having lush arrangements.
Having said that, pop sensibilities are not entirely neglected and the cabaret style pieces are less in evidence than on its predecessor, as generally a more commercial approach has been taken. In fact
there are a number of songs here that would pick up radio play were it not for the explicit lyrics.
What does it all *mean*?
This is certainly an intriguing piece of work, not at all what I was expecting. The live peformances would be well worth experiencing.
Goes well with…
Hard to say really, theatrical pieces such as Cabaret spring to mind, but with added Erasure style pop hooks!
Release Date:
Might suit people who like…
Put your preconceptions aside and give this a try.
Cabaret is one of my favourite films. The plot doesn’t keep me coming back for more, it’s the actual cabaret numbers and their superlative introductions. Does Torsten really compare favourably?
Was really just trying to give an idea of the general feel/atmosphere of the piece, rather than making a direct comparison between the two.
That’s a maybe, then.
“Jean Genet, let yourself go”.