It may not come as a huge surprise, but it is hard to believe that Erasure have a game plan. After huge success in the mid to late eighties with hit albums like The Circus and The Innocents, it all began to head south for Vince Clarke and Andy Bell as they released albums with ever-diminishing returns.
From their self-titled album through Cowboy to the execrable Loveboat, the synth duo veered further from commercial kudos without the commensurate critical plaudits.
Clawing their way back has not been an easy process. A covers album, Other People's Songs, barely scraped an adequate response from most; a reformatted greatest hits album was released without noticeable impact; then their comeback album, the exquisite Nightbird, showed a convincing return to electro-pop genius form.
Instead of capitalising on its triumph with a follow-up along the same lines, vocalist Andy Bell released an agonisingly cringe worthy solo album which sank without trace and stalled the band’s new momentum.
So, it’s a curious time for Erasure to plunder the minor reaches of their back catalogue for their first ‘unplugged’ album, Union Street.
The very notion of Erasure doing an acoustic album seems wilfully perverse. The synth-pop masters without their keyboards and electro-wizardry seems as suited as Laurel without Hardy, as cream without strawberries, as Heat magazine without another pointless Chantelle story. And yet Union Street, named after the New York recording studio, is certainly not without its charms.
There are several beautiful lilting ballads to choose from. ‘Tenderest Moments’ is quite lovely. With Vince on nylon string guitar it is hard to discern the songs electro-roots. Similarly, the album opener ‘Boy’ is gorgeous tale of love and loss with shimmery, glistening production.
Freed from the coldness and precious of synths, much of their material gains new warmth and colour. ‘Stay With Me’ was always one of the best songs from the album Erasure, but here the reworked version uses woodwinds and a vocal chorus to give the track a haunting, almost organic quality.
A top track is ‘Alien’ which uses mandolins and woodwinds as an acoustic simulation of what a busy synth arrangement would have been. These instruments lend an intimacy to the songs, which the electronic settings have always kept in check.
The back to basics approach, stripping away all technical burrs and beeps, reveals a strength in the pair’s songwriting. ‘Spiralling’, the only song from The Circus, becomes very pared down, with only guitar and vocals to carry it. Instead, it becomes a revelation of melodic style and artful song construction, with Andy allowed scope to explore the personal with his warm and soulful approach.
Experimenting with instruments they would never have used before, Erasure dip their toe into rather unlikely musical pools. Using a dobra - the slide guitar closely associated with bluegrass music - tracks like ‘Piano Song’ are slowed down and now pack a plaintive, emotional punch. Who would have thought that Erasure would be tackling the stuff of Tennessee blues!
Without the complexities of electro-arrangements much of the focus of this album falls upon Andy’s vocals, with varying results. ‘How Many Times?’ is pitched uncomfortably below Bell’s vocal range whereas on the epic ‘Rock Me Gently’ he dazzles, building up an impassioned performance.
If there is one failing of Union Street it’s that they don’t dare enough. The choice of ballads and mid-tempo numbers results in a cohesive, but repetitive track listing.
‘Home’ sounds like many of the other songs with few distinguishing features and languishes on the wrong side of bland. It seems a missed opportunity not to have selected some more up tempo numbers or familiar tracks to be radically reworked. In fact, it seems hard to find Vince’s handiwork much in evidence throughout the album.
Union Street is a pleasing addition to Erasure’s canon: it is a must-have for their fans and should be enjoyed by a wider audience.
Erasure are the kings of dramatic flair but Union Street finds them in contemplative mode - perhaps it needs a live performance for it fully to take flight? However, it is a pleasing addition to their canon and is a must-have for fans and should easily be enjoyed by a wider audience.
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