ERASURE LOVEBOAT ALBUM MUTE, PLAYGROUND RELEASE: OCTOBER 23, 2000 REVIEW: OCTOBER 16, 2000

I guess I should say "oh no!" and tear my hair in discontent. I'll go so far as to say I am disappointed. But not entirely for the "right" reason. Yes, Erasure has opted for more mainstream sounds, with guitar as a dominant instrument in most of the tracks. What they do have left is their infallible lightweight pop carpentry.
I may be predictable, but I have to say, after several hours aboard the "Loveboat", that it's my firm standpoint that Erasure is not quite Erasure without the traditional bleeps and sweeps. They can be found here too, but they are demoted to spicing instead of building. Still, you can hear that this is the same lads who have given us shimmering anthems like "Sometimes", "Always", "Crown of Thorns" and "Ship of Fools", to name but a fraction. I just got that slightly sad expression on my face.
"Loveboat" has a few songs worth mentioning though, including "Aliens", a strong, heartbreaking ballad, "Catch 22", a reminder of older Erasure stuff and at the same time, together with "Moon & the Sky", a great example of how a Erasure of today could have sounded, had they stayed true to their roots.
It seems every synth-oriented band thinks they need to bring in other instruments to develop their sound. I think, especially Erasure, could have done more with what used to be their trademark: Vince Clarke's machine park and Andy Bell's crisp clear vocals. They are that good.

NIKLAS FORSBERG