Erasure – The Neon

One of the most successful British artists of the late 80s and 90s, Erasure conquered not only the British pop scene but also Europe’s, the US’s and South America’s. Although their biggest hits came mostly in the 80s through to the early noughties, the duo has stacked up chart-toppers since then and throughout the 2010s. Now, in 2020, they are still going strong.

Their newest album, The Neon, comes with two pre-released singles: Hey Now (Think I Got a Feeling) and Nerves of Steel. They have already notched up over 100K views on YouTube, and Hey Now is the 10^th most-played Erasure song on Spotify, with over 350K listeners to date. This is no mean feat for a duo whose first hit single Sometimes came out in 1986.

As the track New Horizons says, “the tides are changing”, and the duo’s sound has certainly changed. The youthfulness of hits like A Little Respect reflects a very different time and a very different life stage. Erasure has moved on from summer romance to punchy basslines, contemporary electronic vibes and an overall sense of a dark, musky night club where everyone is leaning against the walls.

The duo has moved further in this direction for a few years now. The Neon goes deep into heavy beats, heavy synth and heavy vocals. This marks quite a shift from the freshness and lightness of their older work. Their sound may be brooding now, but this is the same band that brought ABBA into the 90s with their album Abba-esque.

Although this release’s singles have already stacked up listeners, it is yet to be seen how the fans will take it. Still, a group with this much success over the decades can afford to experiment a little with their sound.

Ella Satin
Photo: Phil Sharp

The Neon is released on 21^st August 2020. For further information or to order the album visit Erasure’s website here.

Watch the video for Hey Now (Think I Got a Feeling) here: