Grunge may have killed the New Wave star, but it was only temporary. A line from a Stephen King short story perhaps summed it the best: sometimes they come back.
And while the New Wave revival, headed from the Top of the Pops by the Killers and Franz Ferdinand, is no longer breaking news, Moonlife rocket into mostly synthetic waters that today's popular Neo acts have yet to fully plunge into. Shockingly, not only does Moonlife accurately rewind to mid-'80s club daze, they have recorded an album that can be held next to the finest from electro-pop heroes such as Soft Cell, Erasure, and the Pet Shop Boys.
The first track, "Can't Stop," sets the stage for this candy cane. Awash with spunky keyboards and breathy vocals, "Can't Stop" is a throwback to the days of groups like the Beloved which mastered the art of sensuous, calming dance music with a jumpy backbeat. Vocalist Claudio Tinnirello should be thanked for not aping Erasure's Andy Bell like too many modern synth acts. He has his own style, one that will remind you of the '80s but not one singer in particular.
|
"Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow" and "I Heard You (On the Telephone)" are sheer Big '80s bliss. Oddly enough, Moonlife's original songs are so attractive and hummable that their cover of David Bowie's "Under Pressure" feels unnecessary. Their own tunes are far better, and Bowie would probably even agree.
|
