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Album Reviews
Album review: Blancmange – Blanc Burn (Proper Records)
By Marc Samuels | Published on Friday 4 February 2011
It’s safe to say that the world was probably not expecting a new Blancmange album, let alone clamouring for it in huge droves, but with the likes of La Roux shamelessly plagiarising their sound, it was perhaps inevitable the duo would return, ‘Blanc Burn’ being their first album in 23 years.
Unlike many of their early 80s new pop peers, Blancmange sensibly split up in 1984, thus relieving the world of a series of confused/mediocre post-Live Aid albums, but history still has not afforded them perhaps the recognition they deserve. (Bizarrely, Channel 4 completely omitted the duo from their Top Ten Electropop show some years back, instead affording air time to the likes of Bronski Beat).
With its blend of analogue synths and Indian percussion, ‘Blanc Burn’ is business as usual for the duo, Stephen Luscombe creating rich electronic tapestries over which singer Neil Arthur can weave his tales of everyday life and occasional oddness. There’s no shortage of melodic nous, and although ‘The Western’ is a slightly shameless retread of their biggest hit ‘Living On The Ceiling’, it’s still glorious fun nonetheless and the most memorable thing here. Some dubious lyrics aside, this is a solid comeback album, and certainly much better than it has any right to be. MS
Physical release: 7 Mar
