| Artist |
| Scarlet Soho |
| Title |
| Warpaint |
| Format/Cat |
| CD MAJ0255.020 |
| Label |
| Major Records |
| Style |
| 80s style pop |
| Date of review |
| 20th September 2009 |
| Reviewer |
| Carl Jenkinson |
| Rating |
| 7/10 |
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This is Scarlet Soho's second album (following on from 2004's Divisions Of Decency-a couple of tracks from which are tacked on as extras here & demonstrate how they've progressed in the meantime) & it's clear right from the off that James, Scarlet & Stuart are intent on resurrecting the polished style & spirit of such 80s bands as The Associates & the like (whilst being a little less earnest & po-faced, these guys sound like they're having fun!) whilst maintaining a decidedly modern outlook . Indeed, while listening to the opening duo of 'I Dare' & 'Model Of Control', with its fine synth work on the chorus & later tracks such as 'Speak Your Mind', I couldn't help thinking of The Killers, a band who are constantly mentioned as evoking the spirit of the 80s in a modern style &, given the right exposure, there's no reason why this trio shouldn't be able to achieve a similar level of success. But while some older listeners will find plenty to get all nostalgic about I'd lay good money that an equal, if not greater, number of younger fans for whom the 80s are merely a time their parents remember so fondly, will just enjoy this just for the fact that it is a very good electro/pop album, no matter how much the sequences that form the backbone of 'Analogue Dialogue (Kill The Beat)' resemble Giorgio Moroder & despite that fact that the rampant synths that lead the line on the exhuberant highlight track that is 'Is Growing Up The Best That We Can Do?' are a dead ringer for classic Gary Numan (something which works for me every time!!). Elsewhere the slower 'Satellites' possesses a kind of melancholy grandeur with some fine bass work much in evidence while 'Under Strict Surveillance' impresses through the interplay of bass, piano & synths that sets an effectively moody atmosphere that's only spoilt by its brevity, I'm sure it could have been developed into an excellent full length number but hey ho! To sum up, this is an album that's bound to have a wide appeal, both among children of the 80s looking for a nostalgic fix & lovers of modern pop who just like what they hear!!!!
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