Erasure’s New Album ‘The Neon’ Takes Us To Wherever We Want To Be

Out today via Mute Records, Erasure’s album, ‘The Neon’, could be just as easily be a trip back in time, as much as it’s a contemporary album. It’s all about how you view it. Those of a certain age might be transported to the days of neon fingerless gloves, teased up hair like birds’ nests, and stirrup pants and Doc Martens (brogues or boots – your choice), paired with oversized painter shirts. But then again, it’s very much a contemporary album, touching on very modern themes. A lot of the issues of the 80s are revisited – albeit in slightly different form – today, and albums like ‘The Neon’ are what we needed then, and now, to take our minds off those things.

Rachael Sage Drops Defiant And Vulnerable Album, ‘Character’

Opener ‘Blue Sky Days’ features a marching band drum beat combined with rich strings and purposeful piano from Sage, on a track which seems to have an overall message of defiance. Her vulnerability is on show for all to see on ‘Bravery’s On Fire’ which documents her personal journey whilst she battled with Uterine cancer. The lyrics are relatable to people who have gone through similar hardships and may be a real comfort for some people.

Eileen Gogan And The Instructions: ‘Under Moving Skies’ Calls To Mind Other Irish Artists But That’s Not A Bad Thing

When you hear the lyrics of ‘More Time’, the first track on Eileen Gogan And The Instructions new album, ‘Under Moving Skies’, you know it’s by an Irish artist. Sure, you might argue, Eileen Gogan’s very name is a bit of a give away, but I think it goes further than that. There’s a certain melancholy to Irish music; you’ll hear it in The Cranberries, The Corrs, U2 – even more recent Irish artists such as Inhaler, Jedward, Columbia Mills, and Robert O’Connor have it. Kodaline has it. And Eileen Gogan has it in spades.