Search - Marc Almond :: Stranger Things

3.5 Stars: Not Great, but Lush and Interesting in Spots

Eric Wahl | Bozeman, MT, USA | 07/07/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This disc sports an awesome-looking cover and title that bear nothing at all to the music on it. Almond's white-caked head is covered with silver sequins and diamonds in a sort of techno-looking picture, but the music inside, while snappy and poppy plenty of the time, is something else--ballads attached to a sort of thumped-up John Barry set of sample-sounds, orchestra snippets and a full orchestra sometimes. Think of the Propellerheads' track using Shirley Basey but with more orchestration and sweep, and you've got a good idea of what's on this release. While this disc is much better, I think, than Almond's mysteriously well-received previous album (Open All Night)--because it doesn't have such lyrically embarrassing songs as did that disc--Stranger Things does open up with back-to-back musical cringers, including "Glorious," the first single--bloated neo-showtunes for elevators and elderly-catering restaurants (think of duller versions of "My Hand Over My Heart" from Almond's Tenement Symphony disc). Unremarkable. BUT. "Come Out" gets things going with a great meldimg of orchestral sweep and techy thump. And a few of the tracks have just enough harpsichord and mandolin appearances to remind you of his good old days with The Willing Sinners. "Dancer" is another ace track, with the closest thing to snarl you'll find here. "When it's Your Time," "End in Tears," and "Love in a Time of Science" are back-to-back-to-back winners, uniting orchestra and tech into some pretty eerie songs that show Almond still has some edge left to him after all. And some versions of this CD (I have a German one) include an extra track, "Amo Vitam," a duet with Rosenstolz, that is also quite good. If you just love Marc Almond no matter what, you'll love this disc. If you love Mother Fist and The Stars We Are but aren't so wild about Enchanted and Open All Night, this might not suit you, although I think it's better than those last two. But unlike Open All Night, Stranger Things makes me glad Almond is still at work. I just wish he'd get farther back into the gutter! That's when he's really rolling . . ."