Search - Neuropa :: Beyond Here and Now

Derivative and original at the same time? YES!

psychomuse | 12/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Look, I can't really explain this. It goes against all logic. Neuropa is Erasure reincarnated and something else completely in the same instant. You hear this and think ERASURE ERASURE ERASURE. Yet there is no Andy Bell, no Vince Clarke. You instinctively know that this is not Erasure. The connection is clear but in a transparent fashion. You hear it but you can't see it. You know it but without understanding. It is AND it is not.



So that doesn't help does it? Let it be put this way: If you love Erasure, you will love Neuropa. If you hate Erasure, you will hate Neuropa. For the lovers- you've heard this before but not like this!"

Great Album but unbalanced somehow.

Messenjah | 02/24/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Well, out of all the types of music that I generally collect, synthpop is my favorite. After Erasure and DM started to fizzle in their last few records, I started hunting for new groups to listen too. I live in America and I guess I feel like so much music at least here is very bland and one song sounds like the other. I guess I just like something different. This album just fits my tastes somehow.

"Bound" reminds me a bit of Red Flag but it is still an awsome fast-paced track. "True Love War's" was a great song and Neuropa did a great job of re-creating it. "Lifeline" somehow ended up becoming my favorite track on this album though. I love the bass and the catchyness of this song and it has a feel all it's own. This song just ends up on repeat somehow and is great to wake up to in the morning. Other favorites on this album are tracks 5-9. "Soul Mirror" is probably the darkest sounding song on the album and it is a great song about reflection and something that everyone can relate too.

I would have loved to have rated this a five star but it has only a couple of small faults. I felt that the album should have ended at Still Life. A great outro. I like a good album that somehow keeps a certain flow and feeling to it and I prefer a good short album over an album that feels drawn out. "In Need" simply doesn't flow with the rest of the album at all. "Beyond Here and Now" was an ok track and a good starting point for the album but it didn't stand out as much as the other tracks. I suppose the album could have also used something slower in-between the other faster tracks. Most of the tracks on this album are fast, upbeat tracks. Which is great, but I like an album that is more balanced. It just needed something slower-paced somewhere mid-album. Great album though and it holds it's own in my CD player!"

This is how synthpop should be done!

Gregory A. Dreher | Westfield, IN United States | 02/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The duo of Jason Last and Albert Martinez shine on this excellent release. Bright synthpop melodies and excellent vocals will remind you of the best the genre has offered. They do very well with the somber and powerful "In Need," but the reason to buy the album is the upbeat and energetic synthpop abundant on "Beyond Here and Now." Songs like the title track and "Lifeline" will make it hard to resist the urge to dance.A hidden nugget is the duo's cover of the underrated Erasure b-side "True Love Wars." Dare I say they've improved on the original?Fans of classic melodic synthpop like Erasure and Pet Shop Boys should check out this release, and see what the underground U.S. synthpop scene still has to offer."