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Eurovision is here
again, that glorious
time of year where all
of us without any
discernible music taste
to call our own gather
around the telly to
listen to Euro-pop tunes
and beat ourselves with
sticks (at least that’s
the way it’s always
worked round these
parts). After the fun’s
over though, pick up a
copy of this album and
any time you feel like a
bit of birch lashing
masochism, have a listen
to this.
It would seem as if the
duo that comprise The
Mystic Underground
(Messrs Vladimir Valette
and Benedetto Socci) are
stuck in the 80’s and
have yet to figure out
that music has moved on
since then. There is no
denying that they can
write decent songs, have
some clever lyrics and
certainly fiddle with a
synth in ways it perhaps
should not be fiddled
with (see songs such as
“Athletes” for example).
However, sounding like a
mix of Morrissey, early
Depeche Mode and Erasure
doesn’t really take
anything to the next
level and ends up being
less a homage and more
akin to plagiarism. That
said, this is the kind
of thing that would
sound perfect in your
local goth club so
perhaps there is a call
for it after all.
Drawing upon Erasure and
Depeche Mode in closing,
while it is possible to
show The Mystic
Underground a little
respect, when this album
is shown under the
clearest moon it’s a
hell of a lot more fun
to simply enjoy the
silence instead.
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