Emily: After listening to an entire Soft Cell album, it's clear why the band is a one-hit wonder. Tainted Love is a classic piece of synth-pop, fun to sing along to with a catchy beat that inevitably gets stuck in your head. But overall, this album failed to impress me. The low-budget sound was very distracting - it was difficult to hear the lyrics and the synthesizer spare instrumentation was muddled by static (except on Tainted Love, which might have been a remastered track). New-wave minimalism is great when it works, but it needs more polish than Soft Cell provides.
Favorite Tracks: Tainted Love, Sex Dwarf, Chips on My Shoulder
Zack: Honestly, there was very little I loved about this album. Two things to be exact. Tainted Love (of course) and the title of the album. Non Stop Erotic Cabaret is such a ridiculous name for an album that really sums up New Wave as a genre. My displeasure with this album probably has a lot to do with my overall disinterest in New Wave music as a whole. It just doesn't do anything for me. Throw in the fact that this album is lacking the typical high-tech aspect of New Wave and all you get is a static-y version of a genre I don't like in the first place. If you're into New Wave, then you should check this album out. If not and want to try and get into it, I recommend listening to another band like The B52s or The Eurythmics first.
Favorite Tracks: Tainted Love, Sex Dwarf, Seedy Films
I think they were one hit wonders because they were dirtier than their hit showed. They missed a lot there is no denying. Sex Dwarf is an ear worm you can't shake.
ReplyDelete