Britain’s favourite Danes return…
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[6.38]
Edward Okulicz: An unusual and probably unholy mindmeld of 90s dance pop with a more late 80s SAW sheen — they probably could cover this or this or this and I would buy 50 copies. That said, it’s kind of static and lethargic, and the beat is pleasingly naff but it isn’t kinetic at all — compare it to the unstoppable forces that are the choruses of “Fascination” or “What Is Happening?”. Catchy, but slight.
[7]
Chuck Eddy: More Yazz (and the Plastic Population) than Yaz (née Yazoo). And still close enough to both for comfort, though this isn’t nearly the freestyle-revival revelation that the Pete Hammond remix of “Boyfriend” was.
[7]
Martin Kavka: On the surface, this is retro-Stock/Aitken/Waterman goodness — poptimism with lyrics that make a twelve-year-old girl feel like an adult — but there’s quite a bit of adventurousness with the production. SAW songs had backing tracks that were metronomes (think “Happenin’ All Over Again”), but “The Spell” has a track that lags ever so briefly behind the rhythm of the vocal, as if there were a bit too much drinking going on in the control booth, and the middle eight is a thrill of wooziness. It’s as if Dr. Dre finally came out of the closet.
[9]
Alex Macpherson: Anonymous, dated and forgettable Eurodance which can’t even get something as basic as a house piano right, but infinitely preferable to Alphabeat’s previous incarnation as offensively jaunty ’80s fetishists.
[4]
Tom Ewing: First time through I thought the pile-it-on production was concealing a lack of song. Now I think it’s concealing quite a good song, which is actually more annoying.
[6]
Keane Tzong: “Boyfriend” hinted that truly great things could come of Alphabeat if only they would ditch their male lead vocalist. “The Spell”, all ’90s dance, teases in much the same way. The vast majority of the song is female-led, with a slight but highly effective chorus… and then there’s the middle eight, and I’m all bummed out that they didn’t just leave a good thing well enough alone.
[7]
Jessica Popper: I’d like to hear more of Anders (Alphabeat songs are usually more of a duet between him and Stine), but his camp middle eight is the highlight of the song, so I’m content.
[9]
Michaelangelo Matos: If I didn’t like the ’80s shift from new pop (bright, shiny surface) to the perked-up synthpop (&b) (bright, shiny core), why should I accept it in ’80s revivalists? I wish I’d been able to follow through, but unfortunately these Danes know how to sink those hooks: cheerily, insidiously, indelibly.
[7]
Alfred Soto: They have the right approach: updated Exposé or Company B, with frantic filigrees. Not frantic enough, however.
[5]
Additional Scores
Pete Baran: [8]
Anthony Easton: [4]
Ian Mathers: [7]
Martin Skidmore: [3]