The self-styled Devils are Stephen Duffy and Nick Rhodes who, back in 1979, were partners in a fledgling band by the name of Duran Duran. Then Duffy decided he'd like to try a solo career- and spent the next couple of decades as an obscure cult artist, while Rhodes enjoyed the high life of gold records and tacky photoshoots. Now the pair have reunited to record Dark Circles, an album that's been patched together from old lyrics and demos and brought up to date with some contemporary studio polish. It's one of those ideas that sounds alarmingly dodgy in theory - and yet, in practice, it all hangs together remarkably well. Duffy's knack of coming up with irresistible melodies has remained satisfyingly intact over the years, and Rhodes's understated keyboards gives these arrogant celebrations of youthful consumerism a subtly shifting musical backdrop that recalls everybody from Kraftwerk to Talking Heads. Not just a nostalgia trip then, but a fine album in its own right that should keep Duran fans happy until the band's next dodgy reunion.
