Erasure are one of those bands who look like they've hung around too long. The London duo's old brand of synth-pop was hugely popular back in the late eighties but sounds badly dated today. It's a bit of a surprise then to see them come back with a new album full of soulful, polished electronic soundscapes which can stand alongside their best work. Profound they're not - but there's a romanticism and conviction about these lush, string-laden songs that prevents them from descending into Eurovision dross. They may never have another hit, but this album suggests that Erasure deserve a lot more credit than most critics are willing to give them.
