Monday 14 September 2009

Bananarama - 'Viva'

The new album from Bananarama was released today, 'Viva', and it is the most delicious bit of danceable electro-pop you've heard in an age of twirling round the dance floor. I fell in love with the single, 'Love Comes' as soon as I heard it and the album follows the lead of the single - if I could I'd be stomping round my living room being rather too energetic for my own good. It's great!

Now, there's a lot of electro-pop out there at the moment but this sounds different. I can't quite put my finger on it but it may be that the 'Nanas are women with half a lifetime of experiences behind them, not girls picked from obscurity to front the latest trendy producer or dj. The 'Nanas have lived their songs, not just been given them, and that adds an extra something to the mix. The 'Nana-girls are a year younger than me but you'd never think it from the energy that sizzles in the grooves (if a download had grooves) and you can just tell that they didn't stand still for an instant while they were recording it (well, except for 'The Sound Of Silence').

Can you tell I like it?

I heard the 'Nana-lasses on the Jonathan Ross show on Saturday and they sounded on top form, giving back as much as they took from Ross. They've always been a bit feisty, up for a laugh and know what they want and good on them for that.

I pre-ordered the album on iTunes so I not only got the bonus track ('The Sound Of Silence') but I got a pre-order only track, 'Run To You' which is a great slice of pop. The oddity on the album is 'S S S Single Bed', the old Fox hit with the girls doing a very credible and breathy Noosha Fox sounding vocal. The only reason I can think of for covering it is they were looking for an old song to cover and went through their old singles and found it.

This really is a great record, not so much a reinvention of Bananarama, more of a natural progression. C'mon people, let's make it a great big hit - go and buy it now, or at least download a song or two. Well? Why are you reading this? Get downloading and then dance yourself silly!

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