ANDY BELL ELECTRIC BLUE ALBUM SANCTUARY RELEASE: OCTOBER 5, 2005 REVIEW: OCTOBER 17, 2005

It would be interesting to find out exactly how much of the material on "Electric Blue" that was penned by Andy Bell himself. He has recruited both Philip Larsen and Chris Smith in the creative process on this, his first venture without the aid of Vince Clarke's frenetic knob twiddling. Erasure fans need not worry, however; this is an enticing journey into electropop land, albeit more contemporary sounding than most of the legendary British duo's work. More club, less retro.

"Crazy", the first single to be lifted off "Electric Blue", compares well with most of Erasure's best work with its pulsating energy and strong vocal performance. Bell continues to impress through his patented multi-layered vocal range, from Gahan-esque power to vibrating high-pitch falsetto. The songs themselves are all solid pop compositions (with the exception of the tastelessly awful "I Thought It Was You"), but they occasionally feel a bit too polished and run-of-the-mill. More jagged edges would have helped boost the overall impression.

"Electric Blue" may not be on par with the highlights of Erasure, but it is still an obvious choice for their most avid fans. Three or four gems, one of which features Claudia Brücken (Propaganda) as song writer and vocalist, are more than enough to warrant this dance pop flirt a grade well above average.

NIKLAS FORSBERG