Synthpop maestro Vince Clarke helped craft some of the era’s most memorable jams from the early 1980s, but it took him a while to settle on a lasting artistic partnership. Clarke authored the bulk of the material on Depeche Mode’s pivotal 1981 debut Speak & Spell, only to depart the band soon after. He then formed Yazoo with Alison Moyet, a collaboration that produced just two (outstanding) LPs before they parted ways. At last, Clarke began seeking collaborators by placing an ad in NME, which is how he connected with vocalist Andy Bell. The two joined forces to become Erasure, and they’ve been creating music together ever since.
Erasure rode a blistering streak of UK chart success in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and those records have aged remarkably well. Every time I hear “Chains Of Love” or “A Little Respect” or “Stop!,” I find myself thinking, “I ought to explore more Erasure.” Today, they aren’t the commercial behemoth they once were, but they continue to release new material. Their most recent proper album, The Neon, arrived in 2020. Since then, the duo has been covered by the Killers and Robyn. Both Vince Clarke and Andy Bell have issued solo records, and Clarke even participated in the supergroup Doublespeak. Now Erasure are ready to share that Radio!! Radio!!, their 20th album, is due to arrive in March.
According to a press release, Radio!! Radio!! adheres to Erasure’s classic synthpop sensibilities, but Clarke introduces more piano work and acoustic guitar textures than usual. The lead single, “Wings Of Love,” carries a weariness that isn’t typically associated with the group, yet it sits comfortably within their new direction. When the album drops, Erasure will launch a large-scale arena tour across the UK and Europe, with Ladytron opening many of the dates. There are also plans to bring the tour to the United States. Below, you can hear “Wings Of Love,” view the tracklist, and consult the tour schedule.
TRACKLIST:
01 “Baby On The Radio Forever”
02 “Lucky Boy”
03 “Wings Of Love”
04 “Listen To The Beauty”
05 “Where Our Love Hides”
06 “Star Clouds”
07 “Where Are All The People?”
08 “Holy!”
09 “Jealousy”
10 “There Ain’t No Place Like Home”
TOUR DATES:
4/25 – Cardiff, UK @ Utilita Arena *
4/26 – Bournemouth, UK @ International Centre *
4/28 – Liverpool, UK @ M&S Bank Arena *
4/30 – Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena *
5/01 – Manchester, UK @ AO Arena *
5/03 – Dublin, Ireland @ 3Arena *
5/05 – Nottingham, UK @ Motorpoint Arena *
5/06 – Hull, UK @ Connexin Live *
5/08 – Leeds, UK @ First Direct Bank Arena *
5/09 – Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro *
5/11 – Brighton, North Of Ireland @ Brighton Centre *
5/12 – London, UK @ The O2 *
5/15 – Cologne, Germany @ Palladium
5/16 – Hamburg, Germany @ Inselparkhalle
5/18 – Leipzig, Germany @ Haus Auensee
5/21 – Frankfurt, Germany @ Jahrhunderthalle
5/22 – Hannover, Germany @ Swiss Live Hall
5/24 – Berlin, Germany @ Uber Eats Music Hall
5/26 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Royal Arena
5/28 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Avicii Arena
* with Ladytron
Radio!! Radio!! is out 3/12 on Mute. Pre-order it here.
