SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ANDY BELL – TEN CROWNS

ANDY BELL
TEN CROWNS
CROWN RECORDINGS LTD.

Vince Clarke and Andy Bell joined forces as Erasure in 1985, when they released their debut single, “Who Needs Love Like That”. Erasure is still going strong (they have released 19 studio albums), but Andy Bell has firmly established himself as a solo act as well. In 2005, he released his debut solo album, Electric Blue, and since then he has used his solo career to stretch his talents and explore other genres/styles.

With Ten Crowns, Dave Audé, with whom Bell has worked in the past, has produced and co-written the songs with Bell. The album is EDM. However, in true Bell style, it is melodic electronic dance music. It is not Erasure, although of course there are a few similarities, this is clearly a different sound and music for Bell. Opening with “Breaking Thru The Interstellar”, the tone is set for a journey with Bell and Audé. The beats per minute are perfect, and it is hard to sit still for most of the album. But at the same time, the songs are based around extremely clever, and infectious melodies.

But there are a lot of interesting things on the album that break away from the electro-dance format. Bell’s duet with Debbie Harry, “Heart’s A Liar” is heartbreaking and incredibly beautiful and they sound fantastic together. The lyrics “I’m so broken, and you’re so beautiful”, which Bell sings so sadly, is just a perfect line from the song that seems to sum it all up. His duet with Sarah Potenza (“Lies So Deep”) is also interesting, and again she is a great choice to accompany Bell. “Dawn Of Heaven’s Gate” shows Bell’s willingness to explore other sounds and dip his toe into a little bit of experimental music.

Bell’s voice is strong and passionate as ever. Songs such as “Don’t Cha Know” showcases his emotional and powerful voice. It is one of his best vocals and the song, even though quite danceable, still tugs at the heartstrings. “Godspell”, on the other hand, sees Bell incorporating a bit of gospel into the landscape, and it works. It is not everyday one hears the word “sycophant” in a song. And the closing song, “Thank You”, is a deeply honest and personal song from Bell and it is a masterpiece. Once again, there is a gospel feel, and Audé provides the perfect soundtrack for his words.

Ten Crowns is a brilliant accomplishment for Bell and Audé. It is a well produced, beautiful album. It is full of incredible sounds, tunes, beats, and lyrics. What else could one want? Audé has produced a perfect vehicle for Bell, and together they have created Bell’s best solo album to date.

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