Backlash: “Heliotrope”

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As Depeche Mode archaeologists go, Backlash prove themselves capable of faithfully maintaining the original aesthetic and retrofitting it with sufficient futurepop advancements to front a viable mainstream assault. A surprising record, this was first made available in 2004 through import scalpers and has just now been forked over to Wtii for wide US release. Would have been nice had these fellows gone with some vocals that weren’t in great need of a 12-step David Gahan program, and their bread and butter song “Lodestar” (on which their last EP fixated, to the tune of four lackluster remixes) takes a few listens to stick, but stick it does, and it turns out the band had even better stuff up their sleeves, such as the album’s eponymous track (a droid-love-fest that would make both Steve Winwood and Teardrop Explodes feel no small amount of parental pride) and “Purity For a Sinner” (a kindly electro-bubble number colored in Enya shades at the intro). Order at Wtii Records

Posted on May 1st, 2006.

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