Erasure's folky excursion oddly charming

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "And now for something completely different. . . ."

The trademark segue of British humor troupe Monty Python also could serve as the theme for U.K. duo Erasure's 10-date tour across the U.S. Known for extravagant productions and theatrical techno-pop, vocalist Andy Bell and Vince Clarke recast some of their established titles in acoustic frameworks for their new "Union Street" album, and the tour reflects the more natural tone of the project.

Erasure employed an additional six musicians, led by guitarist Steve Walsh, during Wednesday's performance at the picturesque John Anson Ford Amphitheatre. And the more organic sound was truly "something different."

Instead of the synth sounds and dance tempos that have traditionally girded Erasure, this ensemble injected steel guitar into "Boy," inserted tin whistle into "Stay With Me," threaded dobro into "Blue Savannah" and popped a Maybelle Carter-like autoharp -- yes, autoharp! -- onto "Love Affair."

With the quieter support, which put more emphasis on both the singer and the songs themselves, came with mixed results. Bell, of course, is one of pop's most distinctive vocalists, possessing a husky primary voice and a forceful falsetto, and Erasure's melodies typically contain an abundance of elongated notes that ably showcase his full-bodied sound. Rather than honk it up to match the rejiggered folk, country and rockabilly textures, he approached the material with his typical expressive flair. That dramatic tendency worked surprisingly well with the newly laid-back settings.

The verbal part of the songs, however, didn't always adapt quite so well to the new arrangements. Erasure's obsession with loneliness and heartbreak provides a weirdly appropriate topical link to country tradition, but the duo's slightly abstract lyrical approach doesn't translate quite so well to Appalachian-influenced styles. Where folk and country songs such as Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" or Alan Jackson's "Midnight in Montgomery" use concrete images to build their emotion, Erasure relies more on ethereal phrases that feel a bit out of sync with grounded acoustic instruments. Lines such as "Why is life so precious and so cruel" (from "Ship of Fools"), "Their insensitivity washes over me" (from "Piano Song") and "See the icy past fade away" (from "How Many Times") are all a bit too artsy for such a basic sort of music.

That's not to say that Erasure's performance was misguided. It had an odd charm about it, a surprising diversion from the act's usual output. And while the "Union Street" album leans a little too heavily on ballads that sound too much alike, the duo spiced up the live show with an acoustic rock reading of "Little Respect," a samba take on "I Love to Hate You" and a honky-tonk/rockabilly hybrid version of "Victim of Love."

Those are not alterations that should be adopted permanently, particularly because they didn't improve the material. But they did demonstrate a flexibility one might not usually associate with Erasure and provided an unexpected change of pace.

Reuters/Billboard

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