Andy Bell: 'Call On Me'

When DS asked Andy Bell to distinguish his upcoming solo album from his 25 years of Vince Clarke-assisted pop hits, his response was surprisingly self-effacing. "I think a lot of people wouldn't notice that much difference. Synths plus my voice equals Erasure, you know?"

However, on this evidence he's doing himself a disservice. 'Call On Me' finds Bell working a new, more restrained vocal technique over a filter discoey electropop nugget crafted with Ladyhawke collaborator Pascal Gabriel. The result is as fresh as a boutique hotel's bed linen, but there's an intriguing hint of melancholy too - almost to remind us Bell's no synth-toting upstart, but a man who's notched up more than a few transgressions on the dancefloor. Three decades' worth, in fact.


>Click here to watch the 'Call On Me' video.