Andy Bell - 'Electric Blue' (Sanctuary Records) Released 03/10/05

Andy Bell goes solo on this release after the massive commercial success of Erasure and 20 million records bagged worldwide. Its a formula for success with the 'Queens and Teens' - and here the sound is all too familiar. Charting the inner-territories where lust and fantasy are blurred and confused for the pangs of love, many of the songs feature such themes; places where maybe, possibly tonight, we could beget love on this here dancefloor. Songs which don't so much have imagination or any depth, but provide the pinning for the nocturnal disco-excursions.

The groove is what we've heard before - unabashed Euro-pop/disco, with Andy Bell sounding at times like Robbie Williams with plenty of falsetto, and proficient if tiresome programming. Let's face it - this man sells music. There's only so many chaps in chaps out there, so there must be a lot of teeny pocket-money being thrown his way. Whether the adult themes are too risque will set the seal, but there's lots of radio-friendly stuff to be heard.

'Caught In A Spin' has lots of the erstwhile disco-programming, licks of Spanish-style guitar, with sweet boy and hey baby references that nauseate on first exposure and subsequent listening. 'Crazy' is a forthcoming single with bad taste and commercial success no doubt to follow - "when you put your hand in my hand, I go crazy for you". 'Love Oneself' is not so much a song about healing as a poptastic-ditty about you too could be glamour-puss, "before you know you could be the queen of the nation...we only have one life, this is not a rehearsal", so get on down the dancefloor while the synth washes over you, and the beats bring you up.

The title track 'Electric Blue' has a gritty-feel with Moroder-style sequencing,and bares no reference to the tacky old soft-porn that used to knock-about. Instead, its "I would die for you...got a pain in my soul" which fails to convince, when really he's dying to get blown tonight. 'Shaking My Soul' is a doobey-doo radio-friendly track that sounds like Alison Moyet with a swagger, lots of lovelorn queens will be reflective of the one that got away - "shaking my soul down baby, down to the very foundation", its brassy and sassy and the discolights so sparkley. Love themes continue helter-skelter with the beats and programming, with Moroder-style clubland tracks like 'I'll Never Fall In Love Again'. Wind down for 'Fantasy' as the embers die for the night, and maybe the lust has found a requited partner, declarations of "I don't want to see you sharing your life with no one else but me" are sure to have you finding your match.

More dancefloor to close proceedings with 'See The lights Go Out', torsos getting sweaty and will speak to queens looking for more than the brevity of lust but maybe are just too into casual sex - "could this be the last temptation in my life...I wish that we could be together, but I'm loving this sensation tonight". Ephemeral pop for the masses that'll no doubt fill the coffers.