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REVIEWS
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Amoureux Solitaires (Lio)
In Power We Entrust the Love Advocated (Dead Can Dance)
Three Imaginary Boys (The Cure)
Happy House (Siouxsie and the Banshees)
Alice (The Sisters of Mercy)
Lights from a Dead Star (Lush)
Somebody (Depeche Mode)
Love is a Shield (Camouflage)
Luna Square (Boytronic)
Fashion (Dark Distant Spaces)
Logical Animals (Trisomie 21)
Reason Man (Depeche Mode)
L'air (Sista Mannen På Jorden)
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Celluloide
Naphtaline LP
BOREDOMproduct
Posted: Tuesday, February 12, 2008
By: Ilker Yücel
Editor
By: Ilker Yücel
Editor
This faithful tribute to some of the best pop and new wave music of the '80s offers an enjoyable reminder of this French electro-pop band's roots.
French electro-pop trio Celluloide have never been ones to shy from their '80s influences. Possessing a catchy new wave vibe that recalls all the best synth-driven pop music of that strange and exuberant decade, it should come as no surprise that they would eventually devote an entire album to covers of songs from a variety of the era's finest acts. The first six tracks of Naphtaline were released as a free MP3 EP in 2003 as a bonus to their Words Once Said album, so it's only natural that most of the tracks bear resemblance to their own work on that album; although, that's not saying much considering the consistency of Celluloide's sound, full of those enticing square wave blip-and-bleep arpeggios and sawtooth pads, and Darkleti's deep and melodic voice.
Of the original six tracks, we have Celluloide covering such gothic gems as Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Happy House," The Cure's "Three Imaginary Boys," The Sisters of Mercy's "Alice," and Dead Can Dance's "In Power We Entrust the Love Advocated," all of which do well to retain the original songs' melancholy melodies and dirge-like appeal without sacrificing the band's own upbeat, old school synthpop style. Where Naphtaline starts to get really interesting is in the newer tracks, most of which have appeared on various tribute compilations or have not been released prior to now. Given the similarity of Celluloide's sound to that of early Depeche Mode, it's only natural that they would cover the synthpop legends, once with "Reason Man," a song Depeche Mode only ever performed live, and "Somebody," replacing the original's slow and romantic piano for a head-bopping, danceable cadence. Having remixed and been remixed by Boytronic, they pay tribute to them with a faithful version of "Luna Square," while their take on Camouflage's "Love is a Shield" bears a resemblance to their own "Synchronise," and "L'air," originally by Sista Mannen På Jorden closes the album out with a melody that will surely have you putting the track on repeat.
Suffice to say, if you're a fan of old school synthpop and electro-pop, and if you enjoy hearing a band pay homage to its influences, you will find much enjoyment in Celluloide's Naphtaline LP. They're certainly not a groundbreaking group, nor do Celluloide make any attempts to pass themselves off as such, but if nothing else, this album is a fun little reminder of some of the best alternative pop music of the '80s and what an inspiration it proved to be on the new generation.
Of the original six tracks, we have Celluloide covering such gothic gems as Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Happy House," The Cure's "Three Imaginary Boys," The Sisters of Mercy's "Alice," and Dead Can Dance's "In Power We Entrust the Love Advocated," all of which do well to retain the original songs' melancholy melodies and dirge-like appeal without sacrificing the band's own upbeat, old school synthpop style. Where Naphtaline starts to get really interesting is in the newer tracks, most of which have appeared on various tribute compilations or have not been released prior to now. Given the similarity of Celluloide's sound to that of early Depeche Mode, it's only natural that they would cover the synthpop legends, once with "Reason Man," a song Depeche Mode only ever performed live, and "Somebody," replacing the original's slow and romantic piano for a head-bopping, danceable cadence. Having remixed and been remixed by Boytronic, they pay tribute to them with a faithful version of "Luna Square," while their take on Camouflage's "Love is a Shield" bears a resemblance to their own "Synchronise," and "L'air," originally by Sista Mannen På Jorden closes the album out with a melody that will surely have you putting the track on repeat.
Suffice to say, if you're a fan of old school synthpop and electro-pop, and if you enjoy hearing a band pay homage to its influences, you will find much enjoyment in Celluloide's Naphtaline LP. They're certainly not a groundbreaking group, nor do Celluloide make any attempts to pass themselves off as such, but if nothing else, this album is a fun little reminder of some of the best alternative pop music of the '80s and what an inspiration it proved to be on the new generation.
