Great Heat by The Bell (CD, 2011 Badman) Post Wave Synth Pop Trio from Sweden

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Seller: gesner7 ✉️ (3,304) 100%, Location: Old Saybrook, Connecticut, US, Ships to: WORLDWIDE & many other countries, Item: 124275364491 Great Heat by The Bell (CD, 2011 Badman) Post Wave Synth Pop Trio from Sweden. Zachary Houle -- Pop Matters: Did you ever wish that New Order released an album of new material in between 1986’s Brotherhood and 1989’s Technique? Have you ever wished that Depeche Mode made 1981’s Speak & Spell using the same technology they used to create 1987’s Music for the Masses? Do you miss the pop sounds of the Pet Shop Boys back at their chart-topping peak a la “West End Girls”? If the answer to any of these questions is a resounding yes, then you should definitely check out the latest album by Sweden’s the Bell. Their style is a throwback to the ‘80s synth pop movement, and Great Heat is a resoundingly well-crafted album despite the fact that listening to it on first blush will make you think of a host of European New Wave bands from 25 years ago. However, the songs are pop manufactured to the point of having a veneer-like sheen, which is quite a feat considering that the members of the Bell actually hail from different cities in Sweden.  The opening shot on Great Heat is a pretty good one. “Whatever Did You Say?” is, simply put, the best song that New Order never wrote, and the bass line even seems like something lifted from Peter Hook’s playbook. It’s a track mired in dancehall rhythms and recalls, to a certain extent, “Bizarre Love Triangle.” It is an outstanding introduction to the sound that the Bell is mired in, and shows the band’s fascination with synthetic pop music. “Holiday”, which follows, nicks the keyboards from the Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me”, but transforms it in something a little more dark and sinister, giving it a bit of the death-disco feel of an early industrial music track. (“We Believe” by Ministry comes to mind.) “Holiday” is Gothic club music, driven by a boosh-bash beat that has the same tempo as out-of-control windshield wipers at near full speed. “Throw Me a Bone” continues the gloomy texture of the previous track; that is, until the big poppy chorus blossoms complete with female background vocals. Singer Mathias Stromberg here comes across like Depeche Mode’s Dave Gaham crossed with the Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant, furthering the backwards-looking lustre of Great Heat. “Today” is a big poppy statement, fueled by spiraling keyboards that come courtesy of the New Romance movement. “Tell Us You’re Sorry” is another stab at Depeche Mode synth pop out of the Some Great Reward era, and Stromberg sings the track as though he’s wearing a perpetual sneer. The song is programmed and calculated, and comes off all the better for it. Again, the Bell provides a sonic soundscape that wouldn’t be out of place at retro night at your local watering hole. There are a few curve-balls to be found in the latter half of Great Heat.  Meanwhile, “I Can’t Change” has the same cadence of a mid-‘80s Simple Minds song, if only said group were a bit more jittery and angular. It does share that ‘80s pop starburst keyboard sound, and it’s a real rouser with its chanted lyrics. The real game changer comes with the eighth song, “Dope Makes You”, which features female vocals at the forefront, and the song could pass for “Fireworks”-period Siouxie and the Banshees. The final song, “23 Seconds”, is a little like what you’d get if the Smiths and Goth-period the Cure met on a rainy street corner. The guitar has the same tonal qualities as Johnny Marr’s work, making it somewhat of an aberration among the songs on Great Heat, in that it isn’t a synth-laden track. It does, however, point a way to the future of the Bell’s sound, suggesting that they’re not interested in regurgitating keyboard-driven dancehall tunes.  When you listen to Great Heat, you are transported back two and a half decades, to the hippest of British night clubs, and feel a part of something that’s similarly slick and scenester-ific. These are electric songs that are all neon and glass, and, if they were a smell, would remind you of a fresh leather jacket. Great Heat is ultimately chic, and the warmth these songs generate will have you reaching for your mirror shades. There is a great deal worth admiring here; most of all, this group’s amazing ability to effortlessly recreate the sound of an entire era while, at times, giving it a fresh skin. Most importantly, this is an album you will want to move to and give your behind a good shake. In the ringer, that’s the album’s most enduring quality. Great Heat is vibrant, edgy, and just full of big pop statements fueled by the very best music that graced discos in the mid-1980s. If that’s your cup of tea, you need to go out and give this bell a ring. Combined shipping discount on all items unless otherwise noted. Just use the add to cart option and proceed to checkout when done. Please note that the Buy It Now button voids the discount.
  • Condition: Like New
  • Condition: Complete non jewel box CD package is in near-mint condition.
  • CD Grading: Excellent (EX)
  • Case Type: Digipak
  • Case Condition: Excellent (EX)
  • Inlay Condition: Excellent (EX)
  • Catalog Number: BRCD-926
  • Edition: First Edition
  • Type: Album
  • Language: English
  • Producer: The Bell
  • Era: 2010s
  • Style: Trio
  • Features: Digipak
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
  • UPC: 0655037092629
  • Artist: The BELL (Sweden)
  • Format: CD
  • Record Label: Badman Recording Co.
  • Release Year: 2011
  • Release Title: Great Heat
  • Genre: Rock, Rock & Pop

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