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andone stop
Artist: And One
Title: S.T.O.P.
Genre: Synth Pop / “Bodypop”
Release Date: 25th May 2012
Label: Synthetic Symphony / SPV


Album Review

AND ONE characterize their self-generated genre “Bodypop” for almost 20 years. Their recent and most controversial publication, which would be released on 25th May 2012, is called ‘S.T.O.P.’. Unfortunately we have only the standard edition for a review, but there’s also a limited edition which contains the additional EP ‘Triebwerk’ sounding much more promising - judging the sound samples - than the album itself. Regardless of repeated listening I don’t know where to start and how to stop expressing my concerns. Since the beginning I’ve been a fan of AND ONE and was absolutely happy to receive the new album to write a review about. However this album, ‘S.T.O.P.’, arouses mixed feelings in me. It also shows me that many critics where unfortunately right. The technically well-made music parts don’t show many innovations or own ideas. So I’ll pick a few songs and move along their structure with the hope of finding back to my concerns in time.

Gregorian-style chants, reminding me to the soundtrack from the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie “End of Days”, start within the opener ‘Shouts Of Joy’ but the conventional electronic sound takes the places after a short intro sequence. A nice continuous bass-line combined with a simple musical rhythm and the usual clear vocals taking the lead through this track. A real good song for dancing school as my girlfriend stated. This track combines a mixture from various DEPECHE MODE tracks, but the mixture wasn’t stirred well enough, and demonstrates no real wow-factor. Following right on the heels is ‘Killing The Mercy’. Unfortunately the familiar sound could not convince here again. The question which appears in this song “what will happen to me?” is difficult to answer.

There is no refreshing choice between sleep, vomiting or suicide but turning off the player would be the best option I think. Thoroughly this track invites to relax and recover from a hard days work but this could not the real purpose. Even the following tracks like ‘Memory’, ‘You Without A Me’ and ‘Don’t Get Me Wrong’ differ not from their predecessors and follow the way to irrelevance. The first ray of hope is the really quiet song ‘Aigua’ where spherical sounds embrace the ear blend in with the lovely female voice to form a wonderful and gentle sound-curtain. The following tracks dilapidated into the old pattern. Even the more rhythmic track ‘Back Home’ can not save you from falling asleep. All the tracks seem more a collection of unloved parts which urgently had to be turned to cash.

Conclusion: I am an utter AND ONE fan but was absolutely disappointed from this release. It even doesn’t belong to the average publications from the once popular and well-known band. Well-known sound topped by non-existing variety mixed with too many copies from other bands adorns this album. The remembrance to other groups like DEPECHE MODE and the lack of a real wow-factor leave a dull taste. Most critics argue that the band’s heyday is long past and they should slowly resign. The ironical statements of the band like “If you doesn’t like the band so far you will hate them now” or “AND ONE deliver us a work which contains only brash self-coping parts which could hardly be suppressed” will come true. It’s real hard to follow the path which AND ONE had taken and I assume that even the band doesn’t know where the journey would take them. With this conclusion I could strongly advice against this new album the only bright spot was the Bonus-EP ‘Triebwerk’ within the Limited Edition.


Tracklist

01. Shouts Of Joy
02. Killing The Mercy
03. Memory
04. You Without A Me
05. Don't Get Me Wrong
06. Aigua
07. S.T.O.P. The Sun
08. The 4
09. Back Home
10. Everybody Dies Tonight
11. The End Of Your Life (Feat. Douglas McCarthy)
12. No Words


Line-up

Steve Naghavi
Joke Jay
Rick Schah
Nico Wieditz


Website

http://www.andone.de/ / http://www.facebook.com/ANDONEoffiziell / www.myspace.com/ANDONEofficial


Cover Picture

andone stop


Rating

Music: 3.5
Sound: 3
Extras: ltd. Edition with extra EP
Total: 3.25 / 10


Buy the album here!

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