Artist: Claudia Brücken
Title: Night Mirror
Genre: Electronic / Pop / Synth Pop
Release Date: 4th July 2025
Label: Demon Music Group
Album Review
CLAUDIA BRÜCKEN first crossed my music radar when I saw her perform on Top Of The Pops as part of the band PROPAGANDA in 1985. The song played was called ‘Duel’. I liked the single enough to buy it along with ‘Dr Mabuse’ but after that my interests diverted into other areas and although I was aware of other releases such as the album ‘A Secret Wish’ my interest wasn’t perked up enough to check it out. PROPAGANDA were signed to ZTT Records, founded by Trevor Horn, Jill Sinclair and NME Journalist Paul Morley and who had FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD, GRACE JONES and ART OF NOISE as label mates.
Claudia left the band not long after due to legal issues and went solo, involving herself in very short-lived reunions in the late 1990s and mid 2000s before an album under the XPROPAGANDA moniker with Susan Freytag and Stephen Lipson was released in 2022 called ‘The Heart Is Strange’. As for her solo output she has released numerous albums including ‘Love And A Million Other Things’ (1991), ‘Lost And Found’ (2012) and ‘Where Else...’ (2014) along with live performance / compilations albums and collaborations with such artists as PETER HOOK, JIMMY SOMERVILLE and ANDY BELL.
To set me up for the new album I had listen to the previous two releases. ‘The Lost Are Found’ has a mellow unflustered lilt to it and at times has sound vibes reminiscent of OMD or NEW ORDER, the lyrics feel unforced and easily sought, ‘Where Else...’ follows a similar path, slow, unrushed and thoughtful and day dreamy. ‘Night Mirror’ is... well let’s dive in and see...
“My Life started today what happened before doesn’t matter” the lyric goes from track one ‘My Life Started Today’. It’s a vocal, Teutonic, smoky and it meanders with the bass as a guitar winds around it like the wake of a boat propeller. I find that I’m being easily wound up to speed for the next track which is the single ‘Rosebud’. This track has an Americana feel to it, lolling bass and floating vocals that exude a silkiness in place. Brief comparisons to the late Lisa Marie Presley and The Doors cross my mind before leaving a quickly as they came. ‘All That we Ever Have’ floats also, the words seeming to form on the tongue of the songstress as easily as easy comes.
‘Sound And The Fury’ turns to a more electronic bent with keyboard flourishes that weave in and out, the track is short and sweet though at just over two minutes in length. ‘The Only Ones’ observes the fact of knowing much and knowing little all contained within an easy beat. Some people draw lucky cards to start afresh but, is it all random? Who knows, it’s down to interpretation. ‘Funny The Things’ is a slow mixture of electronic, keyboard, fluty reminiscence again suffused with guitar accenting, ‘Sincerely’ on the other hand offers a more Latin vibe but still easy and breezy, it reminds me of something! Damn I can’t remember, that annoys me now!
‘Shadow Dancer’ is the first track on the album where I’m wrapping my thumbs on my thighs. The groove has elevated to ‘get off chair and dance’ levels and the electronic elements are more prevalent. “I dream in black and white, no colour for tonight, my shadow dancer” the lyric goes. ‘To Be Loved’ is the penultimate track, everyone wants to have that significant other that they can share things with, right?
Where you have all your carnal / spiritual / emotional / intellectual needs met. Where you have what you need and want what you have. This track is definitely for a late night listen cos I’m feeling quite drowsy now. Its best for gone past midnight when you’re in the dark and under the duvet. Finally, there’s ‘Dancing Shadow’ which is just a follow on from ‘Shadow Dancer’ Again a track for the duvet and to help the revelatory dreaming that will come later.
Ok, I like it, not all of it but I like it. In places I feel impatient with it so I’d relegate the album in its entirety to late night early morning under the duvet listening apart from ‘Shadow Dancer’ which would be a toilet break interlude, I can get up and groove my way to the bathroom before returning to the duvet for dream prep.
Tracklist
01. My Life Started Today
02. Rosebud
03. All That We Ever Have
04. Sound And The Fury
05. The Only Ones
06. Funny The Things
07. Sincerely
08. Shadow Dancer
09. To Be Loved
10. Dancing Shadow (Shadow Dancer Part 2)
Line-up
Claudia Brucken – Vocals
Ben Reed – Bass
Charlie Williams – Piano
Mike Allen – Bass
David Rainger – Guitar
Andrew Denbigh – Keyboards / Programming
Natasha Panas – Keyboards
John Williams – Acoustic Guitar / Bass / Guitars / Strings / Keyboards / Backing Vocals / Banjo
Jason Mayo – Programming / Keyboards / Nobular
Ray Moody – Percussion
Website
https://www.claudiabrucken.co.uk/
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 9
Total: 8.5
