Artist: The Human League
Title: Credo
Genre: Electronic
Release Date: 11th March 2011
Label: Wall of Sound
Album Review
There is a gap of 10 years between the last THE HUMAN LEAGUE album ‘Secrets’, which was more of a small success, and the upcoming comeback collection ‘Credo’. The band, reduced to a trio, toured quite a bit within the recent years again without a sign of a new release at first, but then at the end of last year, there was news that there actually would be something new and regardless of the moderate last album, expectations were instantly high. Now we’re going to head straight to the new album’s opener ‘Never let me go’, the already second single off the album, not released in Germany, though. A very retro-styled disco pop song unfolds under vocoder vocals and creates quite a minimalist sound environment. From the second to the first single ‘Night People’! While that one most certainly is not a bad track to dance to, its ever repeating lyrics are becoming unnerving in a long run. ‘Sky’ is embracing nostalgia with the vintage string sections in the back, but most of all benefits from Philip Oakley’s vocal performance here. I’m feeling taken back to the 80s with ‘Egomaniac’, bringing on a catchy hook atop the dancy patterns.
The following ‘Single-Minded’ slowly sneaks into your head until you can’t get out it’s chorus line anymore, and you’ll catch yourself humming to the lines. ‘Privilege’ turned out to be a very interesting composition with Oakley’s processed vocals and the slowly thumping beat, altogether moulding a darker atmosphere for this little track. Jarring synth lines open the penultimate album track ‘Break The Chains’, one of the more layered tracks on the album, evolving to a greatly atmospheric tune in the further course, which is an attribute you can easily apply to the upbeat closer ‘When The Stars Stat To Shine’. On the one hand you have certain tracks on ‘Credo’, giving electro pop a fresh impulse; on the other hand, and I’m afraid this is the majority of tracks, compositions that are void of soul and don’t get any spark across, regardless of their cool production. So in my opinion it’s not the anticipated big bang and closer to a standard record than expected.
Tracklist
01. Never let me go - 4:54
02. Night People - 5:30
03. Sky - 4:55
04. Into the Night - 3:43
05. Egomaniac - 3:58
06. Single Minded - 3:50
07. Electric Shock - 4:49
08. Get Together - 3:48
09. Privilege - 3:37
10. Breaking the Chains - 4:01
11. When the Stars Start to Shine - 3:49
Line-Up
Philip Oakey
Joanne Catherall
Susan Ann Sulley
Website
http://www.facebook.com/thehumanleague
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 6
Sound: 8
Extras: -
Total: 7 / 10
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