Erasure

“Nightbird” (Mute U.S.)

Compare to: Air, Sting, Starship

Vince Clarke, half of the duo that makes up Erasure, is 44 years old — a fact apparent to anyone who listens to his new album, “Nightbird.”

Someone really needs to tap Clarke and shoulder and say, ‘Sorry Vince, it’s not 1985 anymore.’ The group, which has been producing electro-pop through three different decades, sounds as if they haven’t grown or evolved the entire time.

It’s not always bad when a band remains with the same sound over the years. But in the case of Erasure, fear of changing has left its songs sounding stagnant.

It’s hard to differentiate any of these songs because they all sound the same. Add one part synthesizer, two parts stifled romantic lyrics with a heavy dose of middle-aged vocals. After listening, you’ll swear you were trapped in a time warp and you can’t get out.

Even though the songs are repetitive and stale, it’s still hard not to find yourself bouncing your head to the beat. What Erasure has learned over the past years is to create a thumping beat that drives the songs.

Too bad those beats can’t drive along some good songs. Instead, you might find yourself enjoying one of the songs only to realize it has left a bad taste in the back of your mouth.

— Keith DuCharme

Frausdots

“Couture, Couture, Couture” (Sub Pop)

Compare to: The Cure, Interpol, The Killers

Perhaps the days of boy bands and teen pop princesses have tainted music referred to as “pop.”

Often people cringe at the term, but sometimes a little nostalgic trip back to the 1980s is all it takes to produce a sound you can’t help but listen to.

This is the idea behind “Couture, Couture, Couture.”

Call it a guilty pleasure, but through the combination of obvious Cure influences and ultra-glam synth pop, singers Brent Rademaker and Michelle Loiselle of Frausdots effectively produce a harmonious sound.

At first listen, the synth element is noticeable, but it acts as an accompaniment to the guitar and drums, which contributes to the albums indie-rock sound rather than resulting in an over-produced catastrophe.

The album definitely starts with its strongest tracks, but falls short at the end where the tracks start to blur together, making it hard to tell one song from the next.

Lyrically, the album reflects on new wave themes such as detachment and loneliness, but typically does so in a catchy way that provides easy listening as well as a little journey back to the time of retro androgyny and black eye liner.

— Sophia Panos

Shivaree

“Who’s got Trouble” (Zoe Records)

Compare to: Garbage, Beck, Soul Coughing

Shivaree frontwoman Ambrosia Parsley’s voice is sexy and seductive — it fits perfectly with the light mood of the music and the sensual lyric themes found throughout.

Her voice is especially fitting on the track “Someday,” which sounds more like a Broadway show tune than a modern pop song.

The lyrics are a tad bland. Every song talks about love or sex in some way and makes both of those seem like the only reason for human existence.

Shivaree has made a good album overall, but it could have been better, especially if it added a few touches such as backup vocal tracks on more of the songs to harmonize with the main vocals.

Also, every song has a very similar feel. Listeners may feel like they are listening to one long song rather than a bunch of unique, individual songs.

The standout tracks are “Someday,” “Lost in a Dream,” and “Little Black Mess,” all of which give off a Broadway show tune vibe.

This album is perfect for people who just want to kick back and relax while doing homework or getting some mid-afternoon shut-eye.

— Dan Hopper

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

“Original Soundtrack” (Hollywood Records)

Compare to: David Bowie, Nico

Who would have ever thought to take a handful of David Bowie songs, cover them using only an acoustic guitar and then add a twist — record them almost entirely in Portuguese?

Much like his films, Wes Anderson’s quirky approach to putting together a soundtrack has paid off.

The soundtrack manages to effortlessly blend the likes of Devo, Iggy and the Stooges, Joan Baez and even light classical pieces into an unexpectedly pleasant album that keeps a very mellow and relaxing feel throughout.

The compilation’s finest moments, however, come during the five Portuguese covers of classic David Bowie tunes by Seu Jorge. The production of the acoustic renditions are lo-fi enough to give them a very indie feel reminiscent of Elliot Smith’s “Roman Candle” LP without jeopardizing the overall quality of the recording.

Another standout performance comes from Mark Mothersbaugh, the composer of all “The Life Aquatic” original music.

Mothersbaugh, who collaborated with Anderson on his previous film “The Royal Tenenbaums,” also contributes five pieces to the record.

Although three of the pieces are in the same light-classical vein that he took while scoring “Tenenbaums,” the two standout tracks weave light classical instrumentation with electronic beats creating a unique and fitting clash to the rest of the album’s acoustic feel.

Overall, the soundtrack sounds more like an expertly crafted mix tape than a movie soundtrack that has been thrown together to promote a certain single or sell platinum quantities. Each song has its own identity but at the same time is consistent with the rest of the tracks.

— Dante Sacomani