This expanded reissue of Marc Almond’s original 2001 album is a curious beast, rather like the man himself, revealing that he was on the cusp of new inspiration at the time.
Almond’s last couple of albums have been sparse, fragile affairs, paying homage to Russian cabaret and European chanson. They’ve been rather brilliant in parts, if you can get over the massively self-indulgent whimsy behind them, so it’s a surprise to hear Stranger Things – which reminds the listener of how long he clung on to the synth-pop sound that first made his name in the early 80s. Still, it’s solid stuff for all that, especially Glorious, Under Your Wing and Moonbathe Skin, which sound like tailor-made singles. Why chart success largely eluded him is a mystery.
This Cherry Red-compiled version of the album has had plenty of effort put into it, with 18 bonus cuts comprising demos, remixes and live tracks. The core of the bonus disc is four versions of the dramatic single Fur. The rest are essential only for devotees, who will no doubt get off on spotting the differences between the demo and studio tracks.
