Marc Hellner's long-running synthpop/art ensemble is back from their lengthy hiatus and they have made some significant changes. For one, new vocalist Chanel Pease has joined the fold. Also, Hellner has chosen to largely or completely eschew software use, opting to whole-heartedly embrace the fabled and elusive analog sound that I hear so much about. Regardless of how it was made, Charade is Gold boasts some great singles that easily hold their own against the rest of current wave of synthpop devotees.
Given his recent purist bent regarding synthpop's instrumentation, it is no surprise that Hellner also unfailingly nails all of the genre's tropes: politely danceable mid-paced drum machine beats, throbbing synth bass lines, delay-heavy guitars, warm washes and omnipresent shimmer, and a healthy devotion to packing his songs with hooks.Still, this album doesn't sound as completely rooted in the '80s as it might have.The biggest difference, to my ears, is that the vocals are understated and introspective in a way that did not come into vogue until much later.Despite the instrumentation and probable intent, these songs share much more aesthetically with Sarah/Shinkansen bands like Trembling Blue Stars than, say, Soft Cell.That is both a good thing and a bad thing.The good part is that Pulseprogramming completely avoid all of the ostentation and terrible lyrics that typified much of the genre's extroverted salad days.The downside, unfortunately, is that Marc and Chanel both lack the presence and oversized personality necessary to make the leap from "pretty good synthpop band" to "great synthpop band."Which is, of course, a bit frustrating and unfair: even though Pulseprogramming essentially do everything right and have an impressive talent for songwriting, shy and hushed songs will never be as exciting for me as more personality-driven projects (The Knife, Cold Cave, etc.) even if the songs are at the same level (or better).Marc Hellner is just not an in-your-face guy.
That is not only flaw here though, as Pulseprogramming are a bit too fixated on one type of song: everything here has roughly the same pace and the mood seems limited to the very small range between wistful and melancholy.Consequently, the nine songs blur together in an album-sized dose.Of course, album-sized doses may be largely anathema to the genre, as I can't think of many times when I have wanted to experience 40 straight minutes of The Human League or OMD.
Synthpop is a singles game and synthpop albums are meant to be harvested for their best moments.Charade is Gold, for its part, offers three killers in a row near the end of the album."Island Answer Anywhere" is one of the most bouyant and elegantly melodic pieces on the album, but also features some beautifully ghostly, glistening sounds in background."You Mean by Magic," on the other hand, combines Pease's appealing breathy vocals with fun bloopy synth riffing and lush swells that would have made Disintegration-era Robert Smith a bit jealous.The oddly titled "So Right Words Strike Me" is my clear favorite, however, as Marc keeps tossing out one great idea after another (haunting synth washes, burbling hooks, quirky percussion) until he has assembled a small pop masterpiece of textural variety and inspired arrangement. The rest of the album isn't bad by any means, but a lot of it sounds a bit listless and forgettable compared to such striking highlights (though the Pease-centric first single "First They Fire" is likeable, if a bit slight).
When Hellner counterbalances his melancholia and tendency towards understatement with the right amount of energy and catchiness, the results are pretty damn infectious.
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