‘It’s been a long time,” announce Bananarama at the start of their first album in 10 years, which declares its arrival with a banger. Originally recorded by former Sugababes Mutya Keisha Siobhan but never officially released, the Richard X-produced Love in Stereo is a dancefloor whopper: Giorgio Moroder-type electro pulses combine with a belter of a chorus and several audible cries of: “Woo!”
Now back to the core duo of Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward – following Siobhan Fahey’s second departure – and with longtime collaborator Ian Masterson co-writing and producing, Bananarama’s 11th album doesn’t try to recreate their 80s smashes but polishes the sound for today’s pop market, swerving between club tracks and electropop a la Kylie. Back in Time does both, their chorus – “La la la … dance music” – mingling with a vocoder out of Kraftwerk’s toolbox. The slick, processed pop production means things can get a bit identikit at times, and there are cliches: the Eurovision-y I’m on Fire rhymes “fire” with “desire”. Still, Intoxicated subtly updates the airy, dreamy pop of their Robert De Niro Is Waiting era, and Stuff Like That and Got to Get Away are both delirious and spirited, the latter declaring: “I wanna walk on the wild side, never look back,” as the head-rushing chorus gives their trademark sound and voices a shiny reboot.
