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Bananarama – In Stereo (Album Review)

Florian Buechting Media Review No Comments

The first girl group? It is often very hard to correctly assign this title to the right ladies – but at least Bananarama were before the Spice Girls and others. They amazed people – men and women – in the 1980s. And they are still alive: the group published their 2019 album “In Stereo” on 19th April 2019. Here is a review.

 

Bananarama – About the Artists

The bad news: just two of the Bananarama girls are left. While in the 2018 tour, the original members Sara Dallin, Keren Woodward and Siobhan Fahey were united on stage, the In Stereo album is only recorded by Dallin and Woodward.

Bananarama had a lot of hits in the 1980s. Venus is mayble their biggest one. Here is a 2018 onstage performance.

Other huge hits are Robert De Niro’s Waiting or Cruel Summer. However, the band kept on publishing every couple of years until 2009. Since 1991, only Dallin and Woodward were on stage (for some years, they replaced Fahey by Jacquie O’Sullivan), but Fahey came back to the band in 2017, which gave them 23 sold out shows across the UK in 2017 and four dates in the US. In Stereo is the first new album since ten years.

 

Bananarama – In Stereo – Track by Track Review

The album has ten tracks with a total duration of 36 minutes.

1. Love In Stereo

Love in Stereo is a track, which could have been recorded like that in the 1980s already. Party-pop, high voices. Just smiled when I listened to it.

2. Dance Music

This was the first track released from the In Stereo album. It just just defines the band as how it has always been: clearly produced, catching dance music. Maybe a bit more electronic than in the 1980s – but this song definitely feels like Bananarama.

3. I’m On Fire

This track is one of the highlights of the album. Very present, comparably modern sound and lovely hookline. Love to listen to it!

4. Intoxicated

I intoxicated every second, every minute with you. Another track which just massively sounds like the Bananarama times. The chorus is again very present. Nice track!

5. Tonight

I like the change of slow, somehow mystic-feeling stanzas and the very present chorus in this song. I need to be with you tonight is one line in the chorus. Another song that makes you feel how much we missed the girls the last years!

6. Looking For Someone

I’m just looking someone
To give me some loving
I’m not asking for too much
And I don’t expect nothing

One thing I explore when I am listening to this album is how clear the voices of Bananarama (still) are. This chorus is very catching. One of my favorite tracks of the album.

7. Stuff Like That

Stuff Like That was released before the album date. It feels a bit like a mixture of Cruel Summer and Robert de Niro’s waiting to me – which is definitely a statement of good quality. Do you feel the Bananarama sound?

8. It’s Gonna Be Alright

Doing a track-by-track review of In Stereo is hard without just repeating yourself. It’s gonna be alright is just another track with makes you feel being back in the 1980’s Bananarama era.

9. Got To Get Away

Got to Get Away has a bit more of guitar sound. Still feels like Bananarama, but a bit more mature. Nice track!

10. On Your Own

On Your Own is the slowest track on the album. The voices sound deeper, softer. Guitar sounds in there as well. The lyrics are not too complex, but t

 

Bananarama – In Stereo – My View

Damn, I liked Bananarama in the 1980’s… And now I am back in love again! They deliver what you expect them to do – and they do it in great way. It sounds like back in the good old times without being a lousy copy or cover album of themselves. Tracks like Dance Music and I’m on fire still give a certain development. If you love complex lyrics, don’t buy this album (but you likely haven’t bought any stuff of the girls in the 1980’s as well…). If you want to have a good time and feel some 35 years younger, that’s the way to do! Just a week after Emma Bunton’s revival album, I feel that these girls did the better job.

Bananarama on Tour

Bananarama are going on tour in 2019. Unfortunately, the do not visit Germany, but at least there is one date in Switzerland. Even Japan is on their list.

 

Fr 26.04.2019 London, Omeara SOLD OUT
Sa 27.04.2019 London, Borderline SOLD OUT
So 28.04.2019 Birmingham, Glee Club
Tu 30.04.2019 Manchester, Gorilla
Th 02.05.2019 Glasgow, St Luke’s
Sa 25.05.2019 Cornwall, Tunes in the Dunes Festival
Sa 08.06.2019 Brixton, Mighty Hoopla
So 30.05.2019 Worthy Farm, Glastonbury Festival
Fr 05.07.2019 Sheffield, Music in The Gardens
Sa 06.07.2019 Tring, ChilFest
Sa 13.07.2019 Taunton, Live in Sommerset Festival
Sa 20.07.2019 Cardiff, Feel Like Summer Festival
Sa 03.08.2019 Macclesfield, Rewind North Festival
Fr 09.08.2019 Newmarket, Racecourse
Fr 16.08.2019 Tokyo (JP), Summer Sonic
So 18.08.2019 Osaka (JP), Summer Sonic
Do 22.08.2019 Penthalaz (CH), Venoge Festival
So 25.08.2019 Manchester, Manchester Pride

 

Bananarama – In Stereo – Amazon Links

Here is the download link in case you want to purchase the album. It seems like the physical album is not available in Germany.

 

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