Vermin In Ermine (CD-ROM)

With the wracked final days of Soft Cell behind him, Marc Almond gleefully threw himself into a full-time solo career with a splash; while a chunk of bile still clearly remains -- the portentous "Ugly Head" sounds as much personal therapy as it does grinding semi-big-band blues -- a much more musically upbeat angle dominates, especially on the lush, winning single "The Boy Who Came Back." Allied with producer Mike Hedges, already riding high from his work with the Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees, and with a newly stable backing band, the Willing Sinners, featuring Hogan, McCarrick, and bassist Billy McGee at the core, Almond lets go over an interestingly varied palette of music, from the shimmering and sharp "Tenderness Is a Weakness" to the percussion-heavy "Split Lip." Now freely continuing the classic Soft Cell lyrical vibe of passion in the city's darker, more secret corners -- the titles "Shining Sinners" and "Gutter Hearts" almost say it all. Almond's in fine voice throughout. A lengthy release -- the CD version runs a full 75 minutes with some extra B-sides attached -- but a good one. ~ Ned Raggett|