I Say, I Say, I Say

Melody Maker - "...Erasure's ecstatic excesses are frequently as horny as hell. It's this flesh and blood approach that's always given them the edge. You couldn't ever accuse Erasure of faking it, they're an irony-free zone and thank God..." Rolling Stone - 3.5 Stars - Good - "...Erasure continue their adventurous pursuit of unbashed romantic expression..." Rolling Stone (12/15/94, p.96) - 3.5 Stars - Good - "...Erasure continue their adventurous pursuit of unbashed romantic expression..." Melody Maker (5/14/94, p.30) - "...Erasure's ecstatic excesses are frequently as horny as hell. It's this flesh and blood approach that's always given them the edge. You couldn't ever accuse Erasure of faking it, they're an irony-free zone and thank God..."

Erasure's first full album for three years, 1994's I SAY I SAY I SAY is a mature, often melancholy effort. It builds on previous gems like CHORUS and WILD! by amplifying those albums' ruminative lyrics and melodic richness while downplaying the Hi-NRG dance pop of the duo's earliest records.
Andy Bell's lyrics are personal and thoughtful, with bittersweet nostalgia colouring many of the songs. In this context, even the cheerful "I Love Saturday" seems a little melancholy. Surprisingly, "Always", a poignant lost-love tale with an odd, almost discordant melody, was an American hit single. "Because You're So Sweet", is one of the duo's most beautiful songs, and the church choir on "So the Story Goes", and "Miracle", sounds perfectly integrated with Bell and Vince Clarke's quietly soulful tunes.|

Released three years after Chorus, I Say I Say I Say found Erasure for the first time fully interested in essentially staying in place. The album as a whole is at base an attractively redressed version of what the duo had already done, the occasional slight surprise notwithstanding. While Clarke in particular shows some virtuosity with his performances, helped by Human League/Heaven 17 veteran Martyn Ware's production, I Say lacks any real novelty (certainly Bell's singing isn't going to change any earlier perceptions, positive or negative). It's not as experimentally indulgent as the self-titled album or unfortunately unmemorable as Cowboy, but it's still not quite the group at its sharp pop finest track for track. When it does succeed, though, it has plenty of the flash and verve of old. "Always," the wonderful ballad that was the album's lead single, with a slightly quirky opening, strong verses both musically and lyrically, and a flat-out brilliant chorus, Bell's impassioned delivery one of his finest moments. I Say's lead-off one/two combination is also a winner; "Take Me Back" also plays the sweeping, slow card effectively, Bell in particular getting in some fine singing. "I Love Saturday," meanwhile, neatly balances pepped up energy on Clarke's part with a lower-key delivery from Bell, a striking combination that makes for a better result than the strident, full-on pep of "Run to the Sun." Other winners include "Man in the Moon," which has a delightful chorus with a sweetly silly pipe/synth melody, "So the Story Goes," and "Miracle," the last two of which feature the singing of a cathedral choir. It's a nice look ahead to the reach of the self-titled record, though, with more pop-friendly song lengths and two of Bell's best, strongest performances on the album. ~ Ned Raggett