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Yet another promising synthpop band from Germany, Pleasures Remain are Mattias Muller, Harald Mayer & Heike Huss.Their sound is an amalgam of synthpop influences, from Erasure & Depeche Mode to the clean lines of Elegant Machinery & in Mattias they have a talented & versatile vocalist who is able to handle a number of differing styles.His talent is most obvious during the excellent ballad "One Rainy Day" where he perfectly echoes the haunting & emotive mood of the track.On "Dark Affairs" you might well be forgiven for thinking Dave Gahan had dropped by for a while (the music has a strong DM influence,too!),although, as a rule, he has a more distinctive style which avoids any direct comparisons. The opening "One Step Ahead" is an impressively infectious & rhythmic piece while "Pleasure & Pain" is a lighter,bouncier affair similar to some of Elegant Machinery's works."Pretty Girls" does overdo the jollity somewhat & this piece of almost bubble gum synthpop is, I hope, just a one-off that the band will not repeat in future.Relative sanity is soon restored with the excellent closing track "In My Heart".This dynamic & heavily rhythmic piece sees the band really getting their teeth into the music while Heike's spoken vocals are very similar to those of Aurora Sutra's Linda Patricia Nigiani (albeit more tuneful!) & add an extra dimension to this superb track. This demo CD is recommended to all synthpop lovers as the strong tracks presented here prove that Pleasures Remain have what it takes to write memorable songs that are as good as any of their contemporaries & are a band to look out for.
RATING: 7
Artist Link: http://www.pleasuresremain.de
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