Customer Reviews

Relocated

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ahhh, I long for the days when the "hits" on the radio were by bands like Depeche, Tears for Fears, Talk Talk and Thompson Twins. The days of, for lack of a better term, "synth-pop". Now, radio and MTV is full of nothing but talentless, one-note "pop-punk", that even the kids who listen to it now will be sick of by this time next year. Sorry - I'm digressing! If you look hard enough, you can find bands who still extoll the virtues of songwriting, melody, atmosphere, and (gasp!) keyboards. They just happen to exist outside of the realm of American record companies, but they are out there. Perfect example, Germany's Camouflage. Sure, they are basically a Depeche clone (their last album "Sensor" was pretty much a recreation of DM's "Ultra") but that doesn't mean they aren't putting out excellent albums. This new one is a little less influenced by the Mode, but if strong hooks, synths, Gahan-like vocals and great songs is what you are after, these guys are at the top of the pile. Other excellent discoveries lately (for me, anyways): Iris, De/Vision, and in particular, what might be my favorite (and hardest to find, but you will if you look) "Ultimate Sky" by Michigan.

Ah, Camouflage. Still the best option for that guilty little part of you that wishes Depeche Mode could have just kept making "Violator" over and over and over again. Their UK friends Mesh do a better job of taking the basic dark-synthpop formula to new heights, but sometimes you just want to bask in the retro glow, and "Relocated" delivers in spades. The vocals in particular are superb, as is the production.

If I were to pick one criticism, it's that the singles here are almost too "singly." For instance, "The Pleasure Remains" really, really wants to be "Enjoy the Silence 2," but it doesn't quite have the chops.

Fortunately, the album tracks are there to pick up the slack. "The Perfect Key" is a nearly perfect ballad that shows off singer Marcus Meyn's low range to great effect. If I were female or gay, I'd be weak in the knees. (Might I suggest a dance remix, guys?) Meanwhile, "Dreaming" is a lot of fun, as is "Confusion," a swing-time number that stacks up well against Alphaville's goofier moments.

Honestly, Camouflage is the best band out there in the "synth rock" genre. Forget Depeche Mode. For years Camouflage have been one of my favorite bands. And with each album, they show me why. In their 20 year career, this is their 7th album.And one of their best. It borrows heavily from their early 90's work. I thought their last album, "Sensor" was brilliant. This album is just as great and contains more uptempo songs. Although, I do like the first single off this album,"motif sky", I wasn't blown away by it. As a matter of fact, i fell in love with this album after the second listen. The songs on Relocated are full of layers that you have to listen to over and over to hear. As always Marcus' voice is sexy and passionate, which is one of this band's appealling qualities. This time around their are more fast paced songs like, "motif Sky", " we are lovers", and my two favorites, "dreaming" and "the pleasure remaains". But as with every Camouflage album there are the gorgeous slow tempo/ballads like "the perfect key" and "something wrong". Some of the lead vocals are shared by Oliver, who hasn"t sung this much in years.

there's a couple songs that i'm having a harder time getting into, but all in all, this album is a great collection of songs. I would love to see them have success in America again. and i would love to see them live.

There is no denying that the German band Camouflage clearly was inspired by Depeche Mode. Camouflage came out a few years after Depeche Mode was already making albums and like Depeche Mode, it went through many of the same transitions of sound and musical style. In fact, Camouflage and Depeche Mode sound so much alike that they are almost indistinguishable from one another. In a way, Camouflage can be thought of as the little brother of Depeche Mode. But there is no denying that Camouflage has talent and they can come up with some great songs.
And then there's Relocated. Along with their previous album Sensor, Camouflage has proven its greatness in the 21st century. Both Relocated and Sensor are incredible albums with pretty much no weak spots between the two of them. If you like Depeche Mode at all, you must get both of these albums.

A run down of the tracks for Relocated:

1. Memory: Decent intro instrumental that sets the tone for the whole album. 5/10

2. We are Lovers: Good dance song with a techno beat. 7/10

3. Motif Sky: Has a flow to it. Atmospheric and yet catchy. 9/10

4. Real Thing: Eerie and moody. A nice calm break in the album. 8/10

5. Passing By: Solid rock song. Great chorus. 9/10

6. Confusion: Strange rockabilly song. Perhaps the weakness song on the album. 4/10

7. The Perfect Key: Dark, brooding, and emotional. 7/10

8. Stream: another filler instrumental. 4/10

9. Dreaming: An excellent dance track. Perhaps their best song ever!! 10/10

10. The Pleasure Remains: Ethereal and bizarre. Great rock/new wave track. 9/10

11. Bitter Taste: Moody lounge music. 5/10

12. Something Wrong: Standard rock track. Fairly dull until the really cool outro. 7/10

13. Light: Yet another filler instrumental. 3/10

14. How do you Feel?: Showy and emotional. A majestic and operatic end to the album. 9/10

I was less impressed with this CD than their last outing, "Sensor," which wowed me start to finish. Maybe it's because I discovered two groups (De/Vision and Iris) with a fresher sound, but this CD sounded less inspired than their last outing. Or maybe Marcus Meyn's creative interpretations of English just don't seem merely quirky anymore (as in pronouncing the first word in "Motif Sky" as if it were MOE-tif instead of moe-TEEF; and what the hell is a motif sky anyway?) It also seems like use up space for 2-3 songs every CD with what amounts to 60-90 seconds of Yanni-style experimentation. Sounds like filler to me.

Sorry I couldn't be more enthusiastic since I'm a long-time Camouflage supporter.

I love this album so glad some of my favorite groups are still making music and doing it well.Like Depeche mode Erasure new order and these guys. This as good as sensor to me there last album.