Cesium 137

When the concept of "retro ’80s” took the nightclub scene by storm, one thing was painfully obvious. If old new wave bands were once again getting attention, then new wave would soon spill into modern culture. Cesium 137’s Elemental seems to capitalise on just that idea. "Apart” and "The Storm” especially recapture those drum machine anthems of yore. That’s not to say these guys are stuck in the past. Their synth-pop beats are hardly traditional. While the "retro ’80s” experience was more tongue-in-cheek, Elemental is quite serious. "Winter’s Edge” finds distorted vocals over marching beats, forming a perfect track for nightclub consumption. "Daybreak” features old school synth stylings, but is mostly sensual. This is not so much a carbon copy of new wave music as it is an album that will appeal to new wave fans. The sole purpose behind this release is to get you to dance. Someday we might even look back on Elemental with the same fond memories reserved for Depeche Mode or New Order albums. Then again, we might simply wonder how anybody danced seriously to it.