Open All Night

Draped in lush decadence and tragic dissolution, the devilishly handsome Marc Almond's latest is Baudelairean in its literary scope and sensibilities. Satin, silk, kisses that are cruel - the fear of being hurt - erotic, neurotic, obsessive love - these are the themes that suffuse Open All Night.

Almond is a superb wordsmith, with a highly evolved ability to express the psychology of love. His latest album contains some of the most beautifully crafted lyrics I've heard in long time. Like Jaques Brel, Jack L, Agnes Bernelle (to whom the album is dedicated), Nick Cave, and others who explore the outer boundaries of human emotion through voice, music and language, Almond has proved that he is nothing less than a modern day romantic poet.

Open All Night is a journey through the labyrinths of the craving soul. Judging from the lyrics, Almond's last break-up must've been a nightmare. Get the pain of these lines from 'Almost Diamonds', Almond's wonderfully sad and sensuous duet with Kelly Ali: "You kissed my grateful skin/And left a chain of bites and bruises . . . Who would have thought/It would end like this/You gave a stranger a dangerous kiss/Now your pretty eyes/Say these precious lies/Were just beautiful imitations . . ."

Or how about: "God's tears are falling/Like stars they are falling/For the host of angels/Dying in my soul . . ." Open All Night is awash with tears, but somehow Almond's honest exposure of the soul in pain shines a light of understanding across the constant play between night and day, joy and sorrow, love and its loss.

Musically, Almond has incorporated some dance grooves, drum loops, sampling and other effects among the usual string arrangements, piano and horns. Tribal drumming and chanting are notable new elements, with brilliant Brazilian and Egyptian percussion giving several songs an interesting ethnic feel. I found half of the tracks both musically and lyrically stunning, while the rest are good to varying degrees. The high quality, beautifully metaphorical lyrics stay consistent throughout.