Three years after their last album In Stereo, and just in time to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bananarama, Sara and Keren are back once again with the release of their 12th studio album: Masquerade.
We couldn’t be more excited for brand new music from the ladies! In 2019, Davearama and Normski together reviewed In Stereo for Poptastic Confessions. Now they have taken a deep dive into the new album Masquerade with another track-by-track review. Enjoy some of our faux covers along the way ...
Normski: Ever since the very first teaser clip went on social media back in April, including only a few seconds from the intro, I have been so excited by this song. It feels completely different to anything Bananarama have done before – so fresh, feisty and sassy!
Davearama: I love the attitude and confidence here. Of course, you can hear that in the original by Alice D, but the Bananarama version brings it to a dark, electro place. I love the spiralling sounds. Also, I really like how Sara and Keren just comfortably split the verses into solo bits.
Normski: It has been amazing to hear this performed live at a couple of their festivals recently. Considering it’s been played on the radio and had an official remix released, I only wish it had a proper music video!
Davearama: Agreed! In this day and age, let’s be honest; it is the first single. At least we can think of it that way. “Favourite” is a great way to open the album. Watch the lyric video here ...
"Stay Wild"
Davearama: So dreamy and lush. In the gorgeous chorus, they mention evergreen. This reminded me of an interview from the 90s where Keren said that when her and Sara were kids, they used to sing “Evergreen” by Barbara Streisand into their tape recorders. Thankfully, this sounds nothing like that. But when I heard them sing it, that is where my mind went.
Normski: Haha. This song has such a chilled, feelgood vibe to it – I just adore the harmonies in the chorus. The soft, breathy vocals in the verses also remind me of Ultra Violet and some of the unreleased demos from the late 90s too. Definitely one I’d love to hear live!
Davearama: Ooh, you are absolutely right about Ultra Violet! I love that album as there are some really great melodies there. Masquerade is delivering the melodies, too! "Stay Wild" is a definite highlight of the album.
Davearama: I think this is my favourite of the bunch. Even though the lyrical content is about heartbreak, it is also about empowerment. This also has a chorus that fans will be belting out in no time, and the middle 8 is light and airy, but self-assured. They aren’t crying over the breakup!
Normski: The second “taster” track unveiled before the album’s release, and this is a quite a quirky number! The verses have a slightly darker vibe backed by a funky electric beat, building to a strong and rousing chorus. You can definitely see the more experimental side of the girls emerging already in this album, especially in “Favourite” and “Velvet Lies.”
Davearama: I’m actually shocked that this only made “taster/teaser track” status. This should be a full-on proper single with mixes. Speaking of that, I would happily enjoy an extended mix as the song is too short. Fabulous, but short.
Normski: It’s easy to see why this was made the lead single from the album – it is so epic and wonderfully produced. It gave me “Love Don’t Live Here” vibes the first time I heard it.
Davearama: Keren may call it Gothic disco, but I call it epic electronica dream pop. Sara says she wrote the lyrics during the pandemic, and they are quite lovely.
Normski: What an amazing music video too – I’d say it’s their best since “Move In My Direction.” It’s great to see the support this has had from Radio 2 in the UK, who have always championed Bananarama.
Davearama: The music video is all kinds of wonderful. It’s like a mini movie that I want to watch over and over again. View it here ...
Davearama: This has an edge to it like some of their songs have had in the past. The chorus is an easy sing along, but for me, the verses are extraordinary. The way they sing them is just so clever. Well done!
Normski: This has such a glorious synth backing – so energetic and takes me back to “Love In Stereo.” I agree with Dave about the delivery of the verses – it is very contemporary and really takes the song to another level. I actually think this would make a really strong single!
Davearama: Yes, I think this could be a contender for a single.
Normski: This is definitely one for the dancefloor divas out there! Quite a 90s vibe with a super-catchy chorus and a feisty delivery. Definitely one of my favourites! Working on a dance routine already…
Davearama: A dance routine? Glory be. Can’t wait to see that. This is a piano stomper, and a bit of a belter of a chorus. A sequel to “Bad For Me” from the WOW! album? Lyrically, not a million miles away. I really like this.
Davearama: When I first read the title of this song, I immediately thought of George Michael’s “Outside.” How about you, Normski?
Normski: Yes, I absolutely made the connection with the George Michael song – although in a recent interview Sara and Keren said they hadn’t even thought about that, haha!
Davearama: Now this reminds me of something from Viva, but what is it? I’m not talking about rehashed lyrics or music, but it does remind me of another Bananarama song, and I don’t know why.
Normski: The production reminds me a bit of “Seventeen” from Viva (which isn’t a bad thing at all – one of my favourite songs from that album!), so that might be what you’re thinking about too.
Davearama: Yes! That is it! The songs aren’t carbon copies of each other, but rather similar in style. Having said that, the beginning and ending of this song is like no other Bananarama song that I can think of.
Davearama: Now back in 2020, Alice D released her original version of this song on her amazing Lioness EP. It came in at #24 in Poptastic Confessions Top 100 Songs of 2020. However, we felt that if had it been a proper single, it definitely would have been Top 10. At least we had some fabulous mixes by Bill Pardue of Mission Groove.
Normski: It is another instant favourite of mine from this album! I loved Alice’s version of the song anyway and it’s amazing to hear what the girls have done with it – they’ve injected just enough of that Bananarama attitude to make it their own. This sounds so radio friendly, it could easily be a single – let’s hope this song finally gets the recognition it deserves!
Davearama: Maybe the reason Alice didn’t release it as a single is because Sara and Keren wanted it! They've split the vocals on the verses with Sara leading. The end is a bit different to Alice's version with the music dropping out and some added vocal arrangements.
Normski: This one is so sultry – I love it when the girls have their more down-tempo moments, as they’re so good at this too!
Davearama: Time for a change of pace. This is the ballad of the album. There have been Pet Shop Boys comparisons with the title track “Masquerade.” I also think this is in line with some of the best Pet Shop Boy’s ballads.
Normski: The soothing harmonies and guitar chords in the chorus remind me a little bit of “Got A Thing For You” from Exotica…
Normski: This is clearly a tribute to the unbreakable friendship between Sara and Keren, with sweet and sentimental lyrics like “Memories of youth are so precious and few / Fleeting moments, then they’re gone / Baby we’re forever young.”
Davearama: Absolutely. When I read that Sara wrote the lyrics about Keren, it just made this all the more special. Sara even said she might cry when performing it. Bless.
Normski: It’s a special moment on the album and a fitting song to acknowledge the girls’ 40th anniversary, which will no doubt be a highlight at the forthcoming Lafayette shows.
Davearama: I can’t wait for those shows. This song is a synth pop delight with a big sing along chorus. This definitely has an 80s vibe about it. I would like this to be a single, too.
Davearama: OMG! What a way to close the album. So divine. Sara and Keren sound absolutely amazing here. They are delivering that first-class chorus with gusto! The lyrics are uplifting, and I could listen to this over and over. Earlier I said that “Velvet Lies” might be my favourite of the bunch, but this might be tied. Love, love, love this.
Normski: I agree, the chorus is a real call-to-arms – Bananarama always save the “big moments” for the end of the album and “Waiting For The Sun To Shine” is such a satisfying end to this journey! This song absolutely has to make it onto their live set in future – just imagine crowds of people singing along to the “La la la, la la la…” hook. To quote another song we heard earlier… C’est magnifique!
Davearama: C’est magnifique, indeed! If not obvious, I would put this out as a single, too!
A mutual friend of ours recently pondered which Bananarama album Masquerade would sound like, and we aren't sure it sounds like any of them. Sure, it has the same producer (Ian Masterson) as Viva, In Stereo, Now or Never EP, and parts of Drama. We think Ian has done a good job of making this album stand on its own and not a Part 2 of other albums.
Having said that, there are darker lyrical topics that could remind you of True Confessions, there are gorgeous melodies that could remind you of Drama, there are lush vocals that could remind you of Pop Life, and there is the can-do spirit that could remind you of Ultra Violet. If anything, this album proves time and time again that Sara and Keren continue to write amazing pop songs well into their career, and we are lucky that they have an amazing time working with Ian. Something that really makes Masquerade stand out is the counter melodies happening near the end of the songs. Even the ad libs. It is quite refreshing and exciting.
It’s clear that Masquerade was written and recorded in a shorter space of time than In Stereo, since it is very cohesive and contemporary, while still retaining that Bananarama magic. Congratulations to Sara and Keren on producing yet another accomplished body of work after 40 years in the music business – what a way to celebrate such an incredible achievement!
C’est Fantastique!
★★★★★
You can also read our review in WOW! The Unofficial Newsletter by clicking there.
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