You’d be hard-pressed to find a more dedicated, loyal Duran Duran fan than me. For decades I’ve supported the British dance-pop band that emerged at the dawning of the 1980s: I’ve seen them perform a multitude of times, collected records and memorabilia voraciously, and stuck by them diligently through great records and questionable. I still feel a rush of excitement every time a new tour or album is announced, and certainly felt it with the imminent release of Paper Gods, the band’s 14th studio LP.
My hope was Paper Gods would harness the momentum and return-to-form vibe the band achieved on their previous outing, 2011’s fine Mark Ronson-produced All You Need Is Now. There, the vet musicians stood firm ground and reminded listeners of the niche they’d carved out decades ago while sounding revitalized, energetic and comfortable in their current skins.
Unfortunately, the confidence Duran Duran so elegantly displayed on that LP is hardly evident on Paper Gods. Nor is the band that has made a career of throwing their Roxy Music and Bowie influences into a Cuisinart with their dance and disco roots, and finishing it with an incredibly glossy and infectious product all their own. Traces of the edginess, style and the sleekness linger throughout the disc, but are sadly overshadowed by the overall generic pop-blandness, the sort of sounds you hear from the anemic, dime-a-dozen chart toppers clogging radio airwaves nowadays.
The title track and opening cut kicks things off with great promise. Quirky Kraftwerk-like blips and bleeps paint an icy-cool backdrop to a particularly impressive and impassioned vocal performance by singer Simon LeBon. But, as the sweeping, epic cut comes to a close, the unwelcomed and pulsating EDM-like beats of "Last Night In The City" penetrate the flow and muck things up. Why a band that's been at the threshold of smart dance music for decades feels the need to attempt, at this stage of their career, to imitate contemporary acts that didn't even exist when Duran Duran drew first blood on dance floors across the globe is puzzling indeed.
A barrage of seemingly superfluous producers, guest artists, co-writers, arrangers, et. al get plenty of credits. At best, the convention-bending songstress Janelle Monae offers some sexy swagger to the fun, pumping disco strains of the album’s danceable first single, "Pressure Off"; at worst, there’s the completely unnecessary and cringe-worthy voiceover work of Lindsay Lohan (yes, that Lindsay Lohan) at the tail end of “Danceophobia,” a bland track that takes the proverbial two steps back in terms of lack of creativity and facelessness for any forward steps that Paper Gods achieves.
A mixed bag indeed, Paper Gods does have its share of highlights and flashes of greatness. When Duran Duran grabs the reins and steers the cart in the bold, brassy manner they’ve perfected over 35 years, their true personality and greatness shine through. It’s when the band succumbs to mainstream sounds that they seem most stifled and suffocated and do themselves the greatest disservice.
While its admirable and respectable that Duran Duran are attempting to look forward and not just replicate past glories, it almost feels like the musical equivalent of a mom trying to sport her teenage daughter’s mini-skirt in a desperate attempt to prove to the world how spry and youthful she still is.
And, for the record, my insane loyalty doesn't end here. Although I'm not floored by the record, I've purchased it on every available. The first rule of Duran fandom is that you don't give up on this band … you just hold your breath and hope they dig deeper and unleash the confidence and the power you know they're capable of achieving on future projects. And look for me at the next Duran Duran show when the band hits this part of the States on the forthcoming tour.
Critics' Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars.
This article appears in Sep 10-16, 2015.
