Livin' in Elizabethan Times

While few might have anticipated an alien invasion-themed collaboration between Steve Mason and Martin Duffy, its arrival makes perfect sense. Mason, of Beta Band fame, has a long history of crafting esoteric pop with biting wit and made very strong return to form on his 2016 solo outing, Meet the Humans. For his part, Duffy (formerly of Felt) has remained a chief architect of Primal Scream's sound since joining the band on keyboards in 1989. As Alien Stadium, the two converge in a spacy realm of dark grooves, burbling synths, and big hooky beats. Their debut, Livin' in Elizabethan Times, centers around a first contact/invasion scenario which plays out loosely over four long tracks, clocking in at just under a half-hour. While the sci-fi concept allows for some pleasingly acerbic lyrical jabs at humanity, it also provides a worthy vehicle for the duo's extremely fun, melodic, and trippy electro-psych shenanigans. Mason's knack for tuneful payoffs manifests itself on the excellent opener "This One's for the Humans," whose structure shifts deftly between its moody guitar motif and big lush chorus. Another standout, "The Moon Is Not Your Friend," is the most overtly pop-oriented and densely orchestrated confection here, even with the two minutes of ambient sonic bird loops that comprise its coda. Sure, the set meanders a bit too far into the woods here and there, but overall, Elizabethan Times is a winner from two great minds of U.K. pop. ~ Timothy Monger