I Say, I Say, I Say

Erasure: Andy Bell (vocals); Vince Clarke (various instruments).
Additional personnel: The Choir Of St. Patrick's Cathedral (background vocals).
Engineers: Andy Houston, Al Stone, Phil Legg.
Recorded at Studio 142, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Windmill Lane, Dublin, Ireland; The Church, London, England; 37B, The United Kingdom.
Erasure's first full album for three years, 1994's I SAY I SAY I SAY is a mature, often melancholy effort. It builds on previous gems like CHORUS and WILD! by amplifying those albums' ruminative lyrics and melodic richness while downplaying the Hi-NRG dance pop of the duo's earliest records.
Andy Bell's lyrics are personal and thoughtful, with bittersweet nostalgia coloring many of the songs. In this context, even the cheerful "I Love Saturday" seems a little melancholy. Surprisingly, "Always," a poignant lost-love tale with an odd, almost discordant melody, was an American hit single. "Because You're So Sweet," is one of the duo's most beautiful songs, and the church choir on "So the Story Goes," and "Miracle," sounds perfectly integrated with Bell and Vince Clarke's quietly soulful tunes.