dj.WYSIWYG

Long ago, there were a number of Synthpop websites that did Song of the Week features but no longer see them around. I always looked forward to them, so figured I could do one too. Know this won’t be restricted to the genre, though.

My first pick is more on the mellow side, Erasure’s Stay With Me. A departure from their upbeat hits but is one of their most underrated and best offerings. Part of their 1995 self-titled album, this track was part of a collection that pushed the genre with a more atmospheric feel. I remember this was a feature at Best Buy’s listening booths, and didn’t really know what to make of it. Over repeated visits, the album grew on me.

The artwork and motif embodied a type of illustration and surrealism, and the video extends that. I was curious to know why the choices were made, but can’t find any information. Andy Bell takes on a “Blue Man” profile, but no correlation was confirmed. There’s something about the camerawork and panning that adds so much to the video.

The melody is expressive, peaceful and harmonious. One of those songs that puts me into a lull, and instantly throws me back to its release. A year later, I entered college and found myself listening to this a bit more.

Some interesting facts, via Wikipedia:

Stay With Me builds to a mid-tempo gospel-influenced conclusion, complete with vocal contributions from the London Community Gospel Choir… Upon its release, “Stay With Me” was not as successful as prior Erasure singles. The song reached number fifteen on the UK singles chart and did not chart in the United States or Germany. In an interview with John Marshall from Lincs FM in 2009, Andy stated it was one of his favorite Erasure songs.

And one of the overlooked versions (acoustic) is from their 2006 album Union Street, where they rehashed their previous work. Recalling it wasn’t really well-received, but this was a highlight.