Altered Images - Mascara Streakz

  by Nick Dent-Robinson

published: 5 / 10 / 2022

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Review

Altered Images, the Glasgow band fronted by Clare Grogan, are releasing their first new album in 39 years! The group began life as a post-punk act inspired by Siouxsie And The Banshees and they were popular with renowned BBC Radio One presenter John Peel on his alternative-focused radio show. Like many performers in the 1980s, they went on to embrace glossy pop and were soon regulars on BBC TV's weekly ‘Top Of The Pops’ show. But they then progressed into more sophisticated synth-powered dance on 1983's ‘Bite’. Now, almost four decades later, ‘Mascara Streakz’ takes up from where that album left off. Clare is backed by her musician husband Stephen Lironi and the title track and ‘Colour Of My Dreams’ are powerful dance tracks, sung with giddy abandon! Also helping out as co-writer of ‘Glitter Ball’ is former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler (who recently made a superb album with actress/singer Jessie Buckley). There is a hint of later-in-life reflection on ‘Home’ where Grogan, now 60, reveals “too many heartbreaks made me feel alone/”. But the loudly jangling guitars are soon back and the mood very positive again on ‘Your Life Is Mine’ which is a throwback to the band's formative years nearly half a century ago. And ‘The Flame’ is entertainingly lively.....”definitely keeping the kitsch in kitchen disco” as one commentator has wryly observed! The return of Altered Images is one of 2022's most welcome – and unexpected – surprises!

Track Listing:-

1 Mascara Streakz
2 Red Startles The Sky
3 Colour Of My Dreams
4 Glitter Ball
5 Your Life Is Mine
6 Home
7 Beautiful Thing
8 Changing My Luck
9 Lost Of Love
10 Double Reflection
11 The Flame
12 Sleep

Band Links:-

http://alteredimages.band/
https://www.facebook.com/ImagesAltered
https://twitter.com/AlteredImages5

Label Links:-

http://cookingvinyl.com/
https://twitter.com/cookingvinyl
https://www.youtube.com/user/cookingvi
https://instagram.com/cookingvinyl/
https://www.facebook.com/cookingvinylr

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