Go Go Sapiens is EMF's comeback album and first new album since 1995, this one was totally funded by the band's fans who demanded new material after the bands 30th anniversary shows that apparently went down a storm, which if they were anything like the shows I saw back in the early 90's is no surprise as they were always a blast live, even if I was mainly waiting for the cover of Search & Destroy.
The only change to the bands original line-up is Bass Player Stevie Marsh who ably tries to fill the late great Zac Foley's shoes and the best way possible.
The Album opens with the slow baggy anthem Started It with lazy drawled vocals from James Atkins who has that insouciant attitude seeping from every word he says, as it draws you back into EMF's world till you know that they are doing it right now once more.
The single Sister Sandinista is next that has a pulsing beat that James sings and raps over, the tale of the mysterious Sister, as the siren style synths and carefully paced drums, make clear just how much they want to be with her and Ian Dench's explosive guitars add to it, as you work out exactly what she might be up too, and a song about the sisters of armed resistance is spookily prescient considering what's happened in the Ukraine since this was recorded.
Stay Classy San Diego is seemingly about a totally messy night out with dancing on tables and other stuff over a clubby beat, cool synth noises and then as it unfolds it becomes clearer that this is as much about American unrest in recent times as it is about everything going Pete Tong on a night out, as this turns into an Indie-dance monster of a tune.
Crime Of Passion is more Derry Brownson's sampled strings as Ian sings about exactly what's gone wrong and how the modern world is affecting them, that at one point seems to go calypso funky indie dancefloor and somehow pulls it all off, as the pain and urgency in the vocals come to a peak.
We Are The Free is almost a rallying call for the people EMF call their own, all those people who want a world full of love and peace, where we all care for each other, while we all hang out together at an Ecstasy party, turn our backs on violence and destruction. A message that needs to be heard loud and proud right now, so get ready to scream and sign along with EMF that "We are party people now".
Equilibrium is a song about being out of kilter and on the slide and how you find a way to bring back the balance you need, over Jack Stephens shuffling beat, as they ask about whatever happened to the band's heroes. This is very dancey and should also make a good few people want to happily hug each other like the pandemic never happened.
Keep It Coming is a rapped dance list song that namechecks Joey Ramone and all sorts of other things as they try to stay in control and pay tribute to John Paul Jones et al.
Never Die flashes us back to 1991 and the halcyon days and hopes all those people they hung out with would Never Die and still be with us, including the bands one fallen member Zac Foley, dreaming he was still with them laying down those basslines once more, as this builds and they all want to howl at the moon once more as they crave the immortality that Unbelievable undoubtedly already has.
Dr Strangelove is a synth pop song with some interesting vocal samples taken from the film as the funky beat seems to distract from the serious destruction the bad doctor is talking about and the talk of nuclear weapons couldn't be more timely even if this was recorded before Putin started waving his nukes around again.
Greatest Day opens with just James vocals and an acoustic guitar on a slow song that could almost be by Dave Kusworth as the strings seem to shimmer into the mix as the options in front of you become clearer as you make the decisions that might make this the Greatest Day on the song that sounds least like EMF and yet certainly has the bands essential spirit in the way it's delivered.
The album closes with Sparks And Flashes that's an old school indie dancefloor monster that sounds as much like Sheriff Fatman as it does an old EMF tune, although it isn't as episodic as the good Sherriff was, but the rapped sections are as intoxicating and while this had some demons in it, there is no mention of any Essex estuary towns.
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