Wonderlustre

by Skunk Anansie

Overview

It's best to cut to the chase here: no, Skunk Anansie haven't botched up their reunion album. Wonderlustre is not quite the slab of bare feminine emotion that the band's classic records were -- it's fun to try to imagine if this record alone would have sufficed to make them the stars they were in the '90s, but probably not. Yet the songs would fit a set list that features "Hedonism" and "Weak," and the record itself is a worthy addition to their catalog -- they sure didn't return because they feel lost and forgotten, or have bills to pay; they did it because they have something to say. The music packs plenty of catchy semi-metallic riffs, while Skin's voice still reverberates with tension while going from quiet vocalizations to commanding shouts -- though now she often sounds composed, not hysterical, in her anger. Most songs share the post-grunge and alterna-rock ethos, and would fit quite well on the radio, but most bands polluting the same airwaves would be left red-faced by Skin's fierceness and power -- and the group is still catchy as hell at that. They are similar to Therapy? in that regard -- the one other band that plays simply, but avoids conformism, delivering a unique, handmade take on a hackneyed style. Wonderlustre sounds streamlined -- in the past, Skunk Anansie were keen to shift from angsty grandeur to heart-wrenching intimacy, but here, they never go overboard emotionally, and most songs only differ in hooks, not vibe or dynamics. But this only makes the record more cohesive and mature, which is precisely what they should be like on an album made after a decade-plus hiatus. ~ Alexey Eremenko

Product Details

Release Date:	11/19/2021
Label:	Munich Records / V2 Benelux
UPC:	8717931341226
catalogNumber:	41221
Rank:	69320

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Skunk Anansie   Primary Artist
Oliver Kraus   Primary Artist
Toby Baker   Organ (Hammond)
Cass Lewis   Bass
Brio Taliaferro   Keyboards
Mark Richardson   Drums,Percussion
James McMillan   Piano
Damien Nolan   Guitar

Technical Credits

Skunk Anansie   Composer,Producer
Ted Jensen   Mastering
Chris Sheldon   Engineer
Jeremy Wheatley   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Additional Production
Oliver Kraus   String Arrangements
Cenzo Townshend   Mixing
Martin Kent   Composer
Neil Comber   Mixing,Engineer,Programming
Brio Taliaferro   Producer,Programming,String Arrangements,Additional Production
Anthony Leung   Assistant Engineer
Elliot King   Composer
Wayne Riches   Composer
Mazen Murad   Mastering
Len Arran   Composer
Richard Edgeler   Assistant Engineer
Adam De Cruz   Make-Up
Kim Howells   Stylist
Jeon Seung Hwan   Photography
Juriaan Schipper   Editing
Deborah Dyer   Composer