Apr 11, 2006  |  By: BUCK C. COOKE  | COMMENTS     

AFTER TWO DECADES AS ONE OF the most well known electronic acts in music, Erasure does the unexpected once again. Vince Clark and Andy Bell unplugged and released "Union Street," an acoustic/Country & Western-style album of radically reworked, previously released Erasure tracks and B-sides.

But the boys have a sense of humor about this sonic shift.

"We’re going to be the first band ever to cross over from pop to country," jokes gay singer Bell, who came out as HIV-positive around the time his solo album, "Nightbird," came out last year.

"We want to play the Grand Old Opry," he says.

Uh-huh, that’ll happen.

Clark and Bell recorded the album in a small apartment studio in Brooklyn (which gives the album its name) and collaborated with guitarist Steve Walsh.

"We just found this cool guitarist and a cool studio and decided to use both," Clark explains.

THE PAIR WANTED TO GIVE some of their old songs new life because they felt like this set were overlooked for the bigger hits. For a duo known for electronica, "Union Street" not only comes as a surprise, but ultimately, a delight.

"Boy," originally released on 1997’s "Cowboy," kicks it off with a melodic, graceful ode to a failed relationship. Bell’s harmonies blend well with the slide guitar, and the more organic version of the song makes it almost romantic.

A mournful, full-on Country track follows in the form of "Piano Song," taken from the 1989 album "Wild," should have been on the soundtrack album for "Brokeback Mountain." Bell sings of heartbreak and loss.

From 1991’s "Chorus," "Home" twangs along with more from Walsh’s slide guitar, which tugs at the heartstrings while Bell blends in vocals with a choir in the background to dramatic results.

"Stay With Me," from 1995’s "Erasure," is reborn as a lilting love song with flutes and lots of acoustic guitar. Taken from 1987’s "Circus," "Spiraling" is now a reflective track with only Bell’s voice and the guitar to guide you through his melancholy.

There’s plenty of mandolin on "Alien," taken from 2000’s "Loveboat." "Strange ways, how we fly" indeed! Another oddity is "How Many Times"—also from "Wild"—which features Bell’s deepest notes recorded. His famous highest-of-the-high falsetto is traded for a sound that seems like he’s singing from his toes.

"Blues Away" is a track listeners are sure to relate to since it is about searching for the perfect lover. This track was originally featured on the 1994 album "I Say, I Say, I Say."

"Love Affair" is another post-relationship song, but this version is dramatic and beautiful thanks to the lush orchestration. String accompaniment makes even sad-sack lyrics sound romantic. The track is also from "Cowboy."

GIVING A NOD TO THEIR ETHEREAL roots, "Rock Me Gently" features a chorus backing Bell on this track from "Erasure." The love song is sweet and endearing, and the new version feels even more authentic.

Formerly a B-side to "Run to the Sun," "Tenderest Moments" is a shining example of the fusion between Bell’s vocals and Erasure’s new country sound.

"It makes such a difference singing with acoustic instruments," Bell says. "There’s more space, it seems. When you’re using electronics they soak up part of the voice. Whereas with strings, the voice seems to vibrate off of them."

It almost doesn’t make sense, given the rollicking synths and pulsing beats that normally accompany Erasure, but this album works. Hell, "Union Street" more than works, it’s amazing.