Aurora - Aurora

Aurora are one of those acts you really should despise with a passion and on face value its easy to do so. But its a truism that you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover and after siding Aurora with the likes of Fragma, Ian van Dahl and various others faceless dance acts its a surprise to see a band actually sidestep the tage they've been plagued with so far. You may recall Aurora from the tail end of 2000 when they set the charts alight with their cover of Duran Duran's "Ordinary World" with the solo artist Naimee Coleman. With a break from the charts for nearly and year and half the band seem to have gone under that terrible industry transformation known as the Dido effect.

Over the past 12 months the continual success of female artists such as Dido and Enya have bred a whole new generation of dance acts that no longer want to dance and Aurora seem to have transformed from that well known europop formula to a more laid back, almost lethargic, groove. With the core of Simon Greenaway and Sacha Collisson they actually have a impressive list of credits from live session work with Roxy Music to the Greenaway's dad being none other than songwriter Roger Greenaway famous for the Coca Cola endorsed "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing". While there is nothing to reach those dizzy heights you get the feeling that if they took a back seat and handed over the likes of "Dreaming" over to the latest teen sensations they'd be international hits. Its more a case of lazy production and lack on innovation that an actual lack of songs which ensures this album will never stand out from the pack. "This Can't Be Love" written with Rob Davies famous for his credits on Kylie's "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" and Spillers "Groovejet" looks set to be the big summer hit of 2002 and has a timelessness about it which could have made it a hit from anytime from 89 onwards. Surprisingly though its the Marcelle Detroit tracks "To Die For" and a cover of "If You Could Read My Mind" which really stand out as the ultimate highlights with absolutely amazing vocals which could lift the dreariest of tune's from the shallows.

Aurora are unlikely to be anything more that a short and sharp blast to the charts and while there's little here to excite you, it telling of its genre and will not dissappoint if you go in with open eyes and don't expect too much from the outset. While were unlikely to be hearing from Aurora in twelve months time, I would put money on it that the team of Greenaway and Collisson will be writing chart toppers for the new breed of manufatured pop acts sometime soon.

Alex McCann

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