Music Arcades: Future Bible Heroes: Eternal Youth

I've always really liked this album. I love the way it announces itself: "You know me, I take nothing seriously". It's self-consciously slight. (We can suspect that that is partly because it doesn't want to be judged in the shadow of 69 Love Songs, but we will never know.)

I love the theme: the kitsch science fiction (captured with incredible economy in the title Doris Daytheearthstoodstill) and gay goth games. Claudia Gonson, who sings all the songs here (unlike the previous Future Bible Heroes album) will explain to anyone who'll listen how I'm a Vampire is Stephin Merritt's goth version of Gloria Gaynor's gay disco anthem I Will Survive:

I never age and I'll never die
Unlike all the stars in the sky
I'll be young forever and why?
'Cause I'm a vampire

and there it is again: "I am neither sweet nor sincere (and I'd rather drink blood than beer)". The trademark Stephin wordplay, and soundplay, is all over these songs.

And I love the series of 30-(ish)-second instrumental interludes from Chris Ewen that punctuate the songs.

I saw the Heroes (as no one calls them) twice around the release of this album. The first time was at the 2002 Chickfactor Ball, where Stephin seemed to be under the impression that a UK release was imminent for the album but Claudia corrected him from the stage. The second time was on 28 May 2003 at the Hackney Ocean when the album finally did come out over here. (Needless to say, I'd had it on import since the previous September.) Whereas the album is all electronic, the live performance is much more acoustic, with Chris playing piano.

Now if instead of Claudia's self-effacing vocals there had been one of those disco belters that people like Zero 7 hire, this album might have been a big hit. But that's not the point.