Making love in 'times of romance'

The Lovemakers, a racy three-person band from California with Scott Blonde (vocals, guitar, programming); Lisa Light (vocals, violin, bass instrument, programming) and Jason Proctor (keyboards, programming), seem to be trying to popularize 80s new wave dance in this modern age. The Lovemakers' style flirts with the thin boundary between "hip" and "cheesy." \nTimes of Romance, the Lovemakers' latest album, manages to have most songs dominated by the synthesizer. "Prepare for the Fight" has an intro that screams "Breakfast Club." The song gradually builds up as Scott Blonde gets backed up by Lisa Light. Even though the song is a bit drawn out, the hooks are unavoidable. One of the best hooks is in the song "Is it Alright?" As the synthesizer and the upbeat tempo push the music forward, the song itself asks the timeless question: "Is it alright to be lonely?" Track 3, "Dance," experiments with echoing vocals to add a mood of mystery to a dance beat-driven song. On "Shake That Ass," The Lovemakers prove that Sir Mix-A-Lot isn't the only musician fixated on the rump. An interesting gender reversal takes place in the song as Lisa Light becomes the sexual predator of the booty.\nOn a lighter note, the most angst and hook-filled song on the album, "Set Me Free," is like the Eurythmics going emo. The album is predominantly synthesized until track six, "Time of Romance." The genre seems completely different as additional instruments like the violin and guitar howl in this bad junior high breakup song. After that, the provocative song "We Should Be Taking Our Clothes Off" features a steady repetitive beat, similar to the one found on the song "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails. This beat is accompanied by seductive lyrics. "Hypnotized" takes a step up with more sophisticated lyrics like: "Is that a bag from Versace/or Luis Vuitton? I just can't seem to keep up at all." As the album ends with a dance club version of "Prepare for the Fight," I found myself quite content with this group, even though this last song sounds like bad 80s techno. \nThe Lovemakers' Times of Romance is everything the cover claims it to be: glamorously sex-crazed and predictable. I would recommend it to those who are nostalgic for the 80s or those who enjoy ass-shaking dance parties. If you happen to fall out of those two categories, you've been warned.