German raised, British bred Ludwig Amadeus sets that shock alarm going with the cutesy bubble gum synth of the Kraftwerk meets Cyndi Lauper intro which threatens to be too colourfully mawkish. Twee Kraftwerk? We dread the day. Thankfully the bubble bursts in an underbelly of industrial suspense that mixes Depeche Mode’s trademark mood darkening with the tension of Ultravox’s “Vienna,” just before unravelling in a spell of light Duran Duran dramatics. “Don’t Wanna Feel This” is to “Rio” as weed is to cocaine. Lyrically it shares similar experiences of said trips as the boy/girl combo sensually hushes: “The lights go out and I lay my head down/I fall, I fall, I fall/Into the dark of this cold, cold night.” Frankie says: “Relax.” “Don’t Wanna Feel This” is a nonchalant and chilled out but don’t expect it to leave the 80’s sailing yacht that it’s created for itself.
[rating:3]
