Worlds Away

Description

Worlds Away is the sole album by the American synth-pop duo Crumbächer-Duke, released on Frontline Records in 1990, distributed by The Benson Company. The album was recorded by Eric Kibbe at both Mixing Lab A and B in Garden Grove, California; and was produced by the band – Stephen Crumbächer and Christopher Duke. Featuring Crumbächer on keyboards and vocals and Duke on guitars, with David Huff of White Heart and Giant fame sitting in on drums.

This album was followed up by a solo album by Stephen Crumbächer the following year entitled Take It In.

From looking at the swirling designs on the cover of ‘Worlds Away’, one might expect the album to be influenced by paisley/psychedelic music – at least, I know I was. Instead, Crumbacher and Duke’s most obvious influence comes from that era via a second-hand ’70s source – Jeff Lynne and the Electric Light Orchestra. That’s the only thing that saves the duo’s debut from sounding like most of Crumbacher’s prior work.

The tunes are mainly keyboard-driven, danceable pop, with Chris Duke’s guitar featured prominently on several tracks. The pair has a knack for writing catchy melodies, but their best efforts are often sunk by cookie-cutter lyrics. When they do strike an interesting chord, as on «Heavy Rhythm», they tend to go over the top. (Sorry, but it’s hard to buy someone with a voice this pretty singing about gangs and six-packs!) The best marriage of lyrics and music happens on three tracks – «The Last Time», a downbeat, acoustic piano-driven number, «Tears of Joy», where Crumbacher proves he can sing with a great deal of honesty and emotion, and «Rock in a Heart Place», a bouncy track with clever wordplay. On «Hooks», Crumbacher gets at least four killer patterns playing against a contrasting drum and guitar riff. But this track is again sabotaged by sub-par lyrics.

It’s time for Stephen to seek outside collaboration, not only on the songwriting, but also production. The synth-heavy sound sometimes gives the songs an off-putting sterility. There’s nothing wrong with an artist defining a sound, as long as he or she continues to refine that sound. There’s little musically on ‘Worlds Away’ that Crumbacher hasn’t said before – and better – with his previous band. [Bruce A. Brown, CCM, June 1990]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/worlds-away/385671835)

CD tracklist:

01. Worlds Away – 4:18
02. Heavy Rhythm – 4:15
03. Summer Children – 3:25
04. The Last Time – 5:07
05. Desert Lightning – 4:09
06. Latter Rains – 6:35
07. Hooks – 4:04
08. No Kind Of Magic – 4:11
09. Perfect Crime – 3:00
10. Tears Of Joy – 4:32
11. Rock In The Heart Place – 4:20
12. Over & Over, On & On – 3:50

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Frontline Records.

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