Gary Numan and his band Tubeway Army have for years been a group for VH1's Where Are They Now? program, but with Exile the father of techno-pop marks his return to meaningful music.
Few people have heard anything about Numan since his hit single 'Cars' made the charts in 1979. American interest in his music faded until his name was recognized only by die-hard fans and those up-and-coming musicians like Trent Reznor who had grown up on his other-worldly themes and science fiction lyrics. Anticipation ran high for Exile among these fans as they followed Numan's production updates on his official website, NuWorld (http://www.numan.co.uk). After a long period of mediocre recordings Numan promised a return to the music he wanted to play.
The result is indeed satisfying. Exile returns to the darkness of earlier albums like Telekon and Replicas, but with a marked maturity. Numan has been quite public regarding his atheism in the past, but now his questions regarding God and religion are brought to the front. Don't think of this album as an attack on religion, however. Numan's lyrics are honest and well-pondered.
The songs on this album are arranged more like a soundtrack than a series of singles, a common musical as well as topical theme flowing through each of them. At times this can be a bit of a strain as melodies become repetitive. The best musical offerings are Dominion Day, the introductory track that leads us into Numan's vision of Heaven as Hell, and Absolution, a dark romantic ballad.
Numan's voice has mellowed with time, but still retains its soft and haunting murmur, mixed into the synthesized throb like another instrument. The effect is rather like rock-and-roll Gregorian chant, an interesting twist on the theme of the album.
For those who thought Numan's only contribution to the music world were a few electronic pop numbers in the late 70s and early 80s, it's time to take a new listen to this unique and underestimated artist. Exile will open your eyes to Numan's gift at doing his own thing and forging his own musical path.
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