One of the most dynamic vocalists in Pop music during the ‘80s era, Andy Bell is a name to remember. Working a day job in his early twenties while performing on the side, Bell would have his life change forever when he responded to a newspaper ad Vince Clarke put out looking for a vocalist to work with. The same Vince Clarke who co-founded Depeche Mode and formed Yazoo with the powerful Alison Moyet, it seemed almost destined that Bell and Clarke would become songwriting partners in Erasure.
A perfect unity, Bell and Clarke led Erasure’s late ‘80s charge onto the Synthpop scene that skyrocketed them to the top. Earning five UK Number One albums and over fifteen Top Ten singles into the ‘90s era, the duo is still quite active in modern times. Continuing to tour and release new music, the latest Erasure album came in 2022 under the title Day-Glo (Based on a True Story). Keeping themselves busy, amidst everything, Vince Clarke found time to put together a solo album he called Songs of Silence in 2023. Quite an interesting, different-sounding collection, now in 2025, Andy Bell emerges with his own solo contribution, Ten Crowns.
Released on May 2, 2025, via Crown Recordings, amazingly enough, it is only the third solo album Andy Bell has ever released. The first being the Dance Chart-topping 2005 debut Electric Blue, five years later, in 2010, he returned with another big release in Non-Stop. Both unique bodies of work are different than what Bell has done with Clarke in Erasure; the same can be said for Ten Crowns.
A dream of Bell’s to put out another solo record, you could say that fifteen years removed from Non-Stop, the song ideas flowed out like a dormant volcano ready to erupt. Teaming with his close friend Dave Audé as a songwriting partner this time, they create vibrant, colorful, Dance-driven tracks that grab hold of you. Lively and energetic, the arrangements are strong, but what brings life to Ten Crowns is the message behind the words sung by Bell.
Not a shallow man, Bell has many emotions just bubbling beneath the surface. Growing up Christian, while not religious, he certainly carries a lovely sense of spirituality. Shining through explicitly on the songs heard throughout Ten Crowns, Bell sings of hope, overcoming, and finding love. Honest and from his heart, the feeling is that of defying the odds against you, but with positivity, not vindication. It is something you can feel tingling inside of you; it is soothing to the soul and impossible to ignore.
With many gigantic tracks in store, singles like “Lies So Deep” (with Sarah Potenza), the Synthpop masterpiece “Heart’s A Liar” (with Blondie’s Debbie Harry), but also “For Today”, are only the tip of the iceberg. Joining these, you have the powerful sound of other singles like “Dance For Mercy” and “Don’t Cha Know.” This is before you enter the haunting “Dawn Of Heaven’s Gate” and the beautiful testifying of “Godspell.”
Overall, Andy Bell’s Ten Crowns is a cathartic release that reminds you that inner strength comes from light, not darkness. It is an uplifting group of songs that encourages you to embrace life, and the icing on the cake is Bell’s simply electrifying vocal performance. The joyous pick-me-up you need, Cryptic Rock gives Ten Crowns 4 out of 5 stars.
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