Pink Turns Blue- Re-Union

Germany's Pink Turns Blue, now reunited and sporting a new studio album, have in turn released an album highlighting their past accomplishments. Re-Union compiles somewhere around a decade of history, from the band's formation in the mid 80s to their breakup in the mid 90s, in the form of 13 remastered classics with a bonus .wmv video of the band's live performance of "Michelle" at Wave-Gotik Treffen in Leipzig included for good measure. From start to finish, Re-Union is a successfully sharp slice of retro post-punk simplicity and moody goth panache. Sometimes a triumph of style over substance, often relying on the reverb-drenched charisma of vocalist Mic Jogwer, the album's 13 songs run the gamut from energetic bass-driven goth rock to moody synth-heavy dirges.

The opening "Your Master is Calling", despite being unnecessarily repetitive and overly long by at least a couple minutes, is a definite highlight, an energetic and emotive blend of up-tempo bass and shimmering 3-note guitar arpeggios. Other top cuts include the moody synth-laden "I Coldly Stare Out", the strong rhythm and echoing vocals of "Michelle", the wobbly synth dance simplicity of "Seven Years", and the up-tempo lo-fi rock of "Missing You". The lovely "If Two Worlds Kiss", sporting a vibe somewhere between The Cure and The Sisters of Mercy's "Some Kind of Stranger", is another standout, as is the more upbeat radio-friendly rock of the closing "Touch the Skies", arguably one of the best here.

In the end, Pink Turns Blue's Re-Union is an impressive serving of archetypal vintage goth rock and a rather solid and cohesive "best of" outing (in fact, those that don't know better could easily mistake it for a single studio album). Falling into the "less is more" category, the band's blend of simplicity and sheer charm shines, creating a collection that has obvious retro appeal but avoids sounding dated. Not every single is necessarily "essential", but fans of atmospheric 80s goth rock/post-punk will likely walk away satisfied.