New record review: Duran Duran 'Future Past'

Forty years passed: It's a time to reflect, and Duran Duran's anniversary effort, "Future Past," finds the ever forward-looking band willing to embrace just a bit of nostalgia.

Duran Duran means a lot to its fans. And it means different things to different Duranies, whether they prefer the original Fab Five and its first three studio masterstrokes, or the early '90s hitmakers propelled by a new guitarist and new energy.

But what does Duran Duran mean in 2021? Its music is definitely electronic. And the band is definitely still reaching for a hit, but perhaps not so obviously as in recent incarnations. 

The band's 15th studio album, "Future Past" (Tape Modern/BMG), boasts four of five original members, a pedigreed guitarist in Graham Coxon of Blur, and a curated selection of musical guests.

"Future Past" opens with "Invisible," the album's first release, a funk-pop jam that may be its strongest single. From there, the lyrical love letter "All Of You" gives way to the album's best track featuring a guest artist, "Give It All Up," with its swirling synths and singer Tove Lo's voice melding seamlessly with Simon Le Bon's.

The celebratory mood of the album truly kicks in with "Anniversary," a musically infectious single befitting of a 40th-anniversary bash. Le Bon almost spoils the party by over-singing the chorus. While Le Bon has still got it vocally four decades in, he shines in a lower register, as on the title track, a ballad that warms like a fireplace on a cold winter day.

Despite some killer John Taylor bass lines, Roger Taylor's best drumming in years, and Coxon's contributions, the album is nearly as electronic as its predecessor. But "Future Past" has a welcome warmness that's missing from "Paper Gods," likely thanks to Nick Rhodes' analog synths and Le Bon's ever-recognizable vocals. 

The exception may be the tracks produced by Giorgio Moroder. "Beautiful Lies" and "Tonight United" have Moroder's fingerprints all over them. "Beautiful Lies" is the better effort; "Tonight United" is an unapologetic grab for the pop music masses with its basic but unifying lyrics, and not a lick of guitar. 

The album veers back into pop-rock territory with "Wing," a darkly gorgeous ballad featuring Mark Ronson on guitar. Ronson's production talents are sadly missing from the album. But Erol Alkan competently steers the ship, even encouraging the band to take chances without alienating its core fanbase.

The album winds down with a couple such surprises. "Hammerhead" includes a brief and subtle rap by Ivorian Doll; "More Joy" features Japanese punk group Chai adding a dash of chanting to a piece of pure Duran pop. The album closes in classic Duran fashion with a dreamy ballad, "Falling," featuring Bowie keyboardist Mike Garson on piano and some funky bass.

"Future Past" is a consistent and pleasing effort, and like its singles, is sure to pay off in repeated listens. Years in the making, the album may have benefited from a pandemic-induced break in recording. Rhodes recently discussed how the band revisited the material with fresh ears after that time away. The album then seemed to materialize quickly, at least in the scope of Durantime. 

Whether all Duranies will enjoy "Future Past" will be a matter for debate. But as Le Bon sings on "All Of You": "We are music lovers, this much we've learnt." And for most Duranies, there should be a lot to love on "Future Past."

Single review: Duran Duran unleashes 'Invisible' with eye toward future, past

Duran Duran has been going big for more than 40 years, and the band shows no sign of stopping with new single "Invisible."

The song, from the forthcoming "Future Past" that's set for release Oct. 22 via Tape Modern/BMG, is one of 12 album tracks, plus three bonus tracks. Two more of the album's song titles revealed by band members so far are "All of You" and "Can't Say That It's Love," both purportedly featuring Bowie pianist Mike Garson.

But "Invisible" is the only song to have surfaced thus far, and its whispered intro may be the only quiet thing about it. The members of Duran, behind producer Erol Alkan, form a wall of sound with Nick Rhodes' funky keyboards, John Taylor's slap bass, and Roger Taylor's powerful electro drums. Graham Coxon's guitar stabs are at times reminiscent of early Andy Taylor. 

Among modern-day Duran albums, the sound falls somewhere between the slickly produced electro pop of "Paper Gods" and the more organic "All You Need Is Now." But whatever sound Duran decides to go for, the be-all-end-all is Simon Le Bon's voice. 

Whether the music on "Future Past" is an identifiable as Duran as Le Bon's vocals remains to be seen. For his part, Alkan promises that the songs he has produced capture the "spirit and dynamic" of Duran "as I know them now, or as I remember them whilst growing up." 

"Invisible" is backed by a spooky new video by AI "director" Huxley, touted by the band as the "first collaboration of its kind between artists in different planes of existence."

Next up, the Billboard Music Awards, where the band shares the bill with acts like BTS and Pink. This album cycle, apparent grabs for younger listeners have been accompanied by an array of physical products like colored vinyl aimed squarely at its target audience. 

This time out, Duran Duran seems to be truly straddling the line between its future and its past.

At top, "Future Past" album artwork (Tape Modern/BMG)

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Duran Duran’s long-awaited single materializes May 19; ‘Future Past’ album due in October

New music by Duran Duran is finally coming into focus, with the single “Invisible” ready to drop and the band’s new album, “Future Past,” expected out this fall. 

The band has been sharing bits of the song on radio and social media since announcing its upcoming performance at the Billboard Music Awards. One of those brief snippets aired at the end of the two-part “Duran 40” show on BBC Radio 2. Zoe Ball is set to premiere the single in full on Radio 2 on Wednesday.

Details of the band’s new album were revealed after a virtual meet and greet with bassist John Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor on Friday presented by BMG. The 12-track “Future Past” is set to be released in October. The studio album, Duran’s 15th, will be the band’s first album in six years. “Paper Gods” was released by Warner Bros in 2015.

Mark Ronson, who lent his production to “Paper Gods,” is back in the fold, as well as fellow producers Erol Alkan and the legendary Giorgio Moroder. The band has also enlisted singer Lykke Li and Blur guitarist Graham Coxon.

Early reports suggest an outsize role by Coxon on the album. He appeared in photos with the four Durans outside Hammersmith Odeon in London last week. He’ll also join the band for the “live premiere” of “Invisible” performed remotely from London and airing during the Billboard Awards broadcast on May 23.

A video for “Invisible” is also imminent. Duran shared a clip from the video on Twitter that seems to follow the ghost-like theme of the single artwork (above). The band also revealed the album artwork ahead of its availability for preorder.

Fans couldn’t be happier with the acceleration of “Durantime.” Since the release of “Paper Gods,” there has been no new music, save for a cover of David Bowie’s “Five Years” released earlier this year. COVID-19 had slowed down progress on the album for Duran, whose recording process involves writing together in the studio. The lingering effects of the pandemic and the cancellation of most of the band’s concerts this summer had raised worries that any new releases would be put off anew.

But come Wednesday, Duranies at long last will be listening to a new single in full and looking forward to a new album in about five months’ time. I’m happy to share in the excitement … and share my review of “Invisible” later this week!