★★★☆☆
The Duran Duran timeline reads “1974-present”. There have been no empty-promise farewell tours, no cash-in reunions, no bust-ups in the press.
Trends, phases and band members may have come and gone, but the core of Duran Duran itself has never truly gone away.
It’s commendable, but it also raises a home truth that the ’80s pin-ups have struggled to maintain relevance in recent years. This may well explain why literally half their new album features guests and collaborations, traversing genre and profile notability. As a result, Paper Gods is a mixed bag – both stylistically and in terms of quality. ‘Pressure Off’ sees Duran reunite with Nile Rodgers, who adds some trademark guitar swagger to pristine Mark Ronson production and a hyped-up Janelle Monáe cameo. Kiesza, a forgotten gem from the class of 2014, also shines on the glossy retro-pop of ‘Last Night In The City’. For each of these moments, however, there is a snoozer like ‘What Are The Chances?’ or the droning, overlong title track.
It’s as close as they’ve come in at least a decade to creating something fresh and vital, but Paper Gods still doesn’t quite reach the heights of a Rio or Notorious.
Duran Duran‘sPaper Godsis available through Warner.
