VERMIN IN ERMINE
MARC ALMOND
For such a distinctive and beloved representative of the early 80s, it’s notable that Marc Almond struggled for some time to establish his solo credentials, as demonstrated by an interesting but underachieving first album. Backed superbly by his band The Willing Sinners, Almond rages and splutters on the dark, seedy tracks that revisit Soft Cell’s more troubled themes, and yet the vivacity of the cabaret crooner that would encapsulate later years is just as dominant, not least on storybook launch single The Boy Who Came Back, a beautiful pop melody that deserved better than its No.52 peak in the UK.