On 2024’s ‘Good To Me’, Shannon Curtis delivered ten slabs of synth pop that sounded so authentically 80s, you might even believe a few of the songs were rarities from the era. With the album released at a time where a lot of musicians appeared to be obsessed with the 90s, this even more retro sound hit like a musical ray of sunshine. At the album’s best, the bright sound – heavily reliant on unnatural sounding keys and a strong vocal – showcased some great choruses. The multi-voiced ‘Serenity’ could’ve been culled from an old teen film soundtrack; ‘Sweat & Butterflies’ worked a pulsing heart that had clearly been inspired by OMD’s ‘If You Leave’ and a couple of Fiction Factory numbers, and the title cut showcased a great contrast between big beats and a more sedate voice, ending the record in a slightly more thoughtful manner. Even with a couple of tunes adding slightly more of a light goth/dreampop reverb, this was a record that offered a lot of entertainment for the 80s obsessed listener.

It would seem natural, then, that Shannon’s quickly delivered follow up would take these influences and return them to their natural environs. ‘80s Kids’ is that most divisive of beasts: the covers record. A great covers album can make the listener hear the chosen material in a whole new way. This very much chooses not to do that, but a couple of the deeper picks are good enough to remind the listener of a couple of old favourites they might have overlooked. A strong case in point is supplied by the pair of numbers nestled at the end of the record’s forty minutes.

In a world where it’s all too easy to associate Depeche Mode with later bangers like ‘Personal Jesus’, it’s great to hear a little love for their 1986 single ‘A Question of Lust’. The original arrangement has stayed in place, but there are a couple of subtle differences: firstly, the opening pulse sounds much bigger, and secondly, the soaring synth notes behind the vocal sound brighter. In terms of vocal, Shannon taps into a moody tone, where deeper notes almost drop into a croon. Also, hearing the lyric from a female perspective gives it an aching quality that the original couldn’t quite summon, as great as an on form Dave Gahan can be. Everything here works brilliantly, but when Shannon increases volume to hit the melodic crescendo of a great chorus, this cover basically sells itself. It would’ve been so easy to trot through an upbeat ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ for a quick sugary hit of pure 80s-ness, but this is much smarter. Almost as pleasing, ‘If You Leave’ – arguably the greatest OMD song ever – sticks firmly with its originally arrangement, but the synth work is really tight and its buoyant melodies feel nostalgic from the outset. Shannon summons another rather deep vocal throughout, but that definitely suits the job in hand.

Elsewhere, things aren’t quite as inspired, but there’s still a lot to enjoy in terms of reheated nostalgia. Moving away from the “purer” synth pop source, a version of Don Henley’s ‘Boys of Summer’ comes with plenty of gusto and another great vocal, and with a few huge synth-based sounds fleshing out the number’s instrumental section, it certainly fits this album well. The same can be said for the recording of Springsteen’s ‘Dancing In The Dark’. Whilst this is a track that seems rather overplayed in terms of the Bruce canon, Shannon approaches it with her typical enthusiasm, and the featured vocal glides across the once roaring melody with ease, supplying more of a crying tone in places. Being a little critical, the parping keys are much more sedate than expected, but this doesn’t overly spoil what’s clearly a well loved track. Definitely overplayed, however, is Erasure’s ‘A Little Respect’, and nobody really needs another re-do of that, but there’s a reasonable run through of the duo’s hit making up the numbers here. There’s another decent vocal applied, and it’s preferable to hearing Wheatus mauling it, but then being poked repeatedly with a sharp stick would be preferable to any prolonged exposure to those two hit wonders…

Approaching somewhere near “peak 80s”, a-ha’s ‘Take On Me’ is presented with some huge, mechanical sounds. Its programmed rhythm makes it much easier to recycle, but there’s also been a lot of care applied to find a more than suitable tone for the keyboard riff itself. It sounds pretty much how you’d expect, and although the vocal never matches Morton Harket’s impressively gymnastic approach, it’s fine, albeit a little “karaoke”. Still, if you’re happy to accept this with the goodwill intended, it’s a solid listen. ‘Forever Young’ – a massive US hit for German band Alphaville – will likely be a little more interesting for UK listeners, as it is a tune that been a little overlooked over the decades. Shannon manages to convey the nervousness in the lyric and the ultimate sadness in its melody, and the stripped down nature of the verses brings out the best in her voice. Although it won’t replace the original cut in the affections of most, this is a more than solid cover.

By contrast, Nik Kershaw’s ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ feels a little phoned in and The Cars’ perennial ‘Drive’ could actually be a new vocal slapped over an old Cars backing track if you’re not paying attention very closely, but it’s a pleasure to hear both shared with a female vocal, and for 80s fans, there’s certainly fun to be had. A new vocal applied to ‘West End Girls’ is far more striking, even when the musical arrangement veers very closely to the original cut. After decades of loving Neil Tennant’s near spoken, post modern tones, it’s actually nice to hear something that, at this point, is part of synth pop’s DNA coupled with a very different voice. Naturally, Shannon plays things down when needed, but tackling the more melodic chorus, she somehow finds a tone that occasionally has a vague hint of Chrissie Hynde, which is suprisingly suitable for the number in question. If this doesn’t immediately have the effect of making you reach for one of your beloved PSB albums (‘Please’, ‘Actually’, ‘Introspective’ and ‘Behaviour’ remain essential, genre defining works decades after release), at the very least, it’ll have you questioning why Curtis didn’t pick a Pretenders number for this collection… The answer is simple enough: all of the songs chosen for ‘80s Kids’ were originally sung by men, adding a slight twist to its make up. Nevertheless, she probably would have done justice to one of Hynde’s more melodic tracks.

You’d be hard pressed to say there was anything overly inventive about most of ‘80s Kids’, or that it was a record that dug particularly deeply in search of its cover tunes, but what it does, it often does well. Above all, it’s fun; a nostalgic jolt, delivered at a time during 2025 when people were in need of an easy pick me up. It’s worth hearing for the Depeche, OMD and Don Henley covers, and anyone sharing a love for The Cars is worthy of attention. For those who enjoyed ‘Good To Me’, this is definitely a welcome companion, despite its somewhat predictable nature.

May 2025