One record at a time: 506. Claudia Brücken – Night Mirror

After rinsing xPropaganda’s "The Heart Is Strange", ordering principal vocalist Claudia Brücken’s latest album, "Night Mirror", felt like an easy decision in 2025. No research, no hesitation, just that smug little click of the pre order button that says, "I am a person of taste and impeccable judgement."

Sadly, "Night Mirror" is nothing like xPropaganda, and it left me colder than the British seaside in March. The glossy synths I’d been hoping for have largely been swapped out for acoustic drums, bass guitar and the sort of whiny guitar solos that turn up uninvited and then somehow end up staying for tea. Overall, the album leans heavily into an acoustic flavour, and I do not like the taste. Claudia does not even bother singing on the opening track, "My Life Started Today". Instead, she deadpans her way through three minutes of banal lyrics while an electric guitar wails in the background.

Track two, "Rosebud", briefly teases a flourish of synth, and for a moment I sat up expectantly. Then the bass guitar and Hammond organ arrive to suffocate that electronic promise with the determination of a hit-man smothering his victim with a pillow. There are faint signs of life on track three, but Claudia’s voice gets oddly unsympathetic treatment, as if the mix is actively trying to prove she is not the main event. 

The songwriting lacks bite and, at times, harks back to rock music from the sixties, and not in a charming, "what a classic" way. More in a, "you’ve heard this chord change a million times but I’m going to do it anyway" kind of way. Even when a song like "Sound and the Fury" initially sounds promising, any electronic pulse is soon snuffed out by the incessant electric guitar, which appears to be on a mission to play over absolutely everything, including, presumably, the credits.

To be fair, there are moments where the electronics are allowed out of their little cupboard. "Shadow Dancer" is one of the few tracks that lets them extend beyond the opening salvos, but the melody never quite turns up, and after a while you start checking your watch and wondering if it got lost on the way. There is also a rather dreary ballad called "To Be Loved", which I am sure will find its audience, but I am not that audience, and my heart did not so much melt as politely decline. 

"Dancing Shadow" tries to revive the promise of "Shadow Dancer", and we even get some TR-909 hi hats battling it out with the ever present electric guitar. Yet it still denies us the glorious four on the floor kick drum that would have been the icing on the cake, the final nudge from “pleasantly surprised” to “right, I’m up and dancing.” Instead, we remain firmly seated. At this point I can only assume the producer is a guitarist who genuinely loves the sound of his own instruments, because there is no other reasonable explanation for this much guitar being allowed to wander about unchecked.

I pre ordered the limited two disc edition (1000 copies) on "Twilight Purple" blended vinyl. It includes an alternate cover and an exclusive bonus black vinyl 12 inch EP of "Nighttime Mixes". The package also came with a 12"x12" signed print, and I even plumped for the surround sound Blu-ray, because apparently my hobbies now include collecting expensive ways to be mildly disappointed. For an album I do not really like, I have assembled an impressive number of formats. Sometimes I amaze even myself. Next time, I might try the radical approach of streaming it first. 2/5

One record at a time: 468. xPropaganda - The Heart is Strange

xPropaganda is a collaboration between vocalists Susanne Freytag and Claudia Brücken along with producer Stephen Lipson. All three had previously been involved in the creation of the seminal Propaganda album "A Secret Wish" and there's no doubt this record is an attempt to distil some of that classic sound (Universal even went as far as resurrecting the ZTT imprint to hammer the point home). The result is that whilst Ralf Dörper and Michael Mertens continue to record as Propaganda, only their former collaborators actually sound like the Propaganda.

This limited edition red vinyl came with a free art print and was released in 2022. The sound reproduction is on the good side of middling - but the packaging and graphic design is of the highest order. 

The first track "The Night" immediately brings back those "A Secret Wish" vibes with its rumbling synth bass and mute trumpet improvisations. Whilst there are no crunchy Fairlight samples or Trevor Horn 'gags' in the music, it still carries a very distinctive flavour. These unique qualities are in no small part due to the vocals of Susanne and Claudia, but Stephen Lipson has also manages to create a sonic palette that is both contemporary and consistent with Propaganda's eighties vibe.

I enjoy every track on this record, though a few stand out as personal favourites. One such highlight is "Beauty Is Truth," where Claudia and Susanne trade call-and-response vocals over a pulsating electronic backdrop. The groove rolls forward with effortless momentum, knowing it doesn't have to work that hard to impress you. 

The flip side opens with "Don't (You Mess With Me)" where the synths burble and groan as Claudia makes it clear she not a woman to be trifled with. I love the bilingual nature of the vocals and there's no doubt this track deserved to be a single. Another favourite track is "The Wolves Are Returning" which has a fantastic sub-bass, but the saxophone solo does detract from it quite a bit.

I regard this as one of the best albums from 2022 and I still listen to it regularly. There's no doubt there is a special chemistry at play when Stephen Lipson works with Claudia and Susanne and this album captures that magic nicely. That's not to say this album ends up sounding like "A Secret Wish Part 2" as it stands on its own two feet. This is great electronic pop. 4/5