There’s a certain kind of pop that lives permanently in our big-gay hearts. Big synths, emotional lyrics, and choruses that feel like they were designed to be sung loudly on a dancefloor at 1am. For many of us, that sound begins and ends with Erasure.
So when Northern Ireland’s Conleth Kane announced Erasure-esque, an EP celebrating the band’s 40th anniversary, the concept already felt like it belonged squarely in the Gay London Life universe. Thankfully, the execution delivers too – it’s a banger!
Conleth is a multi-award-winning singer-songwriter and the 2024 GNI Magazine Entertainer of the Year, has built a reputation across Pride stages and LGBTQ+ venues throughout the UK and Europe. If you’ve caught him live, you’ll know he understands how to work a crowd. That same energy runs right through this release.
Produced by 7th Heaven, the EP leans unapologetically into classic synth-pop territory. Glittering keyboards, glossy production, and the kind of euphoric hooks that feel tailor-made for our dancefloors.
The lead single, a rework of Oh L’Amour, is where things really click. Conleth doesn’t try to outdo the original, which would be a losing game for anyone. Instead, he treats it like a love letter. The arrangement stays faithful to the spirit of the song while adding a modern club sheen, giving the track a fresh lift without stripping away the emotion that made it iconic in the first place.
The EP doesn’t stop there. Conleth also turns his attention to two other Erasure classics, delivering confident takes on Sometimes and A Little Respect. Sometimes leans into the bright, romantic optimism that made the original such a synth-pop staple, while A Little Respect gets the full dancefloor treatment. It’s bold territory, covering one of the most beloved queer pop anthems of all time, but Conleth approaches it with obvious affection and just enough modern polish to make it feel fresh without losing that instantly recognisable Erasure magic.
You can hear the influence of Andy Bell and Vince Clarke throughout the EP, and that’s exactly the point. Conleth has been open about how much Erasure meant to him growing up as a young gay boy in Northern Ireland. Their openness, flamboyance, and fearless pop sensibility clearly left their mark.
That connection also makes the project feel genuine rather than gimmicky. This isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. Conleth is a queer artist paying his tribute to the music that helped shape him.
The EP launched with a sold-out party at Royal Vauxhall Tavern, which feels like exactly the right spiritual home for something this joyfully camp and proudly synth-pop.
If you’re an Erasure fan, there’s plenty here to smile about. And if you just like your pop big, melodic, and unapologetically queer, Erasure-esque deserves a spin.
Because sometimes the best way to honour a classic is simply to celebrate it loudly.
Listen to the EP here
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – “Stratospheric synth pop”
