''Unfurnished Rooms'' is the ninth studio album by English band

Blancmange Blancmange (, from french: blanc-manger ) is a sweet dessert popular throughout Europe commonly made with milk or cream and sugar thickened with rice flour, gelatin, corn starch, or Irish moss (a source of carrageenan), and often flavoured with ...

, released in 2017. It was produced by

Neil Arthur Blancmange () are an English synth-pop band formed in Harrow, London, in 1979. The band were a duo for much of their career, composed of Neil Arthur (vocals) and Stephen Luscombe (keyboards). They came to prominence in the early 1980s, releasin ...

and Benge, and reached No. 40 on the UK Independent Albums Chart. The album was Blancmange's first release since ''First Light'', a 2017 collaborative album between Arthur and Benge, released under the name Fader. Speaking to ''

MusicOMH MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...

'' in 2017, Arthur commented on Benge's involvement with ''Unfurnished Rooms'': "It was fantastic when he said he was up for getting involved. I'd written the songs and a lot of instrumentation. I put my electronic noises on, and the idea was for Benge to replace the rhythm area."

Critical reception

Upon release, Michael Hann of ''

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quiet ...

'' described the album as "pleasing", adding: "...as if Blancmange have journeyed back to the early 1980s and taken a different turning". Paul Scott-Bates of ''

Louder Than War ''Louder Than War'' is a music and culture website and magazine focusing on mainly alternative arts news, reviews, and features. The site is an editorially independent publication that was started by journalist John Robb in 2010 and is now ru ...

'' summarised the album as "clever". He said: "It sees Neil Arthur on top form and putting together a listening experience that has taken thought, passion and a great deal of bravery." D Foist of ''

Record Collector ''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine. It was founded in 1980 and distributes worldwide. History The early years The first standalone issue of ''Record Collector'' was published in March 1980, though its history stretches ba ...

'' wrote: "''Unfurnished Rooms'' still has the synthpop undercarriage, but feels more like an assured indie collection than anything else. A hint of glam pokes through here and there, but also a good dose of the stodgier end of Depeche Mode's output."

Track listing

Chart performance

Personnel

- vocals, synthesiser, guitar, percussion, producer, recording, arrangement, mixing, artwork * Benge - synthesiser, drum machine, producer, recording, arrangement, mixing * David Rhodes - additional guitar (track 1–2, 4, 7–9) * John Grant - piano, backing vocals (track 10) * Shawn Joseph - mastering ;Other * Adam Yeldham - layout * Steve Malins - management

References

{{Authority control 2017 albums Blancmange (band) albums