Duran Duran
All You Need Is Now
(Tapemodern)

They still got it.

When Duran Duran teamed up with Timbaland to produce an album (Red Carpet Massacre) it was the musical equivalent of a midlife crisis, like when your dad thinks he’s “hip” by wearing Ed Hardy jeans. Mercifully, they have returned with their best album in two decades, a glittery, unquestionably brilliant dance party produced by Mark Ronson. This is mostly accomplished by emphasizing what the band does best, namely soaring choruses (try to get “Blame the Machines” out of your head) backed by straight-out-of-the-’80s vintage synths. Ronson also makes the wise move to combine the classic sounding stuff with more 21st-century guest vocals by Ana Matronic (of Scissor Sisters) and Kelis (for the stop-the-presses amazing “The Man Who Stole a Leopard”), crafting the rare throwback album that seems relevant today. — Drew Taylor

Courtesy The Hartford Courant