Forever Young

Alphaville's debut turns bright synthesizer lines and clear pop choruses towards subjects that are often less comfortable than the music first suggests. Marian Gold's voice gives the arrangements a dramatic centre, moving from controlled verses into large, sustained hooks without losing its slightly distant character.

“Big in Japan” and “Sounds Like a Melody” provide the rhythmic lift. The title track slows the record's pulse and lets its anxiety about time and survival come forward. That mixture of pleasure and unease helps the songs hold together.