Mark Baker, Gareth Milburn, Lee Smith and Paolo Di Liberto are Burn The Negative, a nu-wave electro pop band which has had a whirlwind of success since forming in 2008.

Moving on from their highly successful debut album, In The Atmosphere (2009), this band have matured in sound and have a new lease of life with the arrival of the newest member, Liberto who has taken over synth and programming duties.

How To Weigh The Human Soul is Burn The Negative’s long awaited album. The creative vision for this album is drawn from different characteristics of individuals and their personalities. The title itself references the theory that the human body loses 21 grams upon death begging the question, ‘Is this the weight of the human soul?’ This is the idea that drives the core of the album.

This is a very '80s sounding pop/rock infusion of music with a little disco thrown into the mix. ‘You Are Hollywood’ is a prime example of this. The vocals are pure '80s soft rock, with a pop melody mixed with guitars and synths.

‘Insert Replace’ is a complete '80s throwback of all the pop and rock songs from this era. Electric guitars and synths take over whilst there is a distinct feel of a disco vibe. This is one of the strangest combinations I have heard in a long time but somehow it seems to work.

This is certainly a catchy album which oozes confidence and creativity with each song on the CD.

I really like Burn The Negative, although something tells me I should be cringing at the pure thought of their sound. I think it’s the way this band have just gone ahead and brought out their style for all to listen to and if you don’t like it then tough. It’s the sheer bullishness I like about them and the fact that they aren’t afraid to try new things.

8

Helena Rea