"Maximum Big Surpriiiize!" Just as "Election Day" chug-a-lugs into its inevitable, Duran-patented chorus, Simon Le Bon lets loose one of those grandiloquent whines guaranteed to raise goose flesh on fans and enemies alike. But Arcadia – Simon, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor's answer to the Power Station – isn't even a tiny little jolt. For all their talk of mapping new musical territory, the "thoughtful" half of Duran Duran hasn't strayed far from home at all. Despite the presence of studio stalwarts like bassist Mark Egan and guest shots by Grace Jones and Sting, So Red the Rose sounds like a Duran Duran album or, more often, outtakes from a Duran Duran album.

Of course, that's all a million customers need to know, and Arcadia certainly won't disappoint the faithful. On "Election Day" and songs like "Good-bye Is Forever," Simon's, uh, peculiar delivery turns tenth-grade creative-writing-class couplets into quavering hooks over Roger Taylor's steadfast beat; Nick Rhodes fills in the gaps with staccato synth blasts and droning Enoesque tape treatments. "Keep Me in the Dark," with its quietly melodic guitar line, recalls Aralon without Roxy Music's reservoir of tension; on "The Promise," Egan's lubricated bass line contrasts nicely with Simon's hog-calling tenor. In fact, it's because all the playing is so crisp and the production so clean that Arcadia's limitations stand out so clearly: in the end, every speck of an idea is embellished and underscored, milked for more than it's worth. Besides blatant filler like "Rose Arcana," there are even time-honored tricks like an extended-fade fake ending – ooh, guys, how brilliant.

So Red the Rose reveals absolutely nothing under the makeup – like the Power Station's record, it's proficient, serviceable pop without any unifying drive or purpose. And no matter how obnoxious (or not) you may have found them, personality is one thing Duran Duran never lacked. (RS 465)

MARK COLEMAN