Marc Almond intended Fantastic Star to be a full return to the pop charts in the vein of Tenement Symphony’s successes, but a combination of delays in its completion and release meant that even with a lot of label support it didn’t fully land on arrival. It’s a pity because while it does suffer some from peak CD-era bloat, there are some engaging singles on it signaling his continuing engagement with dance culture (“Adored and Explored’), his never-far appreciation for glam rock (“The Idol”) and his ear for a splashy ballad (the full melodrama of “Child Star”).

– Ned Raggett