It took 13 years for DESIRE to follow-up their acclaimed self-titled debut album with ‘Escape’ but it’s taken just under 3 years for ‘Games People Play’ to emerge containing “twenty love songs for your dreams…”

Led by Megan Louise with Johnny Jewel at her side in the production seat, DESIRE are now very much the highest profile of act on Italians Do It Better and seemingly on an endless world tour. Unfolding like a game of chess with Megan Louise as the latex-clad queen, fate as the dealer and love as the wager, the shadowy premise of ‘Games People Play’ is “Checkmate is inevitable – but who will make the final move?”

Opener ‘Darkside’ offers the classic dreamy side of DESIRE while the enigmatic ‘Russian Roulette’ is an eerie ivory laden spoken word en Français. Flutey and French, ‘Réflexion Sous La Pluie’ allures as a vibey ballad that sits well alongside the atmospheres of ‘Demons In The Rain’.

On the other side of the coin, ‘Human Nature’ is danceable pop DESIRE with ‘Vampire’ providing a Germanic flavour while borrowing the synth line of ‘The Boys Of Summer’. Popwave and techno make their presence felt on ‘Dangerous Drug’ and ‘Dream Girl’ respectively.

A frequent purveyor of cover versions, DESIRE’s take on ‘Tell It To My Heart’ is elegantly nocturnal, as is the gentle self-penned ‘I Know’ which concludes with a particularly spicy arpeggiated twist. There’s a sharp cascading synth instrumental in ‘Sometimes’ but ‘The Judge’ is artful and alluring with an enticing percussive backdrop while ‘Love Races On’ is an airy slice of electronic pop.

The arpeggio laden bounce of ‘Cold As Ice’ is not a cover of the near-namesake Italian disco number by Grant Miller but throws in orchestral stabs while Italo house stomper ‘Drama Queen’ comes with a Madonna ‘Vogue’ type rap.

It would be fair to say in its second half, ‘Games People Play’ is particularly moody with Johnny Jewel providing a fitting cinematic backdrop with Megan Louise resigned to the way the chess game is playing out.

Maybe there is too much to take in and while the styles are varied, all types of DESIRE are represented. There is something for everyone so if in doubt, compile a playlist to suit your own DESIRE.

‘Games People Play’ is released by Italians Do It Better, streaming links at https://idib.ffm.to/gamespeopleplay

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Text by Chi Ming Lai
20th March 2025