With Client B, aka Sarah Blackwood, out of the group, Client's 2014 album Authority welcomes new vocalist Nicole Thomas, aka Client N, to the group, but that's just one reason this is Client 2.0.
Gone are the strict robot rules and minimal techno of the early years, as big and busy dancefloor fillers like "You Can Dance" suggest a detached Erasure gone a little goth.
"Refuge" is a luxurious, sweeping tune where the only detachment comes from Client N's lyrics and down dominatrix delivery, and while cold-hearted electro numbers like "XXX Action" and "Obsession" harken back to the heavy concept days of Client A and Client B, the album's best moments come when Client N gets to play up her love of the grand and the goth.
Consider it an album that Ladytron, Clan of Xymox, Gary Numan, and New Order fans can agree on, or consider it an improvement, or in keeping with the computer woman concept, reboot, and upgrade.