All right, yesterday I checked my Pop 7Inch box and decided to post five of these this week. Whether you like is another question. It starts with music from England: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (O.M.D.) are a four piece formed in Wirral/Merseyside, in 1978. They consists of co-founders Andy McCluskey (vocals/bass & guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboards/vocals), along with Martin Cooper (various instruments) and Stuart Kershaw (drums); McCluskey has been the only constant member. Regarded as pioneers of electronic music, O.M.D. combined an experimental, minimalist ethos with pop sensibilities, becoming central figures in the late-1970s/early-1980s emergence of synth-pop. A review:
"This lovely single from June 1984 had whimsy written all over it. The crystalline melody spills out like tinkling bells and the keyboards splash about in effervescent bubbles of riffs, while the synths provide a warm undertow to the sound. But, as evanescent as it all is, the solid rhythm beating underneath pushes a shimmering song straight onto the dancefloor. Although "Talking Loud And Clear" is quite sophisticated in arrangement, musicianship, and production, O.M.D. still manage to create the most childlike of milieus, capturing both the naïveté of youth and a gentle joie de vivre within its atmosphere. This aura dovetails perfectly with the lyrics, which take delight in resurrecting an idyllic moment in time, "lying in the grass with the sun on our backs," and the reaching of a perfect understanding between two companions. Deftly penned, the lyrics could alternately describe the close friendships of childhood or a more adult moment of love. Spun off the group's Junk Culture album, the splendor of "Talking Loud And Clear" wafted straight up the British charts to number 11." (Dave Thompson)
They're still active and certainly a little change from everyday Punk life.
No comments:
Post a Comment