“a surprisingly welcome return that we presume no one suspected coming, or even requested...”; release – 2010
These days, yesterday’s successful bands linger into old age like hobbies in the shed and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are the latest to be pulled from the dust and spider webs.
OMD, a name gloriously hung-over from prog rock, last had a hit of any size in 1988, although it’s unlikely anyone noticed, and remain best known for their 1980/81 synth heyday of ‘Enola Gay’ and ‘Joan of Arc’. They disbanded in 1996, but the original line-up have reconvened, and this lead single from their upcoming album History of Modern exposes yet another influence of The Killers, with singer Andy McCluskey’syearn an equal to the currently solo Brandon Flowers.
For OMD little has changed, with Peter Saville on sleeve duties and the kitchen sink production possibly sounding overinflated to modern ears, although the elegant Villa Nah remix strips it beautifully back. Although lyrically underwhelming, this is reflective electronic music that few people are making anymore, and thus is a surprisingly welcome return that we presume no one suspected coming, or even requested. It leaves the sense that the new album will be worth a listen, which as a lead single, means it has done its job.