New Order- Lost Sirens, Depeche Mode – Delta Machine, and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – English Electric: New Wave Is Alive And Well !

                  The three much-anticipated album releases by 80s New Wave icons this early 2013 were completed with the release of OMD’s  12^th  studio album, English Electric last April 8, 2013.  First to be released was New Order’s   Lost Sirens last January 14   followed by Depeche Mode’s  Delta Machine  on March 25.

                Presently,  the Lost Sirens and  Delta Machine   CDs are nowhere to be found   in any of the regular music stores here. Depeche Mode albums are always   pressed  locally  and  so were  the two previous New Order studio albums .   A little more patience, perhaps. To support the local industry , I  still prefer  buying  locally manufactured CDs but to mitigate the  rising cost of production, admittedly the quality of locally manufactured CDds have deteriorated. I’m referring to the packaging and inserts not the actual CD and the sound.   The thought of  the last few remaining music stores here  closing down  is dreadful. Anyway, both albums are available via digital download in  Itunes  Philippines.  However, OMD’s English Electric  for what reason,  is not available in Itunes Philippines and  is unlikely to be sold here locally, so I definitely need  to source a hard copy overseas as many avid local New Wavers  I’m sure already did.

New Order - Lost Sirens

                Lost Sirens is a mini-album with eight tracks. Seven tracks are new releases and one  re-worked( "I Told You So") from their previous album. As the  title implies the songs here are outtakes or unreleased tracks  taken from New Order’s  recording sessions for  Waiting For The Siren's Call  album around 2004-’05. The songs were intended to be included in their follow- up album but due to the band’s  unexpected demise in 2007  they were shelved. 

              After New Order's ressurection in 2011 , the 'lost' songs were finally given the light of day.  New Order's current line-up are: Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris,  Phil Cunningham,   the returning Gillian Gilbert and  new bassist Tom Chapman( replacing founder and bassist Peter Hook). 

                All I can say is.  for an album consisting of outtakes, this has exceeded my expectations . Although it doesn’t have any “Krafty” and “Jetstream,” outstanding  type of  songs ,  it is  more consistent and at times (with its feel good vibes)  more enjoyable  compared with  the parent album itself. Aside for being a nice addition to New Order’s catalogue, this cd is a must- have for New Order   aficionados as this may be the last New Order album with Peter Hook in it.  My favorites tracks are, “I’ll Stay With You” “Sugarcane”, “Hellbent” and I’ve Got a Feeling.”



Depeche Mode - Delta Machine

               

                Delta Machine  is the   13^th    studio album offering from dark-synth guru  Depeche Mode. Among their contemporaries,  Depeche Mode I would say is the most dependable when it comes to producing great albums. They have a formidable back catalogue and have been regularly rolling out new music every  4 years since their 1993 opus Songs of Faith and Devotion. 

                 Delta Machine is another solid release. In fact, I think this has to be among  their most consistent and most accessible music.   Even their great albums in the 80s sort of tapers.  Not this one, as it begins and ends strongly. 

              Compared with their last two releases, the excellent Playing the Angel and Sounds of the Universe , I wasn’t induced  to a narcoleptic  spell in the slow middle part of this album during my initial spins.  In fact, it took me only a few spins to  have a  firm grasp of the entire album.   

               All   twelve  songs are good and memorable. My favorites  however, are “Welcome to My World,” “Angel,” “Heaven,” ”The Child Inside,” "Alone" ”Soothe My Soul”and the  two most  classic-Depeche Mode sounding tracks (surprisingly penned by Gahan) “Broken” and “Should be Higher."

              Although this is a very good album ,  one thing I can say that it lacks when you   compare it  with their previous  releases in the past decade is,   it doesn’t  contain any   strong  song that even non-Depeche Mode fan would take notice of  like “Wrong”, “Precious”, ” A Pain That’ I’m Used to”, and  “Suffer Well ”among others.



OMD - English Electric

               English Electric is OMD’s 12^th studio album and their second since the band reformed in 2005. I thought History of Modern  their 11^th album  was an excellent comeback album. I noted that although it was promoted as having elements that goes as far  back as 1981, it is more connected to the polished pop ( to a positive sense) sound of  OMD in the 1990s under  McCluskey’s sole helm.

                      English Electric, stylistically marks a return or revisits the classic  OMD  in their golden period of  Architecture and Morality  in 1981 and in their most experimental album  Dazzleship in 1983. 

   For me this album is a  paradox. 

         First, this excellent release  sounds very fresh and invigorating  although it has many  references to  their previous works and past influences. “Metroland” has an obvious Kraftwerk-ish sound. “Kissing the Machine” is actually a track written by Karl Bartos (formerly of Kraftwerk) and Andy McCluskey that already appeared in the former’s  album more that 20 years ago. It was re-worked for this  OMD release. “Helen of Troy,” an odd choice for a subject in a pop song  reminded  me of “Joan of Arc.” "Dresden” has some influences  from  “Sister Marie Says” and “Enola Gay.”  Paul Humphreys even checked in with a gorgeous ballad,  “Stay With Me” which somewhat reminded me of "Souvenir."  The album itself was patterned after   Dazzleship with the following tracks, “Please Remain Seated,” ”The Future Will Be Silent,” “Decimal,” and “Atomic Ranch”   consisting  of   music–collage, seeming voice samplings,  futuristic  and  robotic blips and synth  sequences  among others. 

                             Second,  owing  to its very experimental nature, Dazzleship is actually my least- favorite OMD album; but " English Electric” which  is undoubtedly   a modern take on Dazzleship,  blew me away.

                    Despite its unconventionality, it is concise, cohesive, very listenable,  highly enjoyable and I would say recommendable even to non-OMD fanatics . It  easily thumps  History of Modern  which  I  consider as  among their best work. Perhaps with some modern touch, they achieved a fine balance between their old  quirky experimental stuff and  their fine pop sensibilities here.

                           Aside from the first single, ”Metroland”, “Night Café”, “Helen of Troy”, ”Kissing The Machine”, “Stay With Me”, and  “Dresden” are all  potential  singles.  

                            All in all, I think this is a   triumphant OMD release and will definitely sit among their best works.

                 Adding these three  albums from  New Order,  Depeche Mode, and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark to their previous releases (' 90s and '00s),  as well as that from Morrissey, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Church, U2, Pet Shop Boys, Bad Lieutenant, Wild Swans,  Roddy Frame, Lotus Eaters, and Duran Duran among many others,  reinforces the fact that New Wave music has always been  alive and well.