- Record Label: Blue Noise
- Release Date: Sep 28, 2010
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Truth be told, finding a clunker on the second half is a tall order and that simple fact is what makes History of Modern so rewarding.
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At its best, History of Modern is to OMD what Secrets is to the Human League: an inspired return from post-punk-turned-synth-pop greats.
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Like Simple Minds, it's not too late for OMD to stride all the way back to greatness. But this album isn't even a stumble in the right direction, and the clock, as always, is ticking.
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While songs 'Bondage Of Fate', 'If You Want It' and 'Sometimes' present a classic vibe, standalone track 'Pulse' is equally akin to the electronic sound of today. Nice touch.
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History of Modern is a record for the die-hard OMD fans only and those who have followed them throughout their career up to their last record 14 years ago might enjoy acquainting themselves with new, but familiar sounds.
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This is an album that celebrates OMD's electric romanticism as purely as ever, with occasional concessions to house music developments made in a way that flatters their own work, part of an impressive desire to keep their original aesthetic . In that respect, it represents a qualified triumph.
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They set the table for a full-on renaissance, then stopped a couple courses short. With judicious programming, the best two-thirds of History of Modern will give you just enough of that old OMD magic to warrant a purchase. The problem is, it's also just enough to make the rest of the album break your heart.
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Q MagazineThis 11th album refines their sound and gives it a modern productive tweak. [Oct 2010, p.112]
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Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's first album in 14 years--and first in 24 to feature the lineup that recorded the bulk of their hits--meticulously returns to the ostensibly perky sound and pensive sensibility of the Merseyside quartet's early-to-mid-'80s heyday.
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It's a return to form only in the sense that it finds OMD, several decades on, still struggling with its identity.
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Dec 21, 2010The results are mixed. The first four tracks are the most rewarding.
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Upon first listen, the crew miss the mark with the unfortunate single, "If You Want It," a trainwreck attempt at a new audience. However, there is nary another song on the album so reprehensible. In fact, there are at least 5 cuts that will have many of you reaching for your disco biscuits and hoping for a Skytel page with the coordinates of an epic warehouse sweatfest.