Reviews (page 2 of 7)
nice
Dit album heeft een fijne afwisseling tussen experimentele muziek en commercieel in het gehoor liggende nummers. De heren knutselen er met het keyboard vrolijk op los en komen met een lekker strak geluid, dat toch warm klinkt en een plaat lang blijft boeien. Goed gedaan. Bij tijd en wijlen klinkt het een beetje als de soundtrack voor de tv-serie Robin of Sherwood, het wordt me nu duidelijk waar Clannad de mosterd vandaan heeft gehaald...
This is really, really interesting. At points you get very early industrial looping à la SPK or TG, at others you get sweeping Vangelis-esque noises. It is not weighed down at all by the more experimental noises in the same way a more traditional industrial experience might be, but it still doesn't leave an overly sweet taste in your mouth at any given point. I think this is a very difficult balance to strike! The Mellotron is pulling a lot of weight here without leaning into the "dated" sound often associated with it now. I adore the ease of transition between eerie synths and pop beats. AND it does not overstay its welcome! A really strong New Wave piece :)
I've never heard of this band or album and had no idea what to expect. This kinda blew me away. It was so lovely to my ears and felt like a delicious meal from beginning to The Beginning And The End. I'm giving a quick rating based on my first listen since I'm trying to get caught up today, but I think the 5 would still stand after a couple more listens.
This is why I signed up for this... I have been aware of Orchestral Manoeuvres for quite a while but never really dove in. Fantastic album.
dang this one had some sleeper jams that i def grooved with, hit the iwym sweetspot
Gonna be thinking about this one for a while
Awesome
This would sound fresh and original if it came out ten years from now. The first track starts off strong, and everything feels unique but still perfectly placed and integral to the flow of the album.
New Wave sounds. Reminds of other bands like The The, The Smiths, New Order. Great arrangements, feels big but not over-produced - meaning the production makes sense, there’s nothing jarring. I need to give another listen to pick out particularly notable songs from the album, but I enjoyed two full play throughs. One of my top genres, so I’m excited to find this album for this first time!
Five starts for the original album. The additional tracks added to the album do not quite reach that standard, so would lose half a star for that!
OMD
An EPIC New Wave Synth Album I can get behind. Lapping this up. Lovely!
first time listening to something from this group, really dark and gloomy synthpop that hits the spot just right. incredible stuff
It has to be featured in “all-time” lists. Synth-pop at its finest.
Completely forgot how much I completely love this.
Really really good. finally some good fucking food
Absolutely marvelous album! Songs that are as fresh as in the day they're released. I had a wonderful time listening to this album and reliving old memories, memories that go back to when I was a young teenager and we got together in groups, at some friends house, listening to this and having a great time <3 Can we go back in time, please?
OMG OMD!! Instant 5 but I'm listening to it again—more music of my teen years.
Never listened to this before although a good part of it was familiar as it contains three big hit UK singles 'Souvenir', 'Joan of Arc' and 'Maid of Orleans' which are all great. The whole things screams early 80s (a la Ultravox and to a slightly lesser extent The Human League), but the album is a moody treat.
Fun and clever pop. A gem.
Pet fav songs: The New Stone Age; Sealand; Maid of Orleans; Architecture and Morality. Heard of OMD and listened to couple songs in the past but never a full album. This was quite the revelation. Coming out in 1981, OMD put their mark on the synth-pop sound recognizable as "aggressively 80s". (To quote my husband.) Add the minimalist album art and pretentious title, there is so much to love. Definitely will have pride of place on my list of all-time favorite albums.
An album and band I’d never heard of before, and a love it. It’s like meeting the Cure’s dad. For coming out in ‘81 some of the sounds on the album are wild. Unexpected five stars.
water magic music...river stream energy...just teaming with life and i can see all thru it and its cleansing and man ghsjdghjsd this had a rly strong effect on me tbh. i do remember liking it years and years ago and i think since then ive only grown larger in my love of this kind of synthesizer. sealand is an absurdly good setpiece on which the whole record pivots, just so soaky and wonderful, and everything else is pop songs that are as economic as they are lush and ornate. a huge amount of emotion, desperation, and warmth soaks thru all of it. impressionist emotional landscapes...super glad to rediscover this
80s baby
Omnipotent Musical Deities Obviously Much Dancing Oh My Days
this was freaking cool!!
I'm writing this review a few days before Valentine's Day, so maybe love is simply in the air, but this New Romantic, synth-pop masterwork took me completely off guard and sent my heart to the moon.
Considering when this appeared, I cannot but understand this as both genre defining and a technological milestone. By today's standards it might feel a little outdated, but that is rather because so much of the sounds and tools have stood the test of time and have been transferred to technologically advanced tools and environments. What an innovative record at that time. And the songs are mostly great and surely prepared the ground for what came in most of the 80ies. In retrospective, a great record with too many copyists to follow suite.
She’s Leaving
Groupe connu. Cet album fait partie de mes préférés. J'avais été conquis par les hits (Souvenir, Joan of Arc) qui passaient souvent à la radio à l'époque. Je l'avais donc acheté sur cassette, et je ne m'en suis jamais lassé. Le groupe était au top de sa créativité (de mon point de vue jamais retrouvée après), tous les morceaux sont excellents. Nouvelles sonorités, morceaux plus expérimentaux, tout y est ! Il mérite la meilleure note. =>5/5
Tolle 80er Musik! Großartige, harmonische Melodien.
I don’t know if I’ve ever listened to this all the way through before. It’s up there with Upstairs at Eric’s as a classic 80s electronic album. Brilliant.
Amazing classic EDM with more depth than its modern counterparts
I expected to see Dazzle Ships but this album and OMD and Organisation and Crush are also all 5 stars.
Fantastic!
When I was young, I often listened to Dazzle Ship, the successor to this album, and was thrilled. Much of this album reminded me of it. I only knew Joan of Arc from earlier times. Overall, I really liked the album. I should add OMD to my music feed more often. 5/5
Megahits: Souvenir, Joan Of Arc
This is why I love this project. This album is like the soundtrack to an 80s movie. I also feel like it could have been just released. Either way, I’ve not heard of the ban or the album or a single song before today and I LOVED it.
loved it. new wave proto synth pop? sign me up! souvenir is 🫦🤌
I'm genuinely pretty shocked by how much I loved this album. Its totally brilliant. I've never listened to OMD before and am now going to have to go on a journey learning all about them. This album is excellent - lots of changes and difference in the tracks, Its a very good listen. Favourite song: Sealand and Joan of Arc Least favourite: Architecture and Morality Album artwork: Great cover
A pitch perfect slice of clattering and industrial early synth pop.
Loved it
Part of the 80's soundtrack they are always going to be a great band
This was such a surprise. I loved the album, it was the perfect mix of 80s synth and dystopian/moody lyrics. So happy to have found this project and discovered such amazing music through it.
I agree with Moby that this is a perfect album. Such a great sound, and some real banging tunes. I love the way they almost completely avoid choruses.
Masterful
Das ist eines meiner Lieblingsalben in meiner Hörgeschichte der Popmusik. Ich habe OMD in München bevor das Album in Deutschland live erleben dürfen. Extra wurde dieses Album auf meine Bestellung hin aus England importiert. OMD war nach Kraftwerk für mich die Innovation der Elektro- und Synthesizer Musik. Wunderbare Arrangements und Kompositionen experimentiell vorgetragen. Eine Offenbarung für mich. Und dieses Duo hat für mich an Faszination bis heute nichts verloren. "Joan of Arc" (zwei Versionen) sind die ganz großen Hits geworden. Vor allem die "Maid of Orleans"-Version. Meine Prophezeiung damals, dass OMD Nr.1 wird in den Charts, wurde damals belächelt. Noch heute lächle ich darüber!
Good
Megahits: Souvenir, Joan Of Arc.
God tier synth pop from two of the best to ever do it (and one of Peter Saville finest album covers to boot)
Some very interesting compositions, a good time
Blew me away. What a great cohesive sound while varying in songwriting so much. Need to revisit ASAP!
I had listened to a couple OMD songs in the past but never a full album until now. Listening through feels like a journey through landscapes. I love the way the vocals and the synths paint a mood. Some of the tracks remind me of contemporary songs I was listening to from a decade ago whilst this was existing in the 80s. I enjoyed every track and they all worked well together and I think that makes a subtle yet great album.
Put these synthesizers directly into my veins
I never really listened to these guys before. They're somewhere between The Smiths and New Order and I love it.
This was such an enchanting surprise. I've always loved Magnetic Fields so the instrumentaition felt so strangely familiar, long before I ever made the connection. Dark, poppy, fun, sometimes trance-like. I'm in!
Really cool synth album, given this came out in 1981 I'm willing to guess it's pretty foundational to what has become an iconic soundscape of the 80s.
Architecture & Morality I was quite late in discovering how good OMD and their early albums are. The first 4 or 5 are excellent listens, but this is probably my favourite one. The Bowie (Low quite obviously), Eno, Kraftwerk influences are clear, as they are for many of the late 70s/early 80s synthpop bands, but OMD take it in a slightly different direction, blending experimental sounds, textures & rhythms with more overtly pop melodies and hooks. They are one of the best of those bands at merging a cool/minimalist technological structure with a human and emotional connection. There are no obvious bangers like Electricity or Enola Gay, but The New Stone Age, She’s Leaving (this is clearly a big inspiration for LCD Sound Systems last album), Souvenir, both Joan of Arcs are the stand outs for me. I don’t think there’s a weak moment though - it’s a full cohesive album that rewards repeated listens. Great band, great album ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So strange, I loved it.
There's always a little concern when an album that much-loved aback in the day but has been off the radar for years, crops up on here, especially with a band like OMD who seemed very '80's No need to worry on this one it's as good as it ever was.
Excellent, A+.
A pleasant surprise! I'd not knowingly listened to Orchestral Manoeuvres in The Dark but found a lot to love on this idiosyncratic synth pop record. It's alternately eerie and triumphant, with odd but thoughtful arrangement choices throughout. The sequencing is really sublime as well, drifting into a meditative and atmospheric mood before hitting you with another dose of sugar. At times, it feels a cousin to Bowie's lauded late 70s albums, at other times a precursor to Spacemen 3 or The Cure's Disintegration. But what really sells it for me is the band's ability to deliver a perfect hook when the moment calls for it. I listened to this album a few times days apart and was left humming many of the melodies to myself in the interim. Best discovery in a while! Rating: 4.5/5 Favourite tracks: She's Leaving, Souvenir, Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)
Honestly this album is great. Not quite sure what it is about it, but it’s firing on all cylinders for me.
oooooh i loved loved loved loved this, im so happy i found them, and i don’t even care that they’re weird and seemingly boring, i think they’re just so cool and made me feel nostalgic for a time i wasn’t even born.
Love this album. I’ve listened to it 3 times, start to finish. You can hear the Kraftwerk influence merging with more wistful memories. Powerful and rich music. The first song on the album, The New Stone Age, is unexpected and captivating. A faultless work of art. Really interesting.
Very cool! I only knew the single „maid of Orleans“ but the album has so much more to offer. From almost industrial sounding soundscapes to fast post punk, there is everything!
I was so surprised by this album. Beautiful, weird, experimental, synth vibes. An unexpected 5 stars.
One of the soundtracks of my youth! Great memories. Love it!! 5/5 ⭐️
The only time I’ve really heard this type of music was in Stranger Things LOL. “Sealand” was beautiful, loved the instruments for the majority of the song and then his voice came in sounding like an Angel ascending from heaven. Blessed. Love the whale noises in “ Joan of Arc”, wait… in the first “Joan Of Arc”. Why are there two? The Wiki says it’s inspired by religious music which I definitely heard, and kinda made me feel like I back in Sunday School with my whole family. Weirdly nostalgic. I’ve wanted to cry in the corner in the fetal position to a couple of these songs. There’s a part of me that wasn’t awaken until I listened to this album, like I was coming out as gay or something. I absolutely loved this. 10/10
Brilliantly innovative
this album is pretty neat. it's got that classic 80s synthpop sound, but is very interestingly sparse sounding. and i don't think that detracts from the music, it gives it more of a pleasant, ethereal feeling. i particularly enjoyed the hooky synth lines and the sound of the singer's voice, i found it particularly calming. enjoyable!
Megahits: Souvenir, Joan Of Arc
10/10 amazing synth pop
What a glorious remaster
This album blew me away. It's hard to believe that it didn't receive the best of reviews when it was released. It starts with a dark new wave song, but cycles through baroque pop, synth pop, and just overall wonderfully layered and compelling music. The vocal samples are stunning.
I didn't think they could get better than Organisation's, but I was really blown away by this record. It's so lush and beautiful, with lovely multi-layered melodious synths that bring emotions that reminds me why I love synthpop so much. It's atmospheric and otherworldly with introspective yet simple and somewhat cryptic lyrics that I can relate to. It just kept getting better and better with each song. The synth effects are so versatile and creative, they keep me engaged each second, and I just wish some of these went on for 10 minutes, and I'm glad there were more ambient ones like "Sealand" that did. I love the use of space to give me time to appreciate everything that's going on. Some super bright pieces like "Joan of Arc" and some super dark industrial pieces like "Architecture and Morality". I hear Eno a lot in this, like "The Beginning and the End" could almost be from Another Green World. They're also pretty complex and evolve... I was pretty shocked when songs like "Georgia" just took a 180. Exciting opener, great build up, and a satisfying conclusion with every song being memorable, there's not much more I could ask for.
Unexpectedly wonderful. I didn’t expect to like ‘Architecture & Morality’, and initially I didn’t. I found it harsh and cold. However, it couldn’t be further from the truth and further listening confirmed this. It’s full of textures and layers, typically vague but interesting lyrics, and beautiful atmospheric synth soundscapes that envelop you. On a quality sound system or hi-fi this would blow you away. An amazing record.
Fuck. Ya.
OMD provided a unique view into music in what felt like an attempt to do the most they could with music and technology in the 80's. Testing the limits of experimental sounds and still harmonizing in a congruent manner. Again, I enjoyed this, I truly hope to remember this when someone asks for an 80's recommendation. Ethan, did you crumb at the sound of this album?
outstanding
J’ai dû me rabattre sur une version live, car je n’avais pas accès à l’album original sur mes plateformes. Mais j’ai adoré ça. Tellement typique 80, mais avec une identité propre. J’ai aimé la voix et l’énergie. Je réécouterai
this might be the soundtrack to my life 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
What to write. Pure genius. Sealand is fucking incredible. Funnily enough I am currently working my way through a Depeche Mode challenge from start to finish and this just blows everything they were up to until about 5 years later out of the water. I'm only sad I only got around to listening to this about 5 years back, as I've been missing out, one of the best records ever made.
Melkeinpä jopa ajatonta - kuitenkin 80 luku paistaa pikkasen läpi - kuitenkin - syntikkaa hillitty... Ei poraa päähän.. Äänet tarkasti sijoiteltuja ja muodostettuja - niillä on luotu prkeleen kauniita kokonaisuuksia...
HL: "Maid of Orleans", "She's Leaving", "Souvenir" First heard "Maid of Orleans" earlier this year at a record shop, Shazam informed me that it was just a demo from "Architecture & Morality: The Singles". Not on Apple Music, but it was worth the extra effort to locate it. Beautiful, almost ambient-at-times, synth pop. Proves that there's more to OMD than "If You Leave" anyway. October 12, 2022
:')
Excelente!
Really enjoyed this album
Megahits: Souvenir, Joan Of Arc
No sé. Es que empieza bien, y continúa maso. Me gusta porque es chill y darketona, pero también hubo multiples momentos en los que pensé que estaba de hueva el mood, supo go que un poco ese era el punto . Fav: The New Stone Age (rolón)
Muy estraño, pero muy interesante. Me gustó creo todo, aunque lo identifico más para moods muy exactos. Entre movido de repente, sombrío, todo synth, a veces darks, no sé. "The New Stone Age", "Souvenir", "Sealand", "Sacred Heart", entre mis favs. No skips. 9.5/10
beautiful in an unexpected way
very nice!!!
Am I an asshole for actually liking this a lot? I feel kinda gross.
Brilliant!
Beautiful! I really enjoyed this one, and will definitely check out more OMD. It's not enough just having "If You Leave" in my music library.
Really excellent new wave - varied and fun, perhaps sounding better today than it did in 81. New to me, and really enjoyed.
Un clavier and I'm sold, entre 3 et 4 là pour ma part
This is a very finely crafted album drawing clear influences from Kraftwerk and Bowie's more experimental krautrock work and it's a clear indicator of where synth pop and new wave was headed in the next decade. It manages to be quite poppy, but there's also some subtle experimentalism happening throughout. At times it actually feels a bit industrial and it never fully slips into the gimmicky or cheap feeling I sometimes get with 80s pop music.
I bought this album when released and played it then relentlessly. Not so much nowadays until today when it popped up on my list. Happy to report that it has not lost any of its sparkle. Full of memorable melodies which took me back to those heady 80’s days and left me with a yearning for those days again. Always a good sign when music takes you back and fills you with happy memories. The albums infatuation towards Joan of Arc forced me down a rabbit hole to refresh myself about her life. A regular spin off when following this list and something interesting crops up. 4/5 13/6/26
The 80's are calling....
I like their synth style
Surprisingly fun and varied. I was caught off guard by the deep soulful synths and kind of progressive moodiness of this record. Kind of felt like George Michael and U2 at the same time.
Enjoyed most of this, Souvenir especially. Could take or leave Sealand and Georgia but went for the rest
I love OMD, this is probably my favorite synth pop album of this first wave in the 80s. Their Electricity single on Factory Records always blows my mind how far ahead these guys were. Rating: 4.5
Oooooooo la la. This starts with a team that the likes of Django Django, the rice cake eating band and their ilk must love, then something that half the bands of the 2000s must have poured over. Great album, a sound and style that has come round time and again. Really cracking find.
what a nice surprise
Maid of Orleans was the biggest „Wait, i DO know this band!“-moment i had so far. And it’s the song that made the whole album click for me. From that moment on i really enjoyed all the tracks on a subsequent second listen. OMI put some really cool experiments with synth-pop to record that reveal their little details and pling-plongs over time. The biggest problem i have are the vocals, especially on the first track. But they got better as the album went on and are overall quite sparse. A really cool discovery!
Extended Souvenir is very nice; everything else feels on the more experimental side with middling success, until the end of the album when the last three tracks bring back some consistency
I’m glad I gave this a second listen. Don’t care for title track and Sealand, but this is a solid album. Like a more electronica The Cure.
Feel like this is pulling (quite successfully) from a number of different influences. There's a little Kraftwerk, a little Berlin-era Bowie and a little new wave thrown in the mix. It maybe never quite reaches the heights of those influences, but what it does offer is still well worth a listen
So close to perfection but misses the mark slightly, the middle of the album is a little chocked down with only okay songs. New Wave is cool though and more people should know this, with this album being super influential.
As far as I know I'd only heard "If You Stay" and "Enola Gay" by OMD prior to this. This album was a thrilling new discovery for me. I immediately fell in love with "The New Stone Age," and while I wish more of the album were like that, the album as a whole is excellent and something I'll return to. As a longtime AFI fan, I can really hear Andy McCluskey's influence on Davey Havok's vocals.
Great album, classy and well produced.
One of those bands I know have influenced a billion bands I like but never actually listened to them. This was good! Heavily 80s, almost too much at times, but these beats and synth sounds are magic. Can really see where Sleaford Mods and Gorillaz and countless other modern loop based bands got their sound from.
i missed this like a week ago so im lisnin 2 it now, but yo this is groovy as hell!! kinda reminds me of depeche mode, whom i luv
idk guys, I really dug this. I think if it was like a half of its runtime, it would be perfect. the first half of the album really really had me at times!!
Definitely some interesting stuff.
Not usually a fan of 80s new wave but found myself really enjoying this one. It's less pop-y than a lot of other new wave, and the soundscapes on this record are really nice. Liked this one!
Really liking this so far. Not a perfect album but enjoyable and different. Low 4. 3.6/5
Muy experimental para mi
Sounded great! Loved extended souvenir and sacred heart, but the whole thing was exactly my sonic palette
Miles better than I was expecting.
Superb Souvenir is a classic Like it a lot Hope to hear more Omd..oh my days. Good
Great album! I honestly didn’t know what to expect. It’s honestly pushing perfect for me. I didn’t like the singing at times, not that it was bad but because I was vibing with the instrumentals. Feels like an awesome retro game soundtrack.
Lots of fun noises
To me, OMD were a band who did high-NRG synth pop in the early 90s. So it was a pleasant surprise that this record from earlier in their career reminded more of New Order with it's glacial sound and sense of foreboding. I really liked Seapand ans the title track, didn't really enjoy Souvenir which was the hit song from the album, but was pretty meh to me..
I liked this Took me a while to get used to the vocals, but the music got me from the off Good stuff
This was a good album. It could have been a created in the 2000’s
iloveit
Loved this album for years
Really pushed the boundaries of what you could do with a synth at the time. Enjoyed this a lot
Not too catchy, good background music. 3.5/5
Fun synth pop with great melodies and vocals. :)
A resounding yes! Some twitchy post punk, synth soundscapes, and pop gems that would settle nicely into a John Hughes movie (as would later happen). Makes me want to dig deeper into the OMD discography. A terrific surprise.
I can't decide if this is something I like or not. There are elements that I recognise as inspiration for other artists. I might revisit, but most likely it will remain out of rotation. 4
Great synth pop. Deserves more listens. Poppy with just the right amount of chaos.
This album became an archetype of future synth/new wave songs. There are a couple of all-time great songs on here. Pitchfork: 8.7 Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs Souvenir Sealand Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans) Georgia
chyba mój faworyt do tej pory
I only knew this band from their 80's hit "If You Leave " a synth pop ballad, so was very pleasantly surprised by this one. It starts off in a really interesting way with odd mechanical noises evolving into the beat driven, angsty "The New Stone Age." From there, the songs are a bit more romantic and grandly orchestral. I love "Souvenir," "Joan of Arc," and "Maiden of Orleans," and these guys bring a lot of literary and intellectual heft to these songs. This is much different and more interesting than so much of the other stuff that was coming out at that time. I probably wouldn't have been interested in it at that time, being more into poppier bands like The Cars and the 80's new wave/synth pop MTV stable of artists. Also love the spaciousness of these songs and how they're allowed to breathe. Want to listen to more of these guys.
I dont know if you could choose a more pretentious band name, but that being said, wow, this kind of blew me away. Corners a niche for me. I often love minimalist compositions in classical and electronic/ambient music, which go for simple, sometimes drawn out, beautiful melodies. And I love a lot of 80s synth pop/new wave. So pretty much bound to enjoy this one. Unpredictable and fun listen with a strange beauty to it, and clearly inspired loads of brilliant music
I feel that way more of these synth driven albums should have been selected for the 80s decade. Glad that this one was included. While I enjoy some OMD's later tracks more than these, I admit that this is probably the most consistent album all the way through that OMD ever released. I enjoyed the spartan lyrics, allowing space for them to sink in, and leaving plenty of headroom for the instrumental meditation. It is clear to me that this had an impact on the sound of the beloved Depeche Mode album, A BROKEN FRAME that would come out in 1982. Favorites: "The New Stone Age", "She's Leaving", "Souvenir" I even enjoyed the electronic symphonic risks of something like "Sealand" and "Architecture and Morality" that modern audiences wouldn't have the patience for or the understanding of. "Joan of Arc" and "Maid of Orleans" are delightfully creepy AF. I think the lyrics on "The Beginning and the End" exceeded their grasp, but the melody was quite pleasant at conveying an optimistic somber about the ending of relationships and the implied beginning of something new...
Mycket intressant. Helt klart positivt överraskad. Bitvis känns den väldigt modern. Kul. Kommer nog lyssna vidare på delar. Coolio!
Grym skiva med cool och varierad atmosfär. Imponerande att den släpptes redan 1981. Inte riktigt uppe på högsta betyg, men en klar fyra som får mig sugen på mer OMD.
this made me feel like that dude on a skateboard drinking cranberry juice and singing fleetwood mac
Interesting mix
Not sure I have any emotional attachment to this, but it sounds nice.
This was too long, but I really liked Joan of Arc and Extended Souvenir. It’s a little more sparse than most of the electronic we’ve heard. Combined with the rest of it being pretty consistent, it gets a light 4.
I get nervous when I see albums like this, but I actually enjoyed this! My favorite songs were Joan of Arc (made of Orleans)- I could definitely see myself listening to this on repeat! And I also liked Motion and Heart! Rating: 3.5/5
Solid album, only knew one song going in and gained a few more keepers.
Nice
Very enjoyable soft rock
A lot of the song writing isn’t there for me, but I love the way this album sounds. Never been particularly into synth pop, but this album has such an interesting full body texture that a lot of synth stuff doesn’t. Liked this much more than I would have expected.
mellow synth-pop with a couple of bangers
odd and cool. right up my alley. very atmospheric too, I'll probably return to this
Cold, uncomprimising Scousers occasionally let the sun in through drawn blinds. It shows that behind all of the electronics, there are hearts beating. Best Tracks: She's Leaving; Souvenir; Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)
Nice I like it
It's some typical 80s synth-pop, but that doesn't make it a bad thing. Solid 4 Stars.
Better than I thought it would be: synthy, moody and catchy. I enjoyed this.
In the midst of this anglocentric list, which seems at points to have one too many british entries, this I must say was a pleasing and interesting addition to the list. 9/10 [KEEP]
for an album i thought i was going to hate, i really enjoyed this.
An eclectic mix, but I generally really liked it. Moody and interesting, if a little inconsistent.
Orchestral Manœuvres in the Dark (OMD) were yet another British band that, as far as I can tell, took their home country by storm but didn't nearly match that appeal here in the US. it's probably because of the way they spelled the word "maneuvers". I can imagine American boomers in 1981 perusing record shops looking at this cover art and going "what the hell is that O-E Eurotrash business?" before promptly passing on a pretty great record! (OMD would eventually score a big hit here with "If You Leave", recorded for the Pretty in Pink soundtrack, but not for another five years.) if Architecture & Morality is anything to go off of, I suppose it's not that shocking that OMD didn't appeal widely to Americans; even if David Bowie was priming my country's ears to the sounds of synthesizers at the time through albums like the "Berlin trilogy", this was probably asking quite a lot of us. I'd wager that many of the Americans who bought Low enjoyed it well enough, but eventually went back to Ziggy or Diamond Dogs. plus, OMD's usage of electronics in a pop context bordered on the avant-garde even at the best of times. a song like "She's Leaving" or the first "Joan of Arc" is, underneath it all, just your average three-chord pop song in the vein of the early Beatles (another band from Liverpool that left a pretty big mark on music), but the aural presentation couldn't be further away! the moment that really made my jaw drop was "Souvenir". holy cow, what a track. it feels like a Dijon song sent back 45 years into the past and a continent away! the synth hook is just stunning. there's lots of interesting quirks in this tracklist—the back-to-back songs about different Joans of Arc, the 8-minute ambient closer on the A-side—but "Souvenir" is the one moment where any weirdness this album throws at you (the opening track and the title track are particularly weird) melts away, and you just get a total stunner of a track. so, if you're willing to put up with a lot of bizarre experimentalism, there's some pretty ingenious material to be found here. light 8/10.
Solid early electronic album. Not something that I listen to frequently, but when the mood strikes there is little better than this record.
jako dobar album koji mi, ipak!, ne doseže vrhunce njihovog prethodnog albuma (organisation), s kojim sam već bio upoznat i koji tu-i-tamo preslušavam. no svakako ću ovo još slušati :)
Really close to a five star for me. Very atmospheric and nicely mellow. The songs all seem to flow seamlessly and cohere effortlessly. I added a couple OMD songs to my 'likes.'
#843. Hell yeah. This is painfully British, but somehow they were able to overcome that disadvantage life threw at them and make good music in spite of it. 4/5: great
Mixed bag of industrial noises and Synthwave origin story. Love it.
This one tastes very ’80s - synthy, peculiar, sparkly, and a little unhinged. Apparently, I’m here for it.
OMD is not at all who I thought they were. The only song I'm very familiar with from them is "If You Leave," which is fine - but did not prepare me for this. Lush, beautiful synths, paired with unique arrangements- what is not to love? FOUR STARS
okay this one surprised me and i went into it not knowing what to expect at all. songs that i thought i didn't like at first ended up great. not 5 stars for me as it leaned a bit too far into the sci-fi/spaceship sounds at some points, which i don't enjoy as much, but overall a very nice album
Great
Sounds like deep night and peaceful, sometimes strange sound.
I had a very good time with this album, I will definitely return to it in the future. Favorite track is Souvenir
I could have sworn I had heard these guys before and I didn’t like them. So, needless to say, I went in with a founded mind. But here we are and I’m enjoying this album. What changed? Maybe nothing? I’m not going back through my history to see if I have reviewed them before or not. Let’s just start fresh. And we have. Started fresh. This is sort of trippy with its 80’s weird poppy synth going on in the background. I can’t take a specific song from this album and claim it’s the standout track. I just can’t do it. I’m ok with this. I’ll leave it at that.
Really impressive and innovative work from two guys barely into their twenties. Really enjoyed some songs on it. Especially the back to back Joan of arc ones and the closer. Really cool album to listen to from a historical perspective. Poorly reviewed initially only to get a reevaluation as a masterpiece. I suspect it's somewhere between the two as a few of the songs drag and the vocals are a little much sometimes. I wish the grades were more granular as I found this to be somewhere between a three and a four, but we'll say four for historical significance and innovation.
If it wasn't for goddamn New Order, they would have gotten away with the best synthpop album ever!
SynthPop Blueprint. Angenehm melodisch.
Fan fuckin tastic
Synthy poppy synth pop. Such a specific new wave vibe that feels outside of time. Vocals accentuate rather than subtract from the production. Will be coming back to this one for sure.
One of the great 1st Wave stalwarts, though the songs here bar Souvenir were largely new to me. Enjoyed it a lot
I like this album a lot and I wish I liked it a little bit more because it kind of shows the seeds of what's possible with the darker textures of synth pop. I can definitely see this as a precursor of what Depeche Mode would do for *A Broken Frame* through *Some Great Reward*. But this album is in a bit more artsy, and less pop driven tough you can hear the pop drive come though from time to time. I'm definitely a bit more of a Depeche Mode fan than I am OMD, but I do find this endlessly intriguing. It also kind of makes me dig through discography at least the '80s material. 8.65 ★★★★
Not usually a fan of synth pop, but this album has some really cool synth textures. I prefer the more ambient stuff on here. 4 stars
Normally, I'm not a synthpop guy, but there's something about this I find really cool. There's sort of a melancholy feel to the songs that really works. I really like "She's Leaving", "Souvenir", and "Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)". There's a couple tracks that don't quite work for me, but I think I'm going with a high 4 for now.
Sealand is so good the rest of the album could be trash and I would still give this a high rating. Good thing the rest of the album is also good!!
This is the side of 80s synthpop that has actually aged really well. There's so much annoying cheesy slop from that scene, but stuff like this, Depeche Mode, New Order etc all still hold up incredibly well. This in particular having quite an overt sense of darkness gives it an edge that helps it transcend the rest of the shitty 80s synthpop that is typically associated with that era.
veldig veldig bra. kommer til å høre på dette en del fremover
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Je n'avais jamais entendu parler de ce duo jusqu'à présent et c'est plutôt une bonne surprise. Le son est typiquement d'époque, ce qui n'est pas pour me déplaire. L'influence de Kraftwerk est évidente. C'est apparemment un album très influence et fondateur, mais comme je connais peu le genre, j'aurais bien du mal à en juger. Sinon, bonne ambiance, l'utilisation des synthétiseurs (souvent à la Kraftwerk) est vraiment créative et intéressante. Je suis bien content d'avoir entendu cet album.
"New Stone Age" was a juicy opener that took the tired new wave sounds we've heard over and over again on this list and turned them into something more drastic and dramatic. It is still egregious how many postpunk/new wave albums are on here. It's like if I made my own 1001 albums list and loaded it with 30 different Anjunabeats mixes and all 5 good new school dubstep albums that have ever existed. I am a bit more impressed by this effort considering its from 1981, it sounds like something from about 5-7 years later than that. On the note of being ahead of it's time, "Souvenir" is something that surely inspired the material on MGMT's Little Dark Age. As this album evolved, it got more and more strong, more firm, and more gothic. I really appreciated "Architecture & Morality" into "Georgia". And "Sacred Heart"! One of the many tracks that are happy to air things out, avoiding a need to feel so compact and poppy. Gives this album a nice sense of space. Perhaps the most poignant of the lot is "Of All The Things We Made". So bittersweet and meditative. Beautiful song. I'm feeling a light 4 on this one. Not gonna go back to it much but a very respectable effort.
This sounds like the 80s, in the best way possible. It's that dreamy nostalgic synth sound that bands are still chasing today-- off the top of my head, I'm thinking of Nation of Language, whom I really like, so perhaps I have a preferred bias toward the whole genre. It's also an extension of Gary Numan's sound, perhaps a bit elevated in OMD's attempt to transcend into religious and choral sounds, according to the album's history. There is also quite a bit of German kosmiche musik in there, especially in the obvious homage to Neu! in "Sealand". In fact, I think the cover is quite Bauhaus too. I really, really enjoyed this and am tempted to give it a 5. I think one thing that holds me back are some of the vocal performances. For example, I find the lead singing in the verses of "Joan of Arc" pretty annoying, before it picks up (I'll note that the choral singing and bells are immaculate though). It's also really strange/confusing that there are two songs in a row about Joan of Arc that aren't really connected, and were released as back-to-back singles. I think they either should have been separated on the album to make it feel more like a motif that runs through it, or should have flowed more into each other as if they were a long song or medley. Overall, this is a great album that I intend to get a physical copy of.
80
Sometime cools sound are just cool sounds. There are cool sounds but souch more. A British "5". And American "3". For diplomacy's sake lets call it a 4
„Souvenir“ alone would make this a great album.
Gotta admit, I played the first song on this album a couple days ago and went nah. Tried again the next day and man it’s easily top 5 albums so far. I’m a sucker for 80’s synth pop/industrial style music and there were some studs on this record. Definitely would come back and play again.
On first listen gonna give it a 4, and then return to it later
Thank god for OMD! Although my favorite album is crush, ill take this any day over the shite I have had to subject my ears to this week. Is it The Cure, is it David Bowie, is it Depeche Mode? It's such an excellent combination of synth sounds! Awesome spotlight on the Mellotron, what an amazing instrument. Loved this album.
I really liked this, I'll be back for more listens
A really nice bit of early 80s synthpop. I love the melancholy vibes here. I was quite surprised at how modern this sounded for how relatively early in the history of synthpop the album was created. Souvenir in particular sounds like it could be right off of an MGMT album. I love the vocals, but even the instrumental tracks are great, too. I really felt myself drifting away in the sonic landscapes they created. They had a sound that really sinks its hooks into you right away. Definitely going to check out more of this band. Favourite tracks: Sealand, Architecture and Morality, Souvenir
I wasn’t expecting this awesome retro shoegaze thing.. perfect for an overcast cold day
Che muy bueno 4.5
I Can't Imagine My Destination 1001 Albums Generator 180 (12/10/2025) Architecture And Morality is the second synthpop album that I've gotten in a row, after the slightly disappointing Behaviour from Pet Shop Boys. I was a bit worried about this until I turned on the first song and realized that This album is not your run-of-the-mill synthpop. This thing is mechanical, oppressive, and cold. And it's awesome for that. Some of the noodling and experimentation doesn't work for me, but it is great more than not, and songs like Souvenir and Joan Of Arc (both parts) are real triumphs of the genre. It's also just crazy that this album came out in 1981; it sounds more like the type of thing that would emerge at the end of a genre's height, not before it starts. 4/5. Favs: The New Stone Age Souvenir Joan Of Arc Least Fav: Architecture And Morality
Day703 - this must have been cool to listen when it came out in ‘81. joan of arc and maid of orleans really caught my ear
I didn't know what to expect but I have listened to this album on a loop!
I Don’t Have To Listen To This Again To Give It A 10
That was neat. I like the 80s sounds. It sorta surprised me as I haven't listened to that much OMD
Probably the first album of this experiment I am grateful to have discovered from the list. Very much enjoyed this, when compared to the synth pop around this time this feels much less stiff in it's composition, everything naturally flows together in this. If I wanted to be a dick I'd say this is like a 7.5/10 but whateva Fav song: Souvenir / Maid of Orleans
timeless. you would not think this album was released in the early 80s.
Let me first say that the Album Cover GREAT. (you eat first with your eyes). First track is very punky in nature, unexpected for a supposed synth pop album. The track list starts in my opinion in track 2 which is sweet, very sweet. Track 3 is even more sweet. Absolutely lovely. 4- I have a soft spot for lengthy dark electronic tracks. Really reminded me brian Eno stuff, Bowie and solos, from the previous decade. Great. Joan Of Arc is a very British song, in a good way! Maybe didn't touch me as other on here but still quit a banger. No 6 is British aswell, but more impact full in my opinion. Love the drums on it, and the naive synth lines. The title track is an abstract instrumental. And a good one for what it is. Georgia is a song I feel like I know. Maybe not because I knew it before but because it's so poppy and awesome. One of my favorites here. Closing track dark and great as it should be.piano goes hard. What can I say, great picks the last few days. Enjoyed this one so much and I think I'll keep listening to it. It another very strong 4.
I can only imagine this pioneering electronic record must have received mixed reactions when it first came out. Both newcomers and longtime OMD fans probably didn’t know quite what to make of it. First-time listeners might’ve wondered, “What is this new electronic sound—and what are they even playing?”* while seasoned fans could’ve been startled by that opening guitar riff, thinking, “Get that guitar out of my face!” I’ll admit I’ve only listened to OMD a few times before. I'm more familiar with Talk Talk and Depeche Mode,but OMD were clearly there first, right? When I listen to electronic music, I like it dark and immersive, and *Architecture & Morality* absolutely delivers. It’s steeped in religious searching, dystopian atmospheres, and beautifully melancholy choruses. I really enjoyed the experience and will definitely explore more of their catalog. Some tracks did feel like filler, which makes the album’s one-hour runtime a bit stretche, but overall, it’s an evocative and forward-thinking piece of early electronic art.
Based on the album name, the artist name, and the album art, I expected something unique and experimental. I wasn't picking up on those ideas though, at least not until after the title track. The second half of the album delivered a lot more of what I hoped for in this album, and from this list. I can definitely see myself growing to like this album more in time. Favorite track: hard to say. Maybe "The Romance of the Telescope?"
Favorite Track: Souvenir
Not what I was expecting. A lot of melody and hook coupled with electronic experimentation.
Despite the obvious Kraftwerk influences, OMD clearly developed their own sound. This is a worthy follow-up to 'Organisation'. The singles are all excellent, and so, by and large, is the rest of the album. I'd give it 4 1/2 stars if I could.
Only knowing Enola Gay previously (which I quite like), this was a nice surprise. Great production, gorgeously warm analogue synthesizers, and Souvenir has made its way straight into my Current Favourites playlist. Favourite tracks: Souvenir, Sealand, Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans), Georgia.
OMD. Good group. Great sounds of the 80’s. No bad songs.
6,75
Oh now this I liked. Not all of it, but I’m pretty sure I heard some bonus stuff that was understandably left off the album.
[reluctant ★★★★]
A great synth-pop album. It uses interesting sonic palettes and incorporates elements of avant-garde soundscapes. The songwriting is consistently strong throughout the album. Even though it sounds similar to a lot of other 80s synth-pop, this came out very early in the decade. Maybe I need to dive more into the history of the genre, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a good amount of the aspects that create that 80s synth-pop sound come from this album. 4/5
Where was this last year when I was in my 80s new wave phase? This album was a treat. Reminded me a lot of the Cure and Depeche Mode but more electric. I want to give this a higher rating but I wasn't into side B as much as side A. Still fantastic. I would definitely listen to this album again and will be checking out more from OMD. Favorite track: Souvenir
Pretty cool album, fresh (at least for its time) electronic sound. Fav Lyrics: Joan of Arc Fav Music: Georgia Fav Song Overall: Georgia
I'm intrigued...
Interesting album. Was a precursor to synth pop.
Very nice. Very well done.
7.5/10
So 80s and v easy listening
There’s a certain dreaminess to this band’s music. Hearing it again after all these years really brings back the feeling of dancing to it on a warm summers night. Good stuff.
Only loosely knew of this band and certainly not this album. It had me from the first few notes. This sounds like what I've been looking for lately. Will definitely be checking out the rest of their catalogue. Solid listen
I’m really into New Wave. I knew a few songs by OMD before, but this album genuinely surprised me in a good way. The atmosphere it creates with those rich synthesizers is incredible: melancholic, vibrant, and deeply moving
OMD is a band, which I neither liked or disliked in the 80s. They had some nice songs, which never got on my nerves but also never got my attention. Since then I don't think I have listened to one of their songs, except maybe on radio or TV. Therefore I was surprised on how much I liked this album. Maybe I should start to listen actively to their work now, fourty years later ;-)
One of my favourite synth bands, their albums can be a mixed bag but when they hit hard they are perfect
Between 1980 and 1986, OMD did no wrong. This is the third album and it doesn't fail to deliver.
Hard to believe that new wave had advanced all the way to ethereal synth pop by 1981. My tastes lean much more towards post-punk and "here's a weird mix of punk and funk" new wave, but I knew I'd eventually have albums from this end of the new wave spectrum as well. If we're saying that this was the first synth pop new wave album, then I have to grapple with the huge debt of gratitude owed to OMD for their influence on pop culture of the 80s, 90s, and beyond. It's easy to get lost in the ethereal sauce of this record, and there are no big bold standout hits to reel you back in. Even "Souvenir" and "Joan Of Arc (Maid of New Orleans)" aren't punchy enough to break the vibe-y spell of the record. It's a very cohesive album that manages to feel familiar even on the first listen, and I could see it providing some great synth pop ambiance for a quiet night at home.
Weird, gothy, but fun. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
I really liked this. With the exception of one song, which was also very long, I pretty much liked the whole thing. This was a surprise to me.
Good
Interesting and unique
Whoah this is cool and new to me
enjoyed
very interesting
This was pretty unique and innovative sounding synth pop, with some Robert Smithy vocals. I appreciated the pushing of the boundaries.
A bit long, and a bit unstructured at time, but really enjoyed the album.
At first I was like 'ehhh', but it turned into a really good album! Not sure what I was doing the first time around, because my re-listen was so much better. Big fan of the proto-industrial stuff going on, and Souvenir and Joan of Arc are two faves. Worthy of 4 stars, imo.
I very much enjoyed this album!
Enjoyable for the most part. Seems like the start of synthpop.
OMD has a huge presence in the goth and industrial music culture as influencers of the style. It's fairly easy to see that they were toying with this sound with songs like "The New Stone Age" where you can hear strains of The Cure, Joy Division, and Souixsie and the Banshees. Clearly deeper, darker, and slower sound OMD provides in this album in songs like "Sealand" and "Architecture and Morality" were playing with music coming out of the more experimental industrial and goth genres. But OMD does not completely let you forget they wrote "Enola Gay" just a few years prior, and we are treated to popper and upbeat songs like "Souvenir" and "Georgia". One easily thinks of New Order or even Duran Duran when hearing some of these song. This album toes the line and exposes the two major strains of the New Wave that would come to dominate the 80s. Pretty great listen.
Absolutely wonderful!
I can't believe I've never listened to Orchestral Manoeuvers In The Dark before. Drawing from Krautrock (especially Kraftwerk), New Wave, Post-Punk, and Pop while adding the occasional experimental flourish (noise on "Seaworld", "Architecture and Morality", the sampling on "Georgia", the organs that sound like choral singers sound very uncanny), OMitD manage to create the blueprint for the decade. Most of these songs could be radio singles, and yet most of them are weird enough, in some way, to remain interesting and engaging to those irked by 80's cheese. My one complaint, is that despite loving everything about Architecture And Morality, it does run a little long, but when the album is packed with bangers, I feel a little silly about complaining. The vocals are great, the songwriting is great, the musicianship is great; Brilliant album.
Sounds like a British 80s version of Daft Punk. While not as modern as my usual taste, it definitely sounds way ahead of its time and had me bopping along to the beat. I dig it.
Very cool album. Considering when it was released, this must've been quite the sea change. Yes, it's been surpassed by what came after it, but as a moment in time, it's really good.
Very good
I don’t think I’ve ever listened to anything they’ve done. But I will say I’m quite enjoying the sound. I like this blend of New Order/poppy Cure, Kraftwerk, and more “challenging” kosmische Musik.
Favorite tracks: Joan of Arc, The Beginning and the End Overall, I really liked this. Strange and atmospheric, with some really catchy tunes. Some songs didn't stick with me, possibly because I didn't have the time to sit with this album through multiple listens. But the songs I liked felt like a breath of fresh air.
ohhhh so sound hani nöd erwartet finds na cool? uiii souvenir isch huuuere 80er, aber auno herzig? find d atmosphäre wo sie schaffed reeecht cool hahaha hä joanne of arc findi auno en banger au wenns seeehr dated isch d instrumental-lieder gfalled mer mega. find hüfig de gsang fast nöd nötig ok d frauestimm bi extended souvenir isch jz megaa, fast scho verträumt alles flowt so guet motion and heart isch whack hmmm ja leider verlürts mi chli jz am schluss wobii of all rhe things we have made isch easy schön mit dem klavier och hetts jz nöd denkt aber abgseh vo öppe 3 lieder geg de schluss han ich uuhuere spass gha. sicher öppis wommer würkli als album muss lose, find v.a. d atmosphäre sehr sehr cool
The first album from this list that was truly different and interesting. I’ve never heard anything like this. This is what making music is about. Hope they had fun making this tbh
Love their late-80-s-90-s releases more, still solid band already
Pretty ahead of its time and pleasant to listen to.
Fühlt sich an wie ein erwachen. Mystisch und leicht existentialistische Wirkung.
Gostei muito desse álbum. Celest Phoenixcall.
really good uk-synth-pop, and still feels like it has a place in modern music.
Having heard some songs here and there I knew OMD was a solid synth band but I was wholly unprepared for the immensity of their sound. This is the moment where Marvin Berry calls Martin Gore and Trent Reznor to help them find the deeper, moodier sound they’ve been looking for. If New Order created the synth pop sound, OMD pushed its darker overtones so The Cure, Depeche Mode, NIN and others could find their niche. It’s funny because OMD wouldn’t really keep this sound, but makes for a hell of a listen.
god new wave
Really enjoyed a lot of this which I don’t this I was expecting to. I’m casually aware of OMD through the occasional song on the radio but never thought I’d actually enjoy listening to much more of their music. Turns out I was wrong and there are a lot of tracks on this that I would happily listen to again. And I think I probably will!
OMD have been a band I've wanted to see for years but the stars never aligned (and they are still too big to do 80's festivals). And as a pioneer of 80s synth pop I was amazed that in 1981 this was their third album. Really strong. But not quite a 5 for me
This is unmistakably a very influential album. On this album, that I never heard before, I can hear a lot of things that I know from other albums. For example, one of my favourite bands, Indochine, clearly have this album in their record closet. I know 'Joan of Arc' very well - I loved it as a little child. I don't know how long it had been since I last heard it, but I still love it. It has a beautiful melody. And what a surprise, I always thought that this was synthesizer music but the reason that song has such a melancholy feel is that is is played on a mellotron. Almost the most non-synthesizer instrument thinkable. It's not great across the board, though. Nice songs and a couple of not so interesting ones.
Upfront: I will be rating this probably too high. This was one of the first tapes I got from my sister’s BMG account back in the day. After seeing OMD in Pretty In Pink and later discovering their music deeper they became one of my favorite bands in junior high, and I still enjoy them today. If a person just listened to the pop radio hits, they would never know the depth of this band. It was not just techno synth-pop but a machine that took you on a musical journey on every album. In truth, their structure and musicality was closer to Barque-classical than ‘80s pop. This was a journey into French history and personal evolution, utilizing symbols like Joan of Arc and the Maid of Orleans (my two previous favorite tracks) as a means for self exploration. This time I was more acknowledging of the instrumental or near-instrumental tracks like The Beginning and the End, and forget how good Georgia and the New Stone Age were. I’d totally own this album. Wait, I do…
C’est pas mal, j’ai réécouté 2 fois mais j’ai pas réussi à vraiment cerner la musique. Après j’ai bien aimé ! À réécouter donc ?
Always thought they have one of the words band names in history (alongside Prefab Sprout and Psychedlic Furs - just awful). Has really put me off exploring their back catalogue (only really knew Enola Gay before). Glad to finally listen to a whole album now though. Only managed it twice. but will come back definitely. Love a happy/sad synth.
During my first listen Architecture And Morality sounds like The Cure. And it sounds like Kraftwerk. It also sounds like Joy Division and sometimes like Brian Eno. After giving it a second spin, it sounds like itself. I much prefer the A side. The side starting with the Joan of Arc songs is a bit maudlin for my taste.
Oooh, I really enjoyed this album, but it got a bit repetitive towards the end. Still, I recommend it💖💖💖
Okayish
ElectroRockSynth
I went into this one with pretty low expectations based on what sounded like an annoying and pretentious band and album name, but these dudes hopped right over that low bar - great album! Seems like it captured a perfect moment right after the 80s broke up with the 70s, but before the 80s snorted too much cocaine.
I'm digging this a lot. Lots of interesting sound work and experimental stuff going on. I almost hear some Bowie Warszawa on Sealand. There's a strong feeling of something like Kraftwerk as a baseline that is built on. Cool album, I could see myself coming back to this.
Knowing nothing, it was not what I expected. Sounds like it was ahead of it's time. A very good example of synth pop. Great sense of composition. Nice pop length tracks. Deserves to be on the list.
Awe, I love OMD! I haven't listened to this one though. None of the songs on this album look familiar at all. Oh I lied Souvenir is on this album. Love this song!! Oh shit Joan of Arc is the song that says "Little Catholic girl has fallen in love???!" Awe this reminds me of Stacy and Rob lol Stacy was Catholic, and Rob referenced this song about her falling in love with me.
Listened Before? N OMD! Love these guys and this is a good one. A little less refined than some of their later work but I really enjoy all of their stuff. Good one. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Souvenir
A decent stab at experimental synth pop with plenty of atmosphere, proving there was great progressive music around in the 80s.
Totally took me by surprise, turns out I do like revisiting perfect 80s synth-pop after all.
I was expecting a forgettable new wave album here, but I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked the way that the first song sounds, it has a really unique sound palette, especially for the early 80's. As the album goes on, it loses that special touch a bit, but there is still stuff to enjoy throughout. Mid 4.
It was an interesting album, but a touch too long.
Some of the songs were nice indie pop tunes, some of the ambient bits were ace. Really nice mix of electronic indie. Favourites - She’s Leaving, Souvenir, Georgia
Synth pop way ahead of its time.
Positiv overraskelse! Meget Brian Eno agtigt
Superfed! Allerbedst når det er mest mærkeligt.
Synth Pop album featuring Soviet synth sound, industrial instrumentals layered with noise and disparate sounds, bouncy Pop elements, and vocals with loads of reverb and echo.
77/100. A good synthpop album with strong production and a unique atmosphere. Listening to it feels dreamy and slightly psychedelic, but with a "churchy," ethereal vibe that sets it apart from other synth records.
Souvenir is by far the best song on this album; brings it up from a high three to a four. The rest of the songs are good - I definitely enjoy them - but none quite as strong as this.
It is interesting and unique, but the sealand song really dragged it down.
I just love the new wave/synthpop vibes on this album. Joan Of Arc (Maid Of Orleans) is just an amazing song!
I do like it but it also fails to get out of 3rd gear Edit - ended going to 4 for it in the end as that 3rd gear turned out to be weirdly hypnotic
A vibe
Architecture And Morality is an album that didn't leave the best first impression on me but as it grew on me, i really started to enjoy it. At first, i was worried that this album was going to be overly boring or overly noisy but as it turned out, this album is neither. It has a lot of the 80s cheesiness you would expect out of 80s new wave albums in a lot of areas including the vocals to the instrumentals but this album also manages to be super melodic where said melodies can be absolutely beautiful, haunting or both. I wasn't expecting a lot from this album but it still really turned out to be a really nice listen. Best Song: She's Leaving Worst Song: The New Stone Age
I had never heard of this album or band before. The minimalistic cover combined with the title made me expect a classical album, but that is clearly not what it is. This album is quintessential 80's synth-pop, which is not my favorite genre, but this album felt very experimental. I actually enjoyed it more than I had expected.
Souvenir is one of my favorite 80s songs
better than I thought, will try to listen again. Probably a 3.5 star rating.
Great album that produced 3 hit singles but is filled with good quality tracks
This is quite a find. I love it. It’s almost a 5 star. Maybe I’ll review it down the road.