Reviews (page 2 of 8)
#214/1001 🇬🇧 What a revelation this was. I can't believe i've never heard it before now. The first side is nearly perfect. Best tracks: Souvenir, She's Leaving, Sealand.
"Architecture and Morality" is proof that synthpop can be good or even fantastic. After listening to too much crappy 80s synthpop, I thought it would also be a stinker. Man, the first track on "Architecture and Morality" proved my assumptions wrong. The "Joan of Arc" duology is a must-listen. I didn't expect a song named after Sealand, the micronation. 4 stars for "Architecture and Morality".
It was alrigjt.
I saw OMD live a couple of days before this popped up on my feed. They were excellent and got the loudest crowd reaction I've ever seen at this often indifferent venue. It's more apparent live, but there are two OMDs. There's the serious artists that played Erics with the Bunnymen & Teardrop Explodes and debuted on Factory alongside Joy Division. Then there's the happy Pop Stars of TOTP and Saturday morning kids telly. I watched a documentary on the Eric's scene in Liverpool recently and Pete Burns said the pop element in their performance was there then. But live the peak of cheering was when they played the two Joan of Arc songs from this album. When Enola Gay was a hit they did a personal appearance at my mate's primary school. Imagine that "Come on kids, sing along, this is about the bombing of Hiroshima" but OMD would have made it work On record their first four albums get the balance about right. The pop took too much of the centre stage in the later 80's and they're not as good records. The turning point was Dazzle Ships, their 4th lp which is now considered a masterpiece but was difficult at the time to connect with a mass audience. Architecture And Morality preceded it and is probably the best balanced between the arty intellectual and pop sensibility (the two songs about a 13th Century French martyr became consecutive top 10 hits in the UK). I still think its the peak of 80's synthpop.
It’s a masterpiece. Can’t explain how otherworldly this was to my young ears when I first heard it. Haunting, stark and just beautiful. It was like nothing else I’d heard. Amazing that they did this in 1981…it’s way ahead of its time and has to be one of the best albums of the 80s Easy 5
Simple but wonderful synthpop album.
Synth Pop will be Synth It's not as "spiritual" as it wants to be, and gets quite stale as it goes on. Favorite Track: "Georgia".
Nice, inventive synth pop with some standout songs.
One thing I’ve learned about 800 albums through this journey is that more musicians should do instrumentals because a bad instrumental is better than the same song but with words. The lyrics and the vocals never make it better. This album is a mixed bag. Sometimes it sounded ahead of its time, sometimes it sounded like a video game soundtrack, and sometimes it sounded like Casio keyboard backing tracks. The songs without vocals were the best, though I have a strong love/hate with “Joan of Arc.” Still, there was a weird charm to the whole album.
Very interesting New Wave album. Liked the vibe of it
listened from the backlog and honestly don't have the energy to rate this thoroughly. it's good. not 5/5 good. coincidentally listened right after songs from the big chair and the stylistic connection from arch & morality to tears for fears is obvious.
An odd one. Reminded me of Tears for Fears in a bad way. While I appreciate some of the sounds, it just felt off. Couldn't find a favorite song.
Again a wierd one but some Songs are strangely catchy
While OMD did some astonishig and ground-breaking songs in their early days, in general I'm not much of a fan beyond the singles, and listening to this album, only confirmed that to me
some things were nice and others just didn't sound great to me. may try a few of these tracks again
some of this was pretty cool and some of this i really didnt like
OMD feel like the crossover point between Prog Rock and New Wave. This album feels like it has an Emerson, Lake and Palmer type story to tell. But it has more of a pop format. No extended odes or lengthy tracks showing the progress of a hero. The synths in this album also feel more rounded and less experimental. So give a more 80s bittersweet ambiance. I did not realise that I knew a song from this album "Souvenir" is the most recognisable song on this album, and you get it twice. (3.125)
Pretty cool. My mom liked it
one of the first records i ever bought and it still hasnt really clicked for me. its pretty good !
Baby’s first synth pop 2.5/5
Kinda cool, especially for the time
- a welcome introduction for me; my journey of rediscovering 80's music continues. Good but not perfect, points for digging in and shaking things up. -
I appreciated the minimalistic approach of most of the songs, the sonic contrasts provided by the vocals. A band I didn't really appreciate BITD, but it's good stuff. 3.5/5
Nice album, all songs are flowing well. Might grow into a 4 someday. 3.5
Starts with a different vibe than expected but eventually feels pretty standard for what I expected from OMD. Nice albums
A bit boring, and too much synth.
Enough with the shitty britpop already.
The Brits sure do love their shitty synth-pop bands. And I'm starting to believe whoever made this list decided to include every single one.
Couple of cracking tunes.
OMD auf ihrem Höhepunkt: „Joan of Arc“ und „Maid of Orleans“ sind Wave‑Klassiker von fast sakraler Wucht – schwebend, dramatisch, vollkommen zeitlos. Der Rest des Albums bewegt sich zwischen solider Elektronik, interessanten Soundexperimenten und dieser typisch britischen Mischung aus Melancholie und technischer Neugier. Ein Album, das zwei überragende Hymnen trägt und drumherum eine elegante, experimentelle Klangwelt baut.
music is love
80s smooth slight atmospheric jingley jangles. Fine to listen to but wholly uninspiring.
I had to listen to this twice. The first time I listened to it, I just didn’t know what I thought of it. I didn’t if I liked it. I didn’t know what it was. It’s puzzling. I think part of this was, I wasn’t expecting to like it. I only know OMD from seeing them on old Top of the Pops. I don’t really like their song, “Enola Gay”. I don’t really like the singer’s voice. But then so much of this is instrumental. It’s sort of electronic pioneers? Sort of soundtrack? Sort of dreary? I still don’t really know what to make of it. But I’m giving it a four because it’s interesting.
Classy, arc, electronic, 80’s hipsters.
2 out of 5. I wanted to like this album more than I actually did. The melodies were great but the avant garde parts didn't hold me.
Det her va ganske rart, men ikke så verst? Æ vet ikke ka æ hadde forventa, men det hørtes for så vidt ut som musikk laga av noen som hete Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, så det skal dem ha.
This is a great album, though I personally prefer Organisation if only because it contains Enola Gay which is one of the best pop songs ever written
This surprised me. Lovely stuff
Not a band I've listened to much before but enjoyed this a lot.
Now we are talking…4 beautiful stars. Thank you RGP. time. ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Tom.
Terrific lil 80’s effort!
Mit ihrem dritten Album verabschiedeten sich die beiden Engländer Andy McCluskey und Paul Humphreys endgültig von der sperrigen Experimentierlust ihrer Anfangsjahre und fanden zu einer kühlen, zugleich emotional aufgeladenen Popmusik, die auf dem Label Dindisc erschien. Vorproduziert wurde in der Gramophone Suite in Liverpool, die Hauptaufnahmen entstanden im ländlichen The Manor bei Shipton-on-Cherwell, gemischt wurde schließlich in den Mayfair Studios in London – eine Produktionskette, die dem Album seinen charakteristisch klaren, fast kirchlich-hallenden Klang verleiht. Chorartige Synthesizerflächen, Mellotron und liturgische Anklänge treffen auf präzise Popstrukturen, ohne dass die Band ihre elektronische Herkunft verleugnet. Songs wie „Souvenir", „Joan of Arc" und „Maid of Orleans" zeigen, wie mühelos OMD zwischen Melancholie und Melodieseligkeit balancieren. Besonders „Souvenir" markiert einen Wendepunkt: ein Instrumentalstück mit Frauenchor, das kommerziell erfolgreicher war als vieles, was die Band zuvor mit Gesang versucht hatte. Die beiden Jeanne-d'Arc-Stücke wiederum verbinden historischen Stoff mit einer fast andächtigen Klangsprache, die dem Album seinen unverwechselbaren, leicht sakralen Unterton gibt. Was dieses Album bis heute besonders macht, ist die Selbstverständlichkeit, mit der es Kopf und Herz bedient – kein anderes OMD-Werk balanciert Zugänglichkeit und Eigensinn so überzeugend. Ein Meilenstein des frühen Achtziger-Synth-Pop, der seine Wirkung nie verloren hat.
One of the most iconic new wave bands! I love Souvenir! Joan Of Arc (Maid Of Orleans) is in my top 100 of all time! Crazy iconic song! Georgia was another highlight.
Looks like a Glenn Gould record, sounds like a new wave film score, gone like just another milestone on the 1001 journey
Look, I like ambient synth pop as much as the next guy but this album feels like it’s boldly going nowhere. There are enjoyable moments, namely the second half (the last 5 songs) but the lack of direction leaves me unsatisfied. 2.5
Et eller annet sted mellom The Cure og New Order med litt ambient/noise elementer for good measure. Godt plukka av redaksjonen for en gangs skyld.
Dette var herlig rart og fint.
A solid album with some good atmosphere. Id only known these guys by a few of their hits, but had a pleasurable time listening to this in full. I'll probably seek out more of their work later.
main character indie coming of age movie moment
Pretty but nonengaging
This album manages to be more boring than the "religious music" it was supposedly inspired by. 1.5 stars.
I hate synth-pop.
nah I'll pass Will I listen to again: 0%
There were some decent moments here but overall I found it lacked a bit of oomph. Felt quite long for a 37 minute album, just sort of floating along without really offering too much.
The singles are solid. These guys get some extra points for being ahead of the curve in their genre. But the middle and end of the album drag a bit. I think these guys are just massive synth nerds and a lot of it doesn't land for me.
very fun electronic sound. strong start and finish, but the largely instrumental tracks in the middle i think lose my attention a bit. favorite song is Souvenir, it's very pretty. soft 4
Rating: 6/10 I respect this for being a very early synthpop album that’s also pretty weird and out there, but for every moment I was interested and starting to get into it, there was another where it just wasn’t working for me fully. I really did not like the first song but She’s Leaving and Souvenir quickly turned it around. I also liked Joan of Arc. I was into the beginning instrumental of Sealand but really didn’t care for how it progressed. The rest of the album was decent
Gear: ZMF Bokeh Closed Artwork: 🏢❗🟨 Production (2003 Digital Remaster): 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎛️🌌🤯 Rating: 📐📐📐📐/5
Kind of hard to differentiate from the other post punk/new wave albums on the list, which there are many. A little more upbeat than the others, which is slightly nicer. 2.5/5 Won't listen again
An interesting listen and clearly a bit of a trailblazer for 1981. Started off strong, then left me a bit cold for a while. But came good again at the end.
Very pleasantly surprised by this, I chiefly knew them for Enola Gay but I’m usually wary of synthpop albums as it can all get a bit samey after a while and soulless. This is neither, although it’s an hour long it rarely felt like it. 4/5
Forever, in my mind at least, a name to be said in full Partridge on the radio mode, this was my first actual experience of OMD. Did I enjoy it? Not very much. There are parts of this that are quite ethereal, and I dig that, and there are a few parts that teeter on the edge of good honest 80s pop, and I dig that. The rest remained resolutely un-dug.
This is basically exactly what I was hoping to find when I started this challenge: an album I've never heard of before but just completely fall in love with. It opens extremely strong with The New Stone Age, has this absolutely fantastic middle with Joan of Arc and Maid of Orleans, and ends absurdly strongly with The Beginning And The End, which I just loved as well. Amazing album, several songs are going right on my playlists.
Never heard any of their stuff. Always been curious to. That was unexpected. I guess I liked it though. I'm hearing lots of sounfs, and some of those are singing, but not much is affecting me. Positively or negatively. Souvenir is nice I guess. Sealand starts nice and interesting but goes nowhere. Joan of Arc has some nice elements! The best one so far. I'm sure there's an interesting reason for the same album having two songs of the same name. Both are cool, but for now I like the first one better. Would need more time with both though (and I'm not sure I'm willing to give them more time). Sure! 3 minutes of an instrumental track where nothing happens! Why Not? Ohhhh my God I am so tired of Georgia please make it end pls pls pls. Yeah the closer, despite promising a lot with the dramatic name, does not deliver. This was disappointing! Not good! In my opinion! Not too bad, but just... uneventful.
I worked myself up into a shitty mood in the shower, and pretty much hate everything right now. Even with that going on, this is still pretty good 3.51
I could hear what they were trying to accomplish with this album with the “Architecture” being the synthesizers and “Morality” being the human element. It was way too slow and brooding to keep me engaged. If OMD picked up the pace just a little, this album would have been excellent.
"Extended Souvenir" continua maravilhoso. O álbum completo é muito bom.
it was interesting
What a great, great album this is - it's incredible that this is from 1981; serious time machine shit. I can't be the only one to notice that Sealand sounds exactly like Motion Picture Soundtrack from Kid A ... or maybe I am since I just had Kid A 2 days ago. There's a lot of that in here, though - stuff that reminds me of songs I really like that came out like decades later.
I have mixed emotions about this. The sound is good and what they bring into this musically is very interesting. The problem is that the songs structures aren’t great, so it never translates into really good music. Giving it a 3 since it was at least an interesting listen
More synth going crazy Fave track: Extended Souvenir
Ahead of its time to explain its inclusion, I’ve enquired. 3/5
Really had no idea going into this one. I read a couple of reviews, which I often try NOT to do before I listen, but I couldn’t help myself. I was curious. Didn’t give me any better idea of what I was in for. I prepared myself for serious slogging and overall disappointment. I was wrong! I thought this was awesome. It’s weird. AND poppy. And dreamscapey. Somehow it works. Not perfectly. But man, it sure was better than I thought it might be. 4 Boolean: True
I love weird albums
I get why it's a classic of its genre but I found it overly cinematic over the top in general over stimulating couldn't get through it first album here I didn't finish
Synths turned up to 11
I snooze
I never heard of this band before but I got interested in the fact that they were a partial influence on industrial artists such as Trent Reznor and Al Jourgensen. Although I did not expect this album to sound so experimental, which didn't exactly make it an easy listen for me. However I do appreciate their influence on synthpop and essentially bridge the gap between post punk and new wave. I was reminded of bands like depeche mode, gary numan and new order. bands I prefer for being more melodic and synth heavy and less experimental sounding. Maybe I will give this band's other albums a listen in future.
1.5
This is the same band that contributed If You Leave to the world? I didn't expect anything like what I just heard. I'm actually kinda impressed.
Meh. More orchestral, emo, brit-pop. With a dose of arrogance (see title). A 2.
This album is from 1981 and it sounds like 1981. I remember OMD as being a bit fringe and not too mainstream, I'd classify this album as "easy listening" and not particularly interesting or compelling in any way.
J’ai trouvé ça vraiment chouette ! Je n’avais pas capté que c’était le groupe qui avait fait Enola Gay
Bof, je suis pas convaincu, à part Souvenir qui était sympa 3/5
acoustic and environmental, beautiful
Welp, we've reached day 1000 of this project. I would normally talk a bit about that, but I'm going to save it for day 1001 because this is the 1001 Albums project after. Besides, maybe I'll get an album that feels special for day 1001, because I didn't really get that today. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a band that I've heard of a couple of times, but that I was wholly unfamiliar with until listening to this album today. Now that I've heard some of their music, I can say that my opinion is positive, but not to a strong degree. I like this album, but I don't love it as much as I maybe wish I did. There are definitely more things here that I liked than things I didn't care for. The synth-pop sound is fairly good on this album. The album could definitely be more dated, I'll give it that. There's some solid variety on the album, which is always nice. "Souvenir" is genuinely a great song. The writing and vocals are alright, but not outstanding. The album has some unique themes and ideas, what with the Joan of Arc stuff in the middle of the album and all. The instrumental title track kinda creeped me out a little. I get why people like these guys, but there are definitely other synth-pop bands that speak to me more personally. This album's good, but I also wish it was better. It's not bad at all though. High 3/5.
So so pleasant - LOVED Souvenir.
Dull in 81, much duller now. This is not Dare.
This would go from one of the best things I've ever heard to someone farting into a microphone
Sedate. Souvenir reminds me a lot of Beach House.
I liked it, probably won't revisit any time soon. 2.5.
This is interesting.
Man, this starts off so strong with The New Stone Age sounding like a post-punk goth anthem. I really thought I'd love this. Unfortunately that energy isn't a consistent album theme. From there, things seem to quickly shift toward a safer sound. The gothy new wave influence is still there but it sounds like more straightforward electronic dance pop more often than not. None of it's bad, but it just doesn't stand out as anything special.
Really excellent new wave - varied and fun, perhaps sounding better today than it did in 81. New to me, and really enjoyed.
I don't think I like it... A bit too 80's beats and that's it, every song sounds the same
Un bon album, il sera parfait pour la langueur musicale désirée de min été. Un vrai coup de coeur pour le titre Architecture & Morality lui-même.
Not even close to Kraftwerk worthiness, nor even seeing the universe that created Joy Division. Yet for some moments they almost reach those distant coattails. And for all the crap these guys put onto vinyl, there are good songs too: Joan of Arc is undoubtedly worthy. But the pap far outnumbers the greatness. I can't give them 3 stars for making a few great songs because the bad is horrid-levels of mush. 2 "the best they can deserve" stars.
This would be a 5 just for Souvenir but the rest of the album sells it. Quite an experimental album too, I love how broad ranging it feels.
Please stop, this is the 5th new wave album I’ve gotten this week. I will never remember a single track on this album. I have never heard even one of these songs yet I must listen to this before I die.
Fair
Un clavier and I'm sold, entre 3 et 4 là pour ma part
enjoyed this quite a bit! track 2 was great, some of the more texturally weird tracks were ... weird ... but i was expecting that. 3.5
Fun, better than expected, close to a four
The Cure meets Depeche Mode? There is a spark, but it's not strong enough to ignite a fire. The melodies are nicely enriched with the synth sounds and keyboard rhythms. A bit more courage and electronic experimentation would elevate this album. Unfortunately, the pop/indie elements were dragging it down.
Better than Pet Shop Boys. That's the bar, and Architecture & Morality clears it. Where PSB felt like a teenager in a garage with a Casio, OMD are doing something more considered — darker, more atmospheric, more melancholic. "Enola Gay" is a pop song about the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. That's a different kind of ambition. Still not my world. The synth-pop texture doesn't change enough to hold me. But there's a seriousness here that earns some respect. 2/5 — more sophisticated, still not mine.
The band name sounds so much cooler than the music presented here. Somehow, this was even worse than the Pet Shop Boys I listened to yesterday. Hadn't it been for the kind of beautiful slowburning "Sealand", this would've been a sure 1. 1.5/5 - weak
Unremarkable
Starts out as ordinary synth pop, which was still in its infancy, but soon becomes an experiment in music. Somewhat arcane and maybe less approachable than later 80s synth pop, it has its charm. 3.5 stars
Very interesting sound.
Too ambient for me to get into. Rating: 3/10 Favorite Song: the new stone age
интересненько начало было очень многообещающим я ожидала что-то вроде экспериментальной классики но в итоге все более стандартным оказалось
блин а мне очень понравился альбом!! не даёт заскучать: характер треков меняется от доброго ретро вайба и футуристичных завываний до лютой хтони с внезапным звуком металлической трубы (см. sealand 05:40). прикольно играют с вокалом, который то хриплый и нарочито небрежный, то гладенький и конвенциональный. ритмы создают иллюзию спокойствия, но их наложение держит в некотором напряжении. короче, красота из мусора – может, и банально, но всё равно увлекательно.
A surprisingly palatable take on a genre I don't usually care too much for.
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 can't into this with high expectations and left disappointed.
So tired of 80 British new wave on this list.
Wow this was cool. Stuff like this is why I keep doing this.
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
This album had equal parts of weird/sounds that didn't land well on my ears and interesting instrumentals. It was alright to have playing in the background, but if it was any longer, then I probably would have grown annoyed with it.
I want really into this, but I do think it has some interesting bits and grew on me a little bit.
Sounds like the X-files
The 80's are calling....
I feel like this has the makings of something grand but can't build towards a climax.
feels like i bought a random CD at a garage sale and i listen to it for the first time doing chores around my house.
A few great songs such as She’s Leaving, Georgia and Extended Souvenir. But on an album that’s an hour long it’s got a lot of filler imo. Can’t see myself coming back
I like their synth style
of course i know their hits, and i gave this album a cursory listen maybe 5 or so years ago, but wow it's hitting me today. classic early 90's new wave. and that album cover too.
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.
Really stunning sleeve design. The music: precise, atmospheric, somewhat brooding and dour.
There are a few tracks that I enjoyed, but for the most part it was just an ok experience. It has that 80’s sound that I like, but it’s not consistently upbeat enough for the genre. Another meh. album with a few good tracks.
Enjoyed most of this, Souvenir especially. Could take or leave Sealand and Georgia but went for the rest
What a beautiful album! OMD was always one of my favourite bands from the early '80s. Their unique sound always baffled me, finding the path between popular and experimental without sounding forced. They were way ahead of time, with this album, and much more with Dazzle Ships, which is irritatingly missing on this list.
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
I like new wave music quite a bit. This one has some appeal but maybe not top tier new wave, whatever that is.
I'd never heard of this band or album. It's not really my thing, but was totally listenable.
3/5
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.
Finding a way to listen to this was a pain in the ass. The music is 1.5 stars, but the experience less than 1.
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
Having read the reviews my expectations were that it'd be influential but not that great. It ended up being much better than that but still mixed bag. Souvenir was very generic 80's pop,but everything else was great. Felt like it still stands up despite the age and the fact that it's a early example if the genre
It's ok. It was a bit different than I expected after heard a couple of singles by the through the years. I had the occasional thought about how it was a big name for simple new wave pop band. This was my first time hearing a whole album by them and I kind of get the Orchestral bit now because they were trying to reach for something more than simple 4/4 pop keyboard songs. Sadly though, I just don't think they're the writers or musicians that they hoped they'd be. While none of this was annoying or harsh to the ear, it also never grabbed me or made my ears perk up. It was all kind of the same. Not bad. Not great. OK. Pretty much the definition of a 3.
The instrumentals are simple in a charming sort of way, but beyond that this is mostly forgettable. I listened to the whole thing three times but nothing stuck out to me too much. I liked the song Souvenir.
Architecture & Morality revels in a unique place between meditation and party music, old and new. It's clearly rich in inspiration and daring in implementation. I'm not the biggest synthpop enthusiast, but I've found this album surprisingly engaging. There's a lot to unpack, and, frankly, the weirder OMD's sound, the more I like it. In some songs it's just bits and pieces to me (the ending of The New Stone Age, the heartbeat in Sealand), in others the melody and the sentiment (She's Leaving, Souvenir). The ones that won me over, though, are Joan of Arc (the second) and The Beginning and the End.
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.
More 80s trash
It's not terrible for what it is, but it's hardly memorable or noteworthy. Early 80s synth pop that has clear derivations from Jarré or Eno, but unremarkable tunes that sound more like pharmaceutical commercials than anything else.
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.
Ooooooh I like it! Definitely giving Cure.
It was ok but got a bit dull and boring by the end.
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
"Mom, can we have New Order?" "We have New Order at home."
Not my thing. Dull, verging on dreary at times. Electronic music for people who don't want anything too weird. At least the chilly early-eighties production suits the style of the songs here. The version on YouTube Music is an extended edition with bonus tracks that are only of interest to obsessive fans, so it outstayed its welcome, which didn't help.
Yay! More 80s British pop music and you didn’t even pick the one included in Pretty in Pink. MI6 you win again!
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!!
I wanted to like this album, but the bouncing genres was too noisy for my preferences. This week has been good at securing my low average rating for UK albums.
this was about as annoying as i expected it to be given the album title and band name
These albums drive me nuts. Once again, I was enjoying the instrumentals and vibes only to be rudely awakened by the vocals. Can someone edit the vocals out of this? It’d turn into a killer game soundtrack.
I looked at the title of this album when I woke up this morning and I was still half asleep, so I expected a bunch of ambient machinery/architectural/construction noise. That would’ve been much cooler.
I went back and forth on this a couple times. I am fully convinced there's a good album in here somewhere because my sole prior experience with OMD was “If You Leave” (a PERFECT song if ever there was one) and this album is not that. So I was not initially super enthused. But I came to accept that a few of these songs are actually really nice and interestingly structured. I do think, however, that it’s let down quite a bit by some dated mixing and would greatly benefit from a remaster.
This was fine. I didn’t know any songs on this. Nothing really stood out.
About as solid a 2 as I am ever likely to give. Not terrible - Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans) and Souvenir are highlights, and there are a couple of memorable synth riffs - but it's not great either, many of the songs are lost in the morass of electronica.
It's fine...
Definitely some interesting stuff.
Ok
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!
Elaborate choral samples, BTE She's leaving
Thoughts before listening: I have heard of these guys, but I know nothing about them. I have always thought they were some sort of hard rock/classical mashup like Trans Siberian Orchestra, but that's probably wrong. I actually think these guys played more post-punk style music. This will be a first listen. Review: So it's post-punk I guess, but really more synth pop albeit with a darker undertone than I would typically think of for that description. This is not really something that is resonating with me. 2-stars
This may be the best 1980s synthpop album. Cold, depressive palette with rich, warm details. Dreamy melodies from the keys and vocals. Great vocals that have that subdued 80s new wave sound, but are expressive and powerful. I love how the record seamlessly brings together the poppy and the experimental ends of New Wave. You get a song like "Souvenir" which is catchy, vintage pop bliss. Then you get the meandering, 8-minute soundscape of "Sealand", and they do it equally well. The sound design is so good that any isolated 2-second extract from the album will sound impeccable. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but not by much. 5*
I dunno, was okay. Sometimes being the first at something means others get to come after and make it better. 2/5
3.9
Good but not something that excites me
Des morceaux différents et tous bien
Soft, driving beats and luscious melodies. Adored it.
Never my favourite band. An ok listen but not one of them really grabbed me.
Found this album very relaxing to hear. Just sitting listening to this and thinking about everything. Very cool.
2 1/2
V 80s. I didn’t mind some it
Day 271 Highlight Joan of Arc
Ein großer Titel. Ansonsten geht.
Really liking this so far. Not a perfect album but enjoyable and different. Low 4. 3.6/5
Synth pop but also kind of darker and almost goth sounding. Amazing
Muy experimental para mi
Ambitious, but I didn't enjoy it.
Ég skil sjarmann en mér fannst þetta bara alls ekki neitt spes plata. Mér fannst ég bara skynja hvað þeir vilja vera miklir listamenn með eitís-synthana sína
Parts of this were really interesting i loved the lighter songs (couldn’t tell ya which ones) but the rest of it was just kinda there.
Straight out the gate: great name for an album and maybe an even cooler band name. Unfortunately, the rest of it didn’t really land. Mayhaps it suffers for how much I love Kollaps? I don’t know! It just wasn’t enough for me.
Sounded great! Loved extended souvenir and sacred heart, but the whole thing was exactly my sonic palette
I listened to this and was bored. I wish I wasn’t, because I think that the title is fascinating, but I was. Oh well.
Missed this one; interesting mix.
OMD has a few bangers, but they're one of those bands that I wouldn't mind having a "greatest hits" album of rather than the individual albums, as many of the tracks just don't land with me. It's typical of synth pop in that it's very repetitive, and can be boring at times.
Noia
Miles better than I was expecting.
not bad, but not my vibe cool synth sounds tho 2.5 que subo a 3
I did my best, and even listened to it twice, but this doesn't speak to me. It clearly does to a lot of other people, and maybe if I'd caught it at a different time in my life I'd feel differently. There's nothing wrong with it, but it was work to get through and I didn't feel a reward.
Not entirely sure what I just listened to. I thought it would be more orchestral. There was no orchestra. It's giving coffee shop music
Haha 67th album… Anyway I went into the album and the first song absolutely blew me away. Reminded me of the cure.. if they were way more into electronic synthpop stuff.. but I really dug the energy!! Then the rest of the album proceeded to sound nothing like it- it was honestly a drag to get through the rest of it (besides the Joan of arc songs) High 2 unfortunately.. long runtime also dragged the score down
Superb Souvenir is a classic Like it a lot Hope to hear more Omd..oh my days. Good
Is this AMSR for europop enthusiasts?
I really like the single If You Leave. That’s about it for me and OMD.
Didn't really do much for me, but well put together.
Melodic soundtrack of the early 80's with pre-Emo music. Harmless fun.
It’s not Frank Lloyd Wright
The blueprint to eighties synthpop. A bit complicated, since it’s mostly synth and slightly pop, but its influence is undeniable.
Another weird ass album most likely probably suck but I havn't listened to it yet. Ill give it a chance. Also this cover is prety bad. w h a t t h e f u c k w a s t h a t f i r s t s o n g . Second song is waaaaay less experimental. Rather boring :/. Please keep doing hard drugs guys. Omg "Souvenir" is a banger. Overall, its fine, but I would have given it a 4 if they made more songs like "The New Stone age".
It is industrial.
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.
Is this supposed to be like Brian Eno or...? 3/5
Lots of fun noises
Some New Wave is really good and some is OMD.
early synth pop that I did not mind. No songs really stood out for me and it suffers a little from sounding all similar.
Boring and boring
When to listen: outer space? I hated the literal noise parts of the songs, but other parts were more listen-able and bumped it up to a 2.
Cool textures and creative moments, but as a whole left me cold and a little surprised when the album was over. Pretty but not juicy. I respect the craft but will not revisit.
Kinda interesting. Songs with the female vocalists were good
Much better than anticipated. I think I've warmed up a bit to this style in general over time, but I've never given this group much thought. I think Souvenir plays on a local college station quite a bit and I always assumed it was a different band. It reminds me of some 80s movie soundtrack themes or something. I'd definitely put this on again.
The hits are obviously recognisable, but I've never been that excited by OMD, and listening to this hasn't change that position. It's OK, but there are so many other 80s artists I would rather indulge in. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★★☆☆ (5/10) Total reviewed : 298 Already owned : 68 Purchased : 15 To buy : 3 Nope : 212
fine listen if you like synth-pop, but didn’t dig the vocals, music is interesting, but can be stale, some songs are maybe too long?
…snooze fest.
This was an alright synth=y album. Good vibes without being obnoxious. I can see the Cure comparisons. 3* Highlights: extended souvenir
Loved souvenir off this and the music video was amazing but the rest was forgettable
I had no idea who sang "If You Leave" until 3-4 years ago and that is the only song by OMD that I knew. I was fairly excited to hear this album because quality synth-pop is usually something that I enjoy. This album did take a few listens to fully grow on me and allow me to appreciate the sound. I enjoyed this one. My favorite songs: The New Stone Age She's Leaving Souvenir Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (Maid of New Orleans) The Beginning and the End
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..
a few songs I liked
Somewhat okay, a bit too poppy for me. The 2nd half was better, 2.5, but not 3.
I would never choose to listen to this.
I believe these guys when they say that they are in the dark.
My parents seemed to think OMD were big back in their day but I'm not quite sure they're worth the hype. I did actually enjoy many parts of this but it wasn't anything too spesh.
Made me feel anxious, also what's with the weird silences between tracks
beetje flauw... titelnummer is het beste (mss omdat er niet gezongen wordt?)...
Nah
I liked this Took me a while to get used to the vocals, but the music got me from the off Good stuff
I was enjoying this for awhile, but it is an album that eventually suffers from overstaying its welcome. 2.5 / 5
This was a good album. It could have been a created in the 2000’s
iloveit
We listened in the car although I don’t particularly remember it oops was it the synth pop one that we thought would have been crazy in the 80s but it pretty regular now I think that was it I remember you liked the Souvenir song
I was excited because I thought this was a concept album about Tolkien characters hunting with birds and keeping houses clean while considering the personality of female french heroines from the middle ages. But then I realised that's 'Ork-kestrel, man hoovers, inner D'Arc.'
I don't think i'm a new wave / synth pop fan and this album didn't convert me.
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 for me!
Not bad for 80's synth-pop, a few of these songs are great, others are rather blah. Overall, I enjoyed this album.
Better than I thought. Reminded me of Stranger Things.
apparently the follow up is even more harsh and industrial which has me very excited to look into it. idk a lot of this was a disappointment after the first song, which sounds rich, industrial, hollow, metallic. all sorts of adjectives for that one. it gets a bit poppy for me in too straightforward a way. i guess the problem with being ahead of the curve is that there's no way of knowing how far ahead to go. deserves to be one of the 1001? yeah! sure!
Imponerende kjedelig. Hadde det vært 30 min langt så kanskje jeg kunne fått noe mer ut av det.
Eksperimentelt, på et vis. Tidvis slitsomt, tidvis kult. Ingenting som helt fester seg, ender derfor mellom to og tre.
Listen, I like instrumental music, ok.. oh, and I really like a song that is so unapologetically 80's I feel like I'm Donnie Darko. Slap them both in one album and it's like finding an old treasure map that leads you through an engaging adventure. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - She's Leaving - Souvenir - Extended Souvenir - Sacred Heart - Of All the Things We've Made
I like the super '80's new age sound, but the lead singer is really bad. Also, their poppier sounding songs suck compared to their darker and moodier songs.
Early synth pop that is mostly enjoyable for the moody vibes it creates rather than anything memorable. I only heard Enola Gay from this band before so I didn't know much about them. Probably wouldn't revisit this but it's effective at what it sets out to do
Love OMD, love this. BTW if anyone reads these listen to OMD new album as it is an absolute banger
Not too catchy, good background music. 3.5/5
3/5 Was not familiar with the artist/ band before. Some decent new-wave from the early eighties. Nothing that really impressed me
I'm osrry I wasn¨t listening
Fun synth pop with great melodies and vocals. :)
Some of the stuff was interesting and uncanny. I like listening to something different for once i a while. I wouldn't listen to it again though.
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.
The start of the album was some nice with great upbeat synth bangers, but turned too mellow towards middle and end
Experimental synth pop from the early 1980s. Some songs were extraordinary, a bit industrial, but also melodic, but some other songs were more boring. It's nothing like I have already heard before. I was considering to give it a 4 but on a personal level I didn't enjoy it that much to round it up to 4, but it's 3.5 for sure.
.
Favorite songs: The New Stone Age, She’s Leaving, Souvenir, Sealand, Architecture & Morality 3.5
Ooh no. Really don’t enjoy these 80s synth pop bands. I’m trying to work out why I don’t like it - it’s probably because it is ‘plain’ ie metered out machine led sounds with a lack of human expression. But not interesting art music either. And it’s not that it isn’t expressive - I mean there are light bits and dark bits and it’s mixed with interesting recorded sounds which I like - so if OMD stripped out the synth and the square drum machine and the 1980s singing style i’d be all in . as it is I struggle to get through this. There are glimmers of it going somewhere artistically creative - but then goes back into pop and that’s just not what does it for me. 2. I definitely will avoid.
Not a bad record but clearly their style and sound became more distinct in the years to come.
Didn’t want to like this cos Andy McCluskey annoys me for some reason, however this was pretty good from start to end. Largely primitive and minimalist in the beats and baselines but lots of layered synth and a generally full and immersive sound. Yeah, maybe time to get over myself and forgive McCluskey for whatever he did that annoyed me (I don’t know what it is). Best: Souvenir (I love a song where the hook isn’t the singing) Worst: Maid of Orleans (never liked this)
Very few high points in this album, mainly just plodding bleeps and bloops with sad vocals. I did not enjoy my tune with this album.
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
Tää ei oikeen lähtenyt. ⭐️⭐️
Tää on just sitä musaa mitä en oo oikeen ikinä hiffannu.
Synth wave pop. Kinda tame and a bit boring in the middle. Catchy at times but the right headspace is recommended.
I like some OMD and there’s good stuff here, just didn’t get into the whole album.
the most 3/5 album ever
Great synth pop. Deserves more listens. Poppy with just the right amount of chaos.
Wasn't bad, wasn't great just sort of meh.
The whole things sounds like it belongs on the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. So In Love, not on this album, is my favorite OMD track. So so.
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
Really cool
chyba mój faworyt do tej pory
more than just a pop synth album??? I could see Air or LCD getting inspo from this
One of the most accessible electronic albums I've ever listened to. I've never actually enjoyed an electronic/synth pop album. I'm feeling weird.
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
3/5. An interesting album that makes good use of its outside influences. I wish they had leaned more heavily into church music — the choral bits were wonderful and worked so well with the traditional New Wave components. It's worth a listen and you'll likely find something enjoyable on here, but all in all it lacks anything making it truly special .
I went through this album a couple times, thinking this was a new band to me, and then their “Enola Gay” song auto played at the album’s conclusion. Unfortunately, the closest this album comes to matching that type of energy is at the opening of “Georgia”. Overall this was an interesting listen. I enjoyed reading about how the band composed some of the sounds, but didn’t come away with any standouts otherwise.
Interesting album.
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...
I like one of their other LPs a little bit too. Not my bag of tea but it's not completely horrible.
I only like one OMD song and it's not even on this album. A shame.
Listened to half. Really instrumental, sets a vibe more than giving a message. As an architecture student I get that it's "weird"
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 was a grind
Listening to this felt like homework
And behind this door—more synth pop! Pleasantly surprised, some of the beats were fire. Between the cover, the band name, and the album name, my expectations were pretty low. (Incidentally, architecture is amoral.)
Kinda cool LCD vibes
I’d like to speak to someone’s manager. Sure, synth pop origins bla bla bla but multiple people think this is required listening?
this made me feel like that dude on a skateboard drinking cranberry juice and singing fleetwood mac