Europa Hymn from Martin Gore’s solo electronic album (MG) is perfection. Equal parts melancholy, reflective, poignant. What is its tone? Absolutely wistful. In view of beauty. Perhaps bowing down to beauty. A hymn, paying honor to something grand, something transcendent. Martin Gore knows how to translate this very emotion to music so skillfully. He brings …
Tag Archives: synthpop
Howard Jones
When I was 8, I loved Howard Jones. He was the first artist that I really sought after on my own, hearing one song and longing for more. That first song? What else: “Things Can Only Get Better.” It was lost on me as an 8-year-old just how adult contemporary and downright motivational speaker-y Howard …
Shout!
Shout! is another underrated early-era Depeche Mode song. Much of it is in a major key, sounds kind of distant and positive – but it’s bordered by a mildly dissonant header and footer. It makes for a nice complement. Who knows what they are talking about. “Break away tonight / I wanna hold your hand …
Ladytron
Ladytron was always a band toying with time, memories. their first single, “Playgirl,” sounded like a song i knew and loved from long ago. it’s like the song was found after being lost for decades. it has such familiarity. i went through a big ladytron phase. jason introduced me to playgirl, and i bought a …
Ice Machine
i have a renewed love for this song. when did it start? earlier in the year, i had my own synth pop renaissance after a brief yet intense Pet Shop Boys obsession. somehow i landed on Ice Machine, and i found the Rokysopp cover on youtube. that guest singer’s voice irks me, but i can’t …
now this is fun
riding the bus home today, on a drizzly spring day, i listened to “Now this is fun” by Depeche Mode. it’s an old favorite, an obscure track that i fell for back in the day. i used to dub songs off of jane’s brother’s new wave collection, and due to my limited amount of blank …