History of Modern (Part1) - OMD Single Review

OMD

Single Review

Last year, OMD rose from the ashes and released their first new album for 14 years, a feat in itself since the band split after dragging out a few rather patchy albums, seemingly never to look back upon their past glories of "Joan Of Arc", "Enola Gay" and the remarkable "Dazzle Ships" album.

The latter's sleeve design features as a subtle artistic influence on this 10" and CD issue of one of the more memorable pop-tracks from the aforementioned new album, "History Of Modern". But that's where the similarity ends - this is pop world and McCluskey and Humphreys have proven their hit-making chops with this certifiable radio doozy in music terms, not sleeve-wise.

Two mixes of the title-track fill side one of the vinyl version - the first is a squeaky-clean edit with extra disco filters, the second is a drawn-out full expansion of the original. Job done. Simplistic, sublime and yet just a little bit cheesy, OMD can still carve a joint of retro-spattered good-time electro-wave without so much as a by-your-leave.

But look out you crazy OMD collectors, here come two exclusive B-sides, something that the Wirral duo are famed for delivering with some panache. The first song, "The Grand Deception", is a song worthy of being included on the album, while the second is a more experimental sampled-voice near-instrumental that wouldn't sound out of place on "Junk Culture" or "Crush".

The jury is still out as to whether OMD's return to the fray has been triumphant, but this EP succeeds in displaying their various directions that they used to tread back in the day. Worth seeking out.

Paul Pledger