Album Review: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - English Electric

In their original '80s pomp, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark had a human warmth and lightness of touch that seems to be missing from many of their synth pop contemporary combos. This is most likely because they had an actual band line-up, a knowledge of the machines they were using, songs that went outside the usual man/machine themes, and that slight catch in Andy McCluskey's voice. It all fitted together correctly.

English Electric is the second album from the reformed 'classic' line-up of the band, and it sounds like they've got it right. Perhaps too right in parts. You can almost hear the echo of years gone by. Designated single, Metroland, matches the insistent beep of We Love You from their first go-round, while the stately and more ornate Helen Of Troy immediately calls to mind their previous odes to historic female figures like Joan Of Arc and Enola Gay. OK, the latter was the bomber that dropped the first A-bomb, but it did have a girl's name. They simply make their brand of pop by intent and design.

Maybe one difference is that today's computerised instruments sound a little more real – if that's not a contradiction in terms – resulting in songs like the sweeping Dresden having more depth to them. Perhaps the only real mis-step is having the otherwise wonderful Claudia Brucken – of the art-pop project Propaganda from years ago – as a recurring machine voice motif, which seems just a bit forced at times.

Altogether – right down to the Dazzle Ships-style cover art by Peter Saville – this is just another OMD album of the classic model.