Melt with Them Over and Over Again (part 2)

(continuation of a definitive review of Modern English's full studio discography)
by aLfie vera mella

After the Snow (1982)

“Dream of better lives the kind which never hates

Wrapped in a state of imaginary grace

I made a pilgrimage to save this human’s race

Never comprehending a race that has long gone by”

The second album of Modern English, After the Snow, released in 1982, contains the song that catapulted the band to commercial popularity—“I Melt with You.” It was the band’s transition from its Gothic beginnings to its eventual New Romantic predilection. While the brooding theme of the lyrics remained, the instrumentation became upbeat and more intricate and the melodies more catchy and engaging.

I first heard "I Melt with You" in the summer of 1983 via my first viewing of the film Valley Girl (1983), which used the now iconic Modern English song as its main soundtrack song. 

My other personal picks off this album are “Someone’s Calling” (a WXB 102 staple in the mid-'80s); “After the Snow”; “Carry Me Down”; “Tables Turning”; and “Life in the Gladhouse,” which highlights the band’s trademark tribal drumming style.

“Someone’s Calling” was a staple on the Philippine FM radio station WXB 102, which was a radio station popular among many New Wave enthusiasts in the Philippines.

“Life in the Gladhouse” highlights the trademark tribal drumming style in the music of Modern English.

Another distinct aspect of the music of Modern English is the sound of the bass, which is heavy on chorus and flanger effects, serving not only as a backbone to many of their songs but also as a substantial component of their music’s instrumentation. The characteristic of the bass playing, particularly in “After the Snow,” may be described as a subtler take on the style of Peter Hook (bass player most-known for his works with Joy Division and New Order).

The influence of Joy Division's music is very apparent in the bass tracks of "After the Snow"--melodic, dominating, chorus-soaked and flanger-drenched.

(review of the rest of the albums, to be continued...)