As an eighties kid, synth pop has been pumping in my blood ever since that first day I turned on my MTV. There’s some debate as to who’s considered a synth pop band and who isn’t. For this September Music Twitter challenge – #SynthPopSeptember – I’m focusing more on what’s considered synth pop, not who. The songs I’m featuring on Mental Jukebox this month aren’t solely composed of synthesizers. There may be drums, bass, and dare I say, electric guitars. But each of these songs were picked because the synthesizer is core to its being.
I recently gained new perspective on the forming of supergroup Electronic from Peter Hook’s New Order memoir, Substance. It’s clear that New Order’s sound was becoming more and more synth-driven. What I didn’t realize was how significant the musical and personal tensions were between Barney and Hooky. Through this new lens, Electronic seems almost like a rebound fling. Barney escaping to pursue more of what he wants with the synths – and Johnny Marr fresh off the heels of The Smiths breakup. There is beauty in the chaos though, right? “Getting Away With It” is a perfect example.
Johnny Marr is playing guitars on this one, but the majority of the album’s focus is on the synthesizers. Electronic is the name of the band, after all. “Getting Away With It” was like a breath of fresh air on my beloved radio station WDRE. I listened to it incessantly, Barney’s vocals were as good as they’ve ever been. The melody fit his everyday tone perfectly. Neil Tenant’s distinct backing vocals were like the icing on the cake. And let’s not forget the synth riffs, one of Barney’s more underrated skills as a band member – whether he’s the frontman or co-leading.
“However I look, it's clear to see That I love you more than you love me.”