"SOUVENIR" OMD (1981)

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.

OMD will forever be known as a John Hughes-era music staple. They penned one of the most famous 80s movie soundtrack songs, “If You Leave”, and topped it off with plenty more standout tracks like “Dreaming”, “Forever (Live and Die)” and “Secret”. But I think all that Brat Pack-fueled success almost did a disservice to the band. It overshadowed what they accomplished artistically in their first three albums, including Architecture & Morality, a vastly underrated album which contains a fantastic single called “Souvenir”.

Some of the best songs are the ones that envelope us into the ether. They transport us. Anywhere, but where our physical bodies may be. While few people would classify OMD as a post punk band, what they were doing on “Souvenir” was very post-punk in their mentality. The instrumentation was much more nuanced and layered in various synth sounds. And the song conjured up multiple emotional states, including euphoria, indifference and sadness, all in under four minutes. Structurally, it was anything but obvious, substituting a vocal chorus with the signature synth hook.

“My obsession. It's my creation. You'll understand. It's not important now.”

"MESSAGES" O.M.D. (1980)

For the month of October, I’m taking the #OctAtoZBandChallenge challenge. The premise is simple. Pick a band starting with the day’s assigned alphabet letter and then choose a song from that band.

Day 15

My introduction to OMD was by way of the Brat Pack. I recall the first song I heard from the band being “If You Leave” from the Pretty In Pink soundtrack. I liked it back then, but I almost can’t stand it now. That said, without Pretty In Pink, I may not have ever discovered the impressive back catalog to one of thee greatest synth pop pioneer duos of the 80s: Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys. The music from the first three albums are among my favorite OMD anthems. And it all starts with the hypnotic U.K. single, “Messages”.

“Messages” is more than one thing for me. In one listen, it’s an abstract sonic expression. In another, it transforms into the perfect chill-out accompaniment. Still in another, it’s an SOS. It’s a song whose hypnotic synth lines give it different expressions for different moments. The synth lines almost become harmonic accompaniments to the main vocals. I’ve never had the opportunity to see O.M.D. live in concert, but if I did I’d want this song to be on the setlist.

“But memories are uncertain friends when recalled by messages.”

"SOUVENIR" OMD (1981)

It’s time to get back to my favorite decade. For the month of March, I’ll be looking back at some of my favorite jams from the 80s. These songs often came to me via MTV or the radio. NYC-area stations WDRE, WPLJ, WNEW, K-ROCK and Z100 introduced me to everything from irresistible pop confections to under-the-radar post-punk anthems. I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for the 80s. It was the decade when I discovered music can be a truly powerful thing. #31DaysOf80sSongs

OMD will forever be known as a John Hughes-era music staple. They penned one of the most famous 80s movie soundtrack songs, “If You Leave”, and topped it off with plenty more standout tracks like “Dreaming”, “Forever (Live and Die)” and “Secret”. But I think all that Brat Pack-fueled success almost did a disservice to the band. It overshadowed what they accomplished artistically in their first three albums, including Architecture & Morality, a vastly underrated album which contains a fantastic single called “Souvenir”.

Some of the best songs are the ones that envelope us into the ether. They transport us. Anywhere, but where our physical bodies may be. While few people would classify OMD as a post punk band, what they were doing on “Souvenir” was very post-punk in their mentality. The instrumentation was much more nuanced and layered in various synth sounds. And the song conjured up multiple emotional states, including euphoria, indifference and sadness, all in under four minutes. Structurally, it was anything but obvious, substituting a vocal chorus with the signature synth hook.

“My obsession. It's my creation. You'll understand. It's not important now.”

"SOUVENIR" OMD (1981)

For the month of October, I’m selecting a song each day from the decade that has the most meaning to me: the 80s. It was the decade that I grew up in. The period of time where I discovered my love for music — and explored many different genres. For the next 31 days, I’ll highlight a handful of songs that I truly loved and that were representative of the decade. #31DaysOf80sSongs

OMD will forever be known as a John Hughes-era music staple. They penned one of the most famous 80s movie soundtrack songs, “If You Leave”, and topped it off with plenty more standout tracks like “Dreaming”, “Forever (Live and Die)” and “Secret”. But I think all that Brat Pack-fueled success almost did a disservice to the band. It overshadowed what they accomplished artistically in their first three albums, including Architecture & Morality, a vastly underrated album which contains a fantastic single called “Souvenir”.

Some of the best songs are the ones that envelope us into the ether. They transport us. Anywhere, but where our physical bodies may be. While few people would classify OMD as a post punk band, what they were doing on “Souvenir” was very post-punk in their mentality. The instrumentation was much more nuanced and layered in various synth sounds. And the song conjured up multiple emotional states, including euphoria, indifference and sadness, all in under four minutes. Structurally, it was anything but obvious, substituting a vocal chorus with the signature synth hook.

“My obsession. It's my creation. You'll understand. It's not important now.”