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.
Growing up as an 80’s kid is pretty core to who I am. That’s why I will always have a bias for 80’s music. There are some decent songs and albums from the era, but it’s the nostalgia that resonates with me the most. It’s why Talk Talk’s original version of “It’s My Life” will always be much better than No Doubt’s version, which was no musical slouch itself. Here in the U.S., the song wasn’t on the mainstream radar, therefore it was there for the taking for the new wave / alt rock / college rock kids. And we gladly gobbled it up.
“It’s My Life” took a desperate plea and turned it into a feel good song, and raised the bar for dozens of British synth pop bands in the process. There are some iconic riffs here, but what the synthesizer does best on the song is create these mind-blowing soundscapes. One minute I’m gliding along the Atlantic Ocean. Another minute, I’m dancing in heaven. That’s how innovative Talk Talk was – even during their early synth pop era.
“Funny how I find myself in love with you.”