"THE PROMISE" WHEN IN ROME (1987)

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.

Those who criticize synth pop have every right to dislke the genre. What you listen to is up to you. But those who criticize it because they say it’s soulless are misunderstood. Synthesizers are mere instruments, just like a piano or an electric guitar. They can be the heart of a song. Or the soul of a song. But often, it’s not their job to be those things. It’s really the melody and the lyrics that tell you if a song has heart or soul. If you don’t believe me, listen to When in Rome’s “The Promise” and get reacquainted with what synth pop can do to your spirits.

I first heard “The Promise” on my local alt rock station WDRE. But it wasn’t long that the Top 40 stations picked up on it. The reason why: It wasn’t about the synthesizers even though the entire song’s instrumentation is based on them. It was about the words and the way the melody expressed those words. I could easily sing along to it, not because it was an easy melody (that chorus makes quite an octave jump), but because it made me feel something. Whatever it was, I wanted to feel more of it.

“I'm sorry but I'm just thinking of the right words to say.”

"THE PROMISE" WHEN IN ROME (1987)

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

Those who criticize synth pop have every right to dislke the genre. What you listen to is up to you. But those who criticize it because they say it’s soulless are misunderstood. Synthesizers are mere instruments, just like a piano or an electric guitar. They can be the heart of a song. Or the soul of a song. But often, it’s not their job to be those things. It’s really the melody and the lyrics that tell you if a song has heart or soul. If you don’t believe me, listen to When in Rome’s “The Promise” and get reacquainted with what synth pop can do to your spirits.

I first heard “The Promise” on my local alt rock station WDRE. But it wasn’t long that the Top 40 stations picked up on it. The reason why: It wasn’t about the synthesizers even though the entire song’s instrumentation is based on them. It was about the words and the way the melody expressed those words. I could easily sing along to it, not because it was an easy melody (that chorus makes quite an octave jump), but because it made me feel something. Whatever it was, I wanted to feel more of it.

“I'm sorry but I'm just thinking of the right words to say.”