Organisation Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Artist

If {|OMD|}'s debut album showed the band could succeed just as well on full-length efforts as singles, {|Organisation|} upped the ante even further, situating the band in the enviable position of at once being creative innovators and radio-friendly {... Read more

If {|OMD|}'s debut album showed the band could succeed just as well on full-length efforts as singles, {|Organisation|} upped the ante even further, situating the band in the enviable position of at once being creative innovators and radio-friendly {|pop|} giants. That was shown as much by the astounding lead track and sole single from the album, {|Enola Gay.|} Not merely a great showcase for new member {|Holmes|}, whose live-wire drumming took the core electronic beat as a launching point and easily outdid it, {|Enola Gay|} is a flat-out {|pop|} classic -- clever, heartfelt, thrilling, and confident, not to mention catchy and arranged brilliantly. The outrageous use of the atomic bomb scenario -- especially striking given the era's nuclear war fears -- informs the seemingly giddy song with a cut-to-the-quick fear and melancholy, and the result is captivating. Far from being a one-hit wonder, though, {|Organisation|} is packed with a number of gems, showing the band's reach and ability continuing to increase. {|Holmes|} slots into the band's efforts perfectly, steering away from straightforward time structures while never losing the core {|dance|} drive, able to play both powerfully and subtly. {|McCluskey|}'s singing, his own brand of sweetly wounded {|soul|} for a different age and approach, is simply wonderful -- the clattering {|industrial|} paranoia of {|The Misunderstanding|} results in wrenching wails, a moody cover of {|The More I See You|} results in a deeper-voiced passion. Everything from the winsome claustrophobia of {|VCL XI|} and the gentle, cool flow on {|Statues|} to the quirky boulevardier swing of {|Motion and Heart|} has a part to play. Meanwhile, album closer {|Stanlow,|} inspired by the power plant where {|McCluskey|}'s father worked, concluded things on a haunting note, murky mechanical beats and a slow, mournful melody leading the beautiful way. ~ Ned Raggett Less