Customer Reviews

Synthpop Lives!

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a fan of Synth-Pop music. And whenever I hear about a Synth-Pop compilation where the comparisons are made to Erasure, OMD and Pet Shop Boys, my ears immediately perk up. But I can't tell you how disappointed I am with many of these compilations; this one included.

First off, let me say that perhaps I don't know anything about how compilations are put together - I don't know if the artists have any say, and if songs are just selected by a neutral third party or what. I get so frustrated when I know of cool music by a particular artist, and I see them featured on an album, but the selection is not really representative of why I like them. I LOVE Anything Box's debut album, "Peace", but I would hate to see "Hypocrites" featured on some compilation because I wouldn't want any newcomer to walk away thinking that that's among their best work. I don't like that song, but the better, stronger material on the rest of that album made it easier for me to accept that song.

This is what I'm guessing happened with this album. I've seen many of these artists before (The Echoing Green, Wave In Head, Moulin Noir, B! Machine) as examples of some of the leading artists in the "new" Synth Pop movement. But if these selections are representative of their work in general as opposed to some of the best songs they have to offer, I'm not impressed. The songs are very generic; nothing stands out about them. Sure, they're synthesizer-based dance music, but they're just......there.

Let me give you an example - "Myself With You" by Elegant Machinery, you will love that song right from the first time you hear it. In fact, just listening to the first verse and chorus alone made me go out and buy "Yesterday Man." "Too Much To Handle" by Opium? I'm listening to it right now as I type this review, and I can't even remember what I'm hearing while it's playing! Boring.

When you put a compilation like this together, my impression is that you're not only trying to appeal to existing fans, but also trying to introduce these bands to new listeners, in the hopes of getting them interested in seeking out more music from these bands. You want to hook them in with an awesome song that will make listeners want to hear more, and there just wasn't anything to make me want to invest anymore time on anybody featured here. Case in point - "Free" by Blue October. What did the Amazon reviewer say - "here's a great collection of synthesizer goodness, complete with the catchy hooks and clubby beats??" What do we get with this song? A mellow acoustic guitar-based song! Okay, maybe the "guitar" sound was created on a keyboard, but still, you get my point. Nice, well-written song, but....just seems out of place on a compilation that has "Synth Pop" in the title.

Another complaint - I wish reviewers would stop trying to lure me in by referencing other well-established acts in this genre like Erasure, Pet Shop Boys, OMD, Depeche Mode and New Order (and for the record, contrary to popular belief, New Order is NOT a Synth Pop band). 9 times out of 10, the comparisons are not accurate. There is NOTHING on here as catchy as "Victim Of Love", "Domino Dancing", "Tesla Girls", "Everything Counts" or "1963." C'mon - you have the opportunity to show the world what the big deal is about Synth Pop music and why it won't die - put the BEST the bands have to offer on there; we'll discover the more mellow album tracks after we're interested!

Having said that, this compilation isn't all bad. I like Cosmicity and Neuropa already, and I liked their offerings here. I've never heard of Intuition, but it was a great way to start off the album and I would have an interest in hearing more from them.

Look, I want to promote any Synth Pop compilations when I can, which is why I'm giving this a 3 star rating. However, the rating is based solely on the good first 4 songs and because you gotta love A Different Drum for continuing to be the leader of promoting Synth Pop artists. But as far as this being a good compilation which will make me want to "sing along and start dancing?" Not so much. I know these artists have better material to offer. It just wasn't featured here.