Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark cover

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Released

OMD’s debut album is a classic example of a young act simply nailing it the first time out. It’s not that the band had nowhere to go from there, far from it, but the sheer sense of who they were and what they could do – Kraftwerk enthusiasts just as attuned to the power of catchy glam and punk singalong melodies, but avoiding the guitar-led approach entirely – is apparent song for song. “Electricity” remains a stellar single, a crackling charge of, well, the title subject, but the melancholy “Almost,” the stirring charge of “Messages” and much more all make the album sing.

Ned Raggett

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