Modern English - After The Snow

"I Melt with You" will forever be the one specific moment that's Modern English's place in pop history, but the album it came from, After the Snow, isn't anything to sneeze at either. Indeed, in transforming from the quite fine but dour young miserabilists on Mesh & Lace to a brighter incarnation who still had a melancholy side, the quintet found exactly the right combination best-suited for their abilities. Like contemporaries B-Movie and the Sound, Modern English used punk and post-punk roots as a chance to introduce a haunting, beautiful take on romance and emotion, while the contributions of Stephen Walker on keyboard helped make the album both of its time and timeless. That said, the secret weapon on the album is the rhythm section of Michael Conroy and Richard Brown, able to shift from the polite but relentless tribal beat clatter on the excellent "Life in the Gladhouse" to the ever more intense punch of the title track, the album's unheralded masterpiece. None of this is to denigrate the contributions of singer Robbie Grey and guitarist Gary McDowell. The former's seemingly mannered singing actually shows a remarkable fluidity at points; "After the Snow" again is a good reference point, as is the fraught, slow-burn epic "Dawn Chorus"; while McDowell works around the band's various arrangements instead of trying to dominate them. Some songs, like "Face of Wood," even find Modern English (often dogged with Joy Division comparisons early on) predicting where New Order would go before that band got there itself. Still, "I Melt with You" is the main reason most will want to investigate further. A perfect pop moment that didn't have to strain for it, its balance of giddy sentiment and heartfelt passion matched with a rush of acoustic and electric guitar overdubs just can't be beat.

Modern English - Mesh And Lace

Everyone knows the hit "I Melt with You" but does anyone know that before Modern English hit the mainstream they were a post-punk noise band in the vein of Joy Division and Bauhaus?

Modern English were one of the bands that Ivo and Peter had originally approached Martin Mills about in 1979. After a self-released 45 (‘Drowning Man’), they made their 4AD debut with the ‘Swans On Glass’ single, which was followed later in the year by ‘Gathering Dust’. They also featured on the Presage(s) EP and were the only band from that compilation who continued to release records on 4AD. 38 years on, ‘Gathering Dust’ remains a crucial release in 4AD's history for reasons that have nothing to do with the music it contains. When the original art director proved unable to provide the sleeve art, Peter called a friend who recommended a young graphic designer named Vaughan Oliver. A strange coincidence ensued: Modern English had printed up some T-shirts which utilized a Diane Arbus photograph of two people watching television, while Vaughan had utilized the same image in his design portfolio. Result: Vaughan landed the job and began a relationship with 4AD that continues to this day. Modern English expanded on the promise of their singles with Mesh And Lace, a memorably atmospheric album that helped re-position guitar-rock in the wake of Joy Division, PiL and Wire. It also sported the first official 23 Envelope sleeve credit, thus ushering in an artistic collaboration that would provide 4AD with a recognizable visual identity. Modern English finished off 1981 with the single ‘Smiles And Laughter’.

Formed in Colchester, Essex, England, in 1979 by Robbie Grey (vocals), Gary McDowell (guitar, vocals), and Michael Conroy (bass, vocals), Modern English were originally known as The Lepers. The group expanded to Modern English when Richard Brown (drums) and Stephen Walker (keyboards) were subsequently added to the line-up of the band.

The debut album Mesh And Lace and the accompanying singles are a must have for any discerning post punk collection.

Modern English - Ricochet Days

The gorgeous atmosphere of 1982's After The Snow album demanded both further exploration and an encore and Modern English did just that. Ricochet Days is not just a worthy follow-up to After The Snow, but in some ways it's even better. Cautiously moving forward and nearly a sister album to After The Snow, there is calculated risk taken here. Had it not been for the motion picture "Valley Girl" that made "I Melt With You" the monster hit it was, Ricochet Days may have been a different album, but as it stands, it's one of the few instances in popular music where a follow-up to a hugely successful album tries to make another fine album like it and actually succeeds. It certainly boasts more single-worthy tracks. As good as "Hands Across the Sea" is, the real gem on here is "Chapter 12," and it's every bit as ambitious as anything they'd done before.

Modern English - Someone’s Calling 12”

Good Morning Tuesday people, what a time to be alive. Starting the week off nicely here with a banging 4AD 12” from Modern English. The opening track on their sophomore album After The Snow. Most folks would know Modern English around the time this was released, I Melt For You was the lead single from the album, and well…folks liked it. Personally I prefer this single remix to the album version, but I’m being picky as there’s not much between them.

Modern English - I Melt With You 7”

"I Melt With You" was one of those rare songs that captured my attention from the start and continues to bring a smile to my face today, even after appearing in a Burger King commercial. A nice piece of classic 80s jangly 4AD New Wave where the acoustic guitar is comfy, the synth sounds a bit diseased yet somehow kinda pretty, and the lyrics are romantic in that weird nerdy way you could really only find in this era. Especially good considering the (intriguing) gloom-and-doom music the band put out before and that's sort of how I feel about this song. It's very appealing, with its great guitar work and snappy chorus, and even today I don't hold the Burger King commercials against them. Everyone has to make a living.