Modern English “After the Snow” released 40 years ago today, May 3rd, 1982. Their second LP, After the Snow is excellent new wave/post punk and has the era-defining smash hit “Melt With You.”  While it took awhile, it eventually went to #78 on the main US charts in ’83 (and then again to #76 in ’90 after Modern English re-recorded it) and reached #7 on the Rock Albums & Top Tracks chart; over the past 40 years it has become one of the most-played songs on US radio stations. The single has also been featured in a ton of movies and commercials.

“Melt With You” is, of course, amazing and I danced my ass off to it countless times in the 80’s, but the rest of After the Snow is great and highly danceable as well. My other top tracks are the album opener “Someone’s Calling” (released as the third and final single from the album in ’83), “Face of Wood,” the LP’s first single “Life in the Gladhouse” and the title track “After the Snow.”

We have had the chance to see Modern English perform a couple of times in the past few years, first in 2017 as part of the Retro Futura tour of 80’s new wave/pop bands and then again in 2019 along with The Alarm and Gene Loves Jezebel. It’s always startling when you’re in the first row and one of the band members makes direct eye contact with you during a solo:

Modern English at Turner Hall, 2019