Modern English “After the Snow (Live from Indigo @ O2)” 2021. Mesh & Lace Recordings. Recorded live just about two years ago, on September 18th, 2020 in London during the height of the pandemic. So it is not a concert recording but rather a livestream event (with a VIP “Virtual Meet & Greet” option for an extra $75. Ugh). There is also a DVD of the performance with interviews in between each song. Modern English had planned a 40 year anniversary tour to happen in 2020 which was obviously canceled. As part of that anniversary tour they intended to perform their massively successful 1982 release After the Snow from start to finish. So this release was the compromise (and they are currently on that rescheduled tour).

It’s an excellent live version of After the Snow but it does not feel live at all – this is great in some ways because the sound quality is close to perfect. But it really doesn’t feel much different from the original ’82 release, maybe less of that 80’s production sound. Some songs feel a little sadder “Dawn Chorus” in particular) but overall it’s still bright meets dark new wave that pairs with an 80’s anthemic vibe. My top tracks are identical to the original LP’s: “Someone’s Calling,” “Face of Wood,” “Life in the Gladhouse” and the title track “After the Snow.” And of course there’s the iconic 80’s song “Melt With You” which actually does slightly different than the original single, which hit #7 in the US and continues to be popular 40 years later.