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.

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“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

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“I Melt With You” was a new wave one-hit wonder in the 80′s (so 80′s that it was featured in the film Valley Girl) and has been practically played to death in subsequent years, worst of all in commercials for Burger King and Taco Bell (sorry marketing geniuses, your appeal to this Gen-Xer did not get me eating at either crappy fast food chain). Only a bit less offensive is its use by Hershey to promote holiday milk chocolate (but this is mainly because I like chocolate). The B-side of “I Melt With You” is definitely worth a listen. “Someone’s Calling” is a perfect swirling 80′s new wave dance track, full of keyboards, poppy rhythm and echo-ey vocals.

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