As modern as Airwolf?
I saw The Modern play a couple of years ago at The Paradise Bar. Now, I am not stating this fact because I am a narcissistic big-headed oaf attempting to impress you all with the promotion of a living-on-the-cutting-edge-I-knew-them-when-they-were-cool life's philosophy. I am stating it because when I did see them, I didn't think very much of them.
I love Eighties music. So much so, in fact, that my My Space moniker is "the 80s kid". I don't care what it is - The Smiths, Kate Bush, Depeche Mode, Peter Gabriel, Johnny Hates Jazz - I love it all - especially "My Favourite Waste Of Time" by Owen Paul. Modern groups like Les Rhythmes Digitales share my passion - although one must seriously question Jacques Lu Cont's (or Stuart Price's if you prefer) decision to work with Madonna. In the realm of Eighties music, I consider Madonna the vegetarian option, a side order if you will. While the luminaries mentioned above (okay, maybe not Johnny Hates Jazz - although "Heart Of Gold" IS a classic) were producing influential, meaningful and sometimes ephemeral music, Madonna was pissing about with dross like "Holiday" and "Crazy For You". I'll admit that I have an soft spot for "Vogue" but only because she looked fit in the video. So: I love Eighties music, The Modern produce Eighties music - why didn't I like them first time round I hear you yell? - (probably a rebel yell if you've the same inane sense of humour that I have). I must be an idiot.
Well, I was an idiot. While I waxed lyrical about postmodernism, procrastinated about artistic originality and generally took the piss out of their dancing, I neglected to reference the glorious ostentatiousness of the Eighties. The Eighties was an era of flashy cars, flashy suits, flashy technology and flashy, smarmy arseholes carrying mobile phones that were about as effective as a chocolate teapot. I wished I'd been born in 1965 so I could have savoured it all the more. Instead, due to my age, I was subjected to cinema trips with my Grandad, schoolroom torture for being a ginger tosser (yep, I know that we're mutants - no honestly - it's a FACT) and was forced to wear knee high grey socks and garters to Cubs. But looking back, if you grew up in the Eighties, you took the rough with the smooth. Yeah, your prepubescent life may have sucked but at least the movies and TV shows were great...and, of course, the music was awesome.
"Industry" is great, great record. When I first encountered The Modern, I slated them for forging a passable impression of an Eighties band. This track blows that assertion all to hell. Maybe they've had a rethink or maybe I sank a few too many beers that night but it seems that The Modern has evolved as a group. Now they've got balls. Mixing the indie-low-fi sensibilities of guitar rock with classic synths doesn't sound like a revelatory leap of faith but it's tricky to accomplish well. And this record just goddamn works. The electroclash hook is impossible to ignore, the vocals are exceptionally strong and assertive and the production is gloriously overblown. I hate to say it, but this is a modern classic (pun intended). I can't say any more because I'm going to listen to it again.
Buy this as soon as your grubby fingers are able - and get the album when it's released in May - it'll be worth it. My greatest hope is that The Modern has ditched the weird gimp dance segment of their live show. That still gives me night terrors guys. It's tolerable though - if only because I still dream about the red basque worn by Emma Cooke that long, hot summer night in New Cross...