As an eighties kid, synth pop has been pumping in my blood ever since that first day I turned on my MTV. There’s some debate as to who’s considered a synth pop band and who isn’t. For this September Music Twitter challenge – #SynthPopSeptember – I’m focusing more on what’s considered synth pop, not who. The songs I’m featuring on Mental Jukebox this month aren’t solely composed of synthesizers. There may be drums, bass, and dare I say, electric guitars. But each of these songs were picked because the synthesizer is core to its being.
The Thompson Twins were more than just a solid synth pop band. They wrote melodies with the best of them. And when it came to a distinct sound, they knew how to make down-tempo songs danceable. They knew how to make us move – no matter what the song was about, no matter how slow the song went. There are fast-paced Thompson Twins classics like “Lies”, “In The Name Of Love” and “Love On Your Side”. But it’s the slower jams that I love most, including “Doctor! Doctor!”, “Hold Me Now” and “Lay Your Hands On Me”.
Probably my favorite track from the synth pop three-piece, “Lay Your Hands On Me” is just gorgeous in its minimalist structure. The combination of shimmery synth notes, Leeway’s drumming and the vocal harmonies elevate the simplicity to the sublime. It is their version of a power ballad – a nostalgic artifact of the era when it was all about the songs and melodies. The synthesizers were just the means.
“I couldn't think of what to say. Words just vanished in a haze.”