404 of 1001 Albums: OMD's Architecture and Morality

Orchestrl Manoeuvres In the Dark is a really long name to write out and say, so to keep it simple I will write OMD, which is what most know them as anyways. I have to say I was really excited about this album though.  The only song I had heard from the band was "If You Leave", and this album has a different tone than I had heard on that song that I liked even better. It fits in more with the tones of bands like Depeche Mode or Joy Division.

History: Architecture and Morality is known as one of OMD's best work. It reached success critically and commercially, and reached number three on the charts. To this day it's said to be a huge influence on popular music. It's made several greatest albums list in popular magazines. The album itself produced three singles that were also successful. While critics did have some mixed feedback at first over time it has come become more acclaimed.


Vocals: You have two in the group responsible for the vocals, Paul and Andy. The guys have voices that fit the tones of the tunes, and it ranges from being lighter and more fun with the synthpop sound, or a bit darker with the electronic melodies. The guys don't always sing, but when they do it makes the music a lot better to listen to.

Instrumentals: There are a huge range of instruments used. Everything from synthesizers to percussion are used to bring this album together. The bass is well done in the tunes to add a little bit more of a serious flare to the music overall. It's just great to hear how they have arranged this whole album where the instruments fit together perfectly. Plus the four band members were the ones who played the instruments, which expanded across quite a few for each member to play.

Recording: The recording does sound very 1981, but I love it. I also do think that it does sound modern though. I can hear how the Chromatics might have been inspired by this band.  The deep bass was the coolest part for me. It just isn't often that you hear a band that highlights the bass in such a way that makes it sound so cool. I definitely thought I would be hearing more pop on this album, and was pleasantly surprised that mixed in with electronics a lot more than I thought it would at the time.

With this album I believe that OMD has become one of my favorites from the 80's. They sound good and have great melodies in their tunes. They keep it strong with tunes like "Joan o Arc" and "Of All The Things We're Made." It's definitely going to get a few listen again's on quite a few songs that I would have replayed in that moment had I not had a whole album to get through.

Rating 9 of 10.