ARTIST: Modern English
TITLE: Ricochet Days
YEAR RELEASED: 1984
CHART ACTION: #93 US, #5 UK Indie
SINGLES: Chapter 12 (#15 UK Indie), Hands Across the Sea (#91 US)
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Nah
LINEUP: Robbie Grey, Gary McDowell, Michael Conroy, Richard Brown, Stephen Walker
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: After “THE HIT”, they surprisingly don’t try to really replicate it, instead to sticking what they’ve done otherwise.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: You make a big hit record, they (the industry) expect everything else to be the same or similar to the hit. Modern English didn’t do that.
Sure, they added a bit more sheen and polish, and maybe in “Hands Across the Sea” a hook or three, but stuck to their atmospheric post-punk for the most part. That’s kind of refreshing in of itself.
It’s a decent enough record, with some of their old fashioned gothy moody post punk. It won’t make you jump out of your chair, but it’ll do.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: After this, they moved from 4AD, got glossier, broke up, got back together, broke up, reunited again, and kind of soldiered on.
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: Yes, different mixes and B-sides, of course
GRADE B-: Better than their debut but doesn’t have a standout track.