Part of what made new wave so appealing-- at least, to those of us who were middle schoolers at the time-- was its earnestness. Of course, this is exactly the quality that makes most of it all but unlistenable 15 years later. So many of those bands were just so fucking serious about what they were doing, about their music and themselves. They didn't let up for a second. They just pouted away on 12" sleeves, t-shirts and huge concert video displays, evidently secure in the knowledge that their featherweight finger- and- thumb keyboard melodies were the nodal point around which the future evolution of the human species rotated.
With all that's happened since, though, even the most die-hard Depeche Mode fans must wince when confronted with the bleeping of Speak and Spell or the lyrics to, say, "People are People." Go ahead and try it: identify the most hardcore Mode fan you know, call 'em up, and read them those lyrics. Their first reaction will probably be nervous laughter, which will slowly trail off, and by the first time through the chorus you should be able to hear-- even over the phone-- their butt squirming in their chair. "Who is this?" they'll ask. "Why are you doing this to me?"
Of course, there were bands that avoided the self- important New Wave posturing (though, not many). Erasure at least has camp value. The Pet Shop Boys seemed down- to- earth enough. New Order is almost unassailable, probably due to the fact that Bernard Sumner waited until the records were almost released before he tossed off their lyrics. It's the absence of this grandiosity that makes a lot of today's new New Wave bands-- like Orange Cake Mix, Godzuki, and Barcelona-- so good. Simply put, their lyrics aren't embarrassing. Okay, they're silly, sure-- maybe even tongue- in- cheek at times. But they're not Camouflage.
Barcelona, in particular, takes fairly faithfully rendered synth- pop and adds lyrics about such things as IRC, computer camp, and Commodore 64's-- it's nerd-pop in the nicest possible way. It's fluffy, yeah, but it's consistently endearing. And the music, while never exactly innovative, managed to provide some enjoyment. The guitar is more prominent here than it usually is on new wave records, and the songs don't lean too heavily on their electronic bases. Some, like "Sunshine Delay" and the excellent "The Downside of Computer Camp," are downright rockin'. But Simon Basic's highlight lies in "I Know What You Think of Me," a track that sounds so much like Brotherhood- era New Order that it may as well be a cover. (To Barcelona's credit, the song skirts plagiarism and lands squarely in homage territory.)
Simon Basic isn't gonna rock any boats. It's harmless. Moreover, the band's lyrics probably won't be appreciated outside of a certain demographic that consists primarily of those who are in college now (or recently graduated), have owned Ataris or Commodore-64s, or have ever donned a fake stick-on bindi. But this album has at least a few sunny afternoons with friends in it. If you have any friends.
