Self-described as “new waves of pop”, Vancouver’s Mode Moderne is on the verge of releasing their second full-length album and has released a video for the first single – “She, Untamed”.
The song is clearly rooted in the sounds of the post-punk darkwave era, and the low-fi video recalls early music videos, with a style that mimics the VHS effects of low-budget videos of the time. The track opens with a guitar riff that immediately echoes Joy Division/early New Order while a pounding rhythm section bangs out that unmistakable 80s beat. Influences of bands like The Cure and Depeche Mode are also plainly evident, and I can’t help but hear more current influences; like She Wants Revenge in the intense drone of frontman Philip Intilé’s vocals. Somehow, in their modern take on this classic sound, they manage to balance the moody darkness of that genre with a brightness that is loaded with impossibly catchy hooks.
Last week, Mode Moderne also premiered the second single from the album, “Strangle the Shadows”, and it is a little less referential to the band’s new wave/post-punk roots. This time we get something a bit more atmospheric, with Intile’s introspective lyrics and soulful vocals washed over with lush synths & guitars and driven by that consistantly persistent rhythm section.
The album Occult Dreams will be released on January 21st and can be pre-ordered Light Organ Records. In the meantime, the single “She, Untamed” is on our current Playlist, is streaming on Bandcamp, and is available for download on iTunes. You can also find the band on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, and If you’re in Europe, catch them On Tour in 2014 with Cosmetics.