English Electric

With countless young groups in the new century discovering the joys of synths and mechanized beats, it's only fair that the men who wrote the original playbook should re-join the fray and reap their just rewards. No fan of synth-pop should be without OMD's 1981 masterwork Architecture & Morality, but 2013's English Electric makes a strong case for learning from your elders. This album's jammed tight with the elements of pop and experimentalism that made for a jarring experience in the early '80s and that today makes OMD sound as natural as breathing. On the second album since the group's 2005 reunion, OMD sound more comfortable than ever. Tunes like "Metroland," "Night Cafe," and "Helen of Troy" are "classic" OMD, veering closely to Kraftwerk's territory but with an unmistakable British touch. Andy McCluskey's crooning has always been part craft/part overwhelmed emotion, but the years have turned it into a familiar voice like that of an old lovestruck friend. Or, if you're new to OMD, the sound of a glorious drama queen.