Flashes of Brilliance! - Everyone knows Modern English for their 80s hit single Melt With You. In fact, they reference this album in that song ...never really knowing it was always mesh and lace. This is Modern English before they became pop stars and still had a harder edge. It s a much darker album than After the Snow. They sing about violence, nuclear war and other non-pop music topics. What s amazing is that you can hear flashes of brilliance, great hooks in these noisy, angst-filled cacophonous songs filled with audio clips, pounding drums and guitar feedback. Don t forget the headphones!When I first heard the album, it didn t jump out at me as a classic. However, like all classic albums, it grew on me until I found myself repeating riffs and phrases from the album like Can you count the seeds in an apple? or Religion Can t Help. While I can t say that I bought this album before I heard Melt With You, I did get it back in the early 80s at one of those cool college record stores that you probably can t find anymore and played it until it wore out. It proudly sits among my favorite albums of all times. I never got tired of it and I m thrilled that it s available on CD. As a bonus you also get the Gathering Dust EP with songs that weren t included on the original album. What does it remind me of? I hate comparing it to other groups, but if forced I would say I see similarities with Ministry, Joy Division, Siouxie and the Banshees and The Cure.
When is Modern English NOT Modern English? - When I was a kid, I bought this album on vinyl thinking it would be like the Modern English I d heard (and loved) in After the Snow and Ricochet Days. It wasn t. And to be quite honest, at first, I really didn t care for it much at all. It s like cream cheese and peanut butter. You might like both but if you re expecting one when you bite into another, the initial shock can be unpleasant.Mesh and Lace wound up being one of my favorite albums of all time. It s one of those sonic Bibles that helped shape me as a thinking being. I ve been without Mesh and Lace for years as I ve been without a turntable as well, so I recently picked up the CD and have been reliving the experience. And, best of all, it comes with bonus tracks. Some of which even sound a *bit* more like the Modern English of the two previously mentioned albums.If you are a huge Melt with You fan, I can t promise you ll like Mesh and Lace. But if you like pure, raw, unbridled creativity, I think you ll be quite a fan.J.
One of my all-time favorite albums. - It reaches the deep aches and soothes the soul. It remindes me of times long ago when life was so terrible and it gives me a place to echo the longing for something so much more than what I have. It is wonderful. It is one of my favorite albums of all time.Mesh and Lace is melodic, trance-like, and moody. It s there when I need to have music that understands what I ve been through in my life. It is very personal.Mesh and Lace is a collector s item. If you own it, you will know what a priceless treasure you truly have.
Spectacular - A darkly ambiented realm of unsettling yet perfect bass, guitar drums et al harmonies,...of the gothic Bauhaus / Joy Division tradition. This album, being the only one that they ve released that follows in this pattern, is utterly my favorite of them all....
My irascible friend - This 72-minute CD is a compilation of ME s 1981 debut and several worthy bonus tracks from early singles and EPs. The band is primarily known for its 1982 hit single I melt with you, but Mesh and lace marks a more aggressive stance and has few in common with the 4AD label s usual brand of sophisticated dream pop. However, for an essentially punk-based band the musical range here is quite impressive, sounding like a confluence between Joy Division s early material and Wire s arty 154. On the other hand, Mesh and lace is clearly a debut album, there s a fair amount of mediocre material which comes up with lots of pointless guitar feedback but no real substance. The best songs can be found among the extra tracks. The roaring Gathering dust, the highly dramatic title cut, and Smiles and laughter are manic, sweeping gems. The atmospheric Grief, Tranquility with its environmental sounds, and Incident with its staccato riffs have good ideas, too. Fans of ME s later work may not like the darkness and self-indulgent attitude of Mesh and lace, but most of this album works well as angry, depressed mood music.