If New Order would have got Brian Eno to produce their debut it would have sounded like ‘Play Music’. Thieves Like Us put a fresh spin on the 80’s revival with an album that doesn’t cover but re-invent.

The Swedish-American trio Thieves Like Us have tabled a perfect ‘What If’ album with ‘Play Music’.

What if Eno would have worked with New Order, adding some Teutonic gloss? The three detectives of Thieves Like Us painstakingly assembled the evidence and recreate the scene on songs like ‘Your Heart Feels’, ‘Fass’ or ‘Lady’. Thieves Like Us totally nail the Teutonic sound of key influences on Eno like 70’s electronic pioneers Harmonia.

What if Kraftwerk would have moved closer to a UK pop sensibility after 1976? They never did, but Thieves Like Us come up with a likely answer on ‘Program Of The First Part’ and ‘Miss You’. This is no cheesy cover or tribute stuff either, Thieves Like Us obviously spent some time getting under the skin of German avantgarde rock.

The low budget Sci-Fi video for ‘Program Of The First Part’ makes some clever references to old skool video games and early animation trickery in music videos of the 80’s. It is quite funny to watch as well, particularly if you like day-glo colours and the antics of US art rockers Devo.

Thieves Like Us ‘Program Of The First Part’

If you need more evidence for the band’s fascination with German avantgarde, consider the predecessor to ‘Play Music’, the entirely instrumental ‘Berlin, Alex’. Thieves Like Us recorded the album inspired by a stay in Berlin. The band actually met here, brought together by their interest in the place and its music scene. Swedes Bjorn Berglund and Pontus Berghe play the keyboards and drums in a very convincing Krautrock fashion and American Andy Grier sings.

Thieves Like Us do stray into the 90’s as well, coming up with a great French House pastiche on ‘Drugs In My Body’. It’s probably the most commercial track on the album and it’s not by accident that it was picked by French dance label Kitsune Maison and released as a 12″ single for some dance floor action in Indie/Electro clubs.

As a ‘What If’ exploration of what could have been if the music scene would have evolved differently 30 years ago, ‘Play Music’ is quite an involving listening experience. If you have an interest in 80’s music you’ll knock good fun out of it.

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