Ahhh... the classic genre that is New Wave; why did you have to die? Buggles had a few years advance on most New Wave artists, who for the most part originated and were popular in the 80's (please correct me if I'm wrong).  Buggles was more synthetic than some of the other bands, the only "live" instruments being a piano and a bass guitar; perhaps this was a gimmick to go with the CD, and whether it is or isn't, this is a truly great album, and it is a shame that Buggles are known as little more than one-hit wonders.

   Buggles' featured foot-note is "Video Killed The Radio Star", famous as being the first video played on MTV, and while that is undoubtedly a catchy commercial track, there is so much more to this album.  The sound effects go beautifully with the piano, and some of the lyrics are down-right eerie, since many of them are "predictions" that have come true in the modern era.

   Consider, for example, the album's opening track, "Living In The Plastic Age".  This track describes a day in the life of a citizen of the "plastic age".  The song opens with a description of fantastic future, where shiny machines awaken one in the morning and smart businessmen "buy the fake and sell what's real".  However, using a terrific pun, the police have put the song's subject under "cardiac arrest".  Subsequent verses are of the subject remembering some of the robotic aspects of his everyday life ("In my bed I read my mind / Remembering back when mice were blind"), the track closes with a symphonic reprise and a fading, slowing heartbeat.  This is similar to some of today's breakthrough electronica artists, in that it comes off not necessarily as a band making songs, but more of a concept album, with a machine is telling us about its emotions.

   Other tracks relate to topics such as fighting ("Clean, Clean") and memories ("Elstree").  While much of it seems nonsensical at first and this will no doubt alienate some listeners, there is a true serenity to these tracks.  It's like classic sci-fi set to music, yet, unlike classic sci-fi, it doesn't sound dated at all (quite the contrary, with the current dance/techno trends, this could be enjoyed by audiences today as much as when it was first released).  Although there was some revival of "Video Killed The Radio Star" when it was covered by Presidents of the USA in 1995, for the most part this band has slipped into the sands of time, and, having left us with only 8 tracks and under 40 minutes of music, that is most unfortunate.