New wave music and the acts associated with the genre have managed to hang tough over the years since the musical style reached its peak in the mid-1980s and then was revived again in the late-20th/early-21st centuries. Gary Numan, one of the forebears especially in terms of synthesizer use, even experienced a bit of a career resurgence when he toured with Nine Inch Nails a couple of years ago. More recently, Numan's recordings have become the subject of a vinyl reissue campaign via Beggars Banquet's catalog and archive department known as The Arkive. The Pleasure Principle (Beggars Banquet) from 1979, for example, mastered from HD digital 96/24 transfers of analogue tape, contains Numan's massive hit single "Cars" as well as classic tunes "Observer," "Conversation" and "Engineers."
You can hear David Bowie's influence on Art Angels (4AD), the latest acclaimed album by Grimes (aka Claire Boucher). Considered by some to be Bowie's true spiritual successor, Grimes has a way of putting art into her art rock. Beginning with the theatrical opener "Laughing and Not Being Normal," to straightforward new wave-revival dance numbers "Flesh Without Blood," "California" and "World Princess Part II," Grimes takes being weird seriously. She isn't afraid to merge the mood of the past with the mind of the present on standouts "Scream" and "Butterfly," staking her claim on the dance-floor.
St. Lucia (aka Jean-Philip Grobler) bypasses Bowie and goes straight for Tears for Fears and Thompson Twins on his second album Matter (Columbia/Neon Gold). Backed by a synth and beats-driven band including his wife Patricia Beranek, St. Lucia focuses on the nostalgic dance-floor on the 11 tracks. Of particular interest are clubby tracks "Rescue Me," "Help Me Run Away" and "Dancing on Glass."
Ten years after releasing its acclaimed debut album, Editors return with the strongest album of its existence, the stunning In Dream (PIAS). Editors have mastered the art of sounding of the moment while honoring the new wave of the past. Whether aiming for the dance-floor on "Our Love" and "All the Kings," or artfully sculpting a mood on "Ocean of Night," Editors are a dream come true. The double-CD edition features eight bonus tracks.
Like some first-wave new wave bands, Givers incorporate a number of musical influences, including Afro and world beat, zydeco (they're from Louisiana), glitch and fuzz, on second album New Kingdom (Glassnote). The disc showcases some great mixed-gender vocal give-and-take (check out "Sure Thang," "Wishing Well" and "Lightning") while giving Tiffany Lamson plenty of room to strut her own stuff.