The Human League

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• Genre: New Romantic
• Hometown: Sheffield England
• The Human League Website

About

One of the highlights of British Synth Pop is in fact not simple synthesizer melodies, but attention to vocal harmonies. This is especially true for the Human League. The charm of their first hit, 1981's "Don't You Want Me," lies mostly in its unforgettable, highly emotional narrative delivered through deadpan vocals that harmonize like the Beach Boys. Even when the subject matter was desperate, their male and female vocal exchanges always maintained either a New Romantic cool or the emotional distance of a Godard character. But this is not to give their instrumentation short shrift: at their peak, their driving basslines, post-Disco beats and keyboard symphonics were unmatched and a perfect match for their vocal depth.

- Marc Kate