CAMOUFLAGE - METHODS OF SILENCE

Camouflage is a band I discovered back in the 80's in high school.  They're a interesting German band.  Here's a little history from my point of view.  On the heels of huge English New Wave bands, the demand for synth pop was huge and labels were signing up virtually any band with a solid synth sound.  

Camouflage was one of these bands.  It was snatched up based on the demand for synth pop.  There's a huge amount of generic New Wave acts and when I first bought this album, I thought it might be one of these bands.  My actual reaction is somewhat mixed.

Do I think Camouflage is a generic band?  No.  But I do think the band was formed by guys who admired and wanted to emulate larger synth acts like Depeche Mode, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys and others.  Musicianship is somewhat lacking, but as the group continued over time, they incorporate more acoustic instruments and you can tell their musical proficiency has dramatically improved.

"Methods Of Silence" is the second album by this trio and it had some minor success on the charts.  The band's biggest hit came on their first album.

The first number is 'One Fine Day' and it starts off with an Oriental sound that fades into a mid tempo pop song.  As with many groups from non English speaking countries who sing in English, the lyrics can be slightly unusual and off beat.  The next song is 'Love Is A Shield' and although it's the biggest hit from the record, it's not exactly my favorite song.  I like it, but other tracks on the disc are more interesting.

'Anyone' continues the Oriental feel using orchestral power chords to start the track.  Of the 3 songs so far, this one is the most interesting musically and lyrically.  'Your Skinhead Is The Dream' is a rather strange song with spoken lyrics and flute sounds.  'On Islands' is an album focusing mainly on an acoustic guitar strumming motif.  It's the most organic sound on the whole album.

The next five songs comprise the second side of the cassette; which is the format I bought the album on originally.  And let me tell you, here is where the album really shines.  The second side is the stronger of the two.  It begins with 'Falling Down'.  Another Oriental intro and then a heavy beat kicks in with a strong guitar rif.  The lyrics are somewhat confusing, but the arrangement is extremely exciting and well done.

It's followed by 'Sooner Than We Think'.  The percussive arrangement is interesting and the vocals are surprising.  It all flows out in a deeper key and it's remarkable.  It's highly reminiscent of early Depeche Mode except the subject matter is more complex and adult.  'A Picture Of Life' is another dramatic number.  The music is quite interesting and enjoyable.  The lyrics have potential and seem to tell the story of a young man who dies and no one cares.  They never really give you an indication as to why the youth wasn't cared for so it ends up falling rather hollow and inept.  Still, the song is lovely.

'Les Rues' is an unsettling number.  The music is offbeat, the percussion is strange and the lyrics are spoken whimsically in French.  There's some orchestral bits throughout and they add quite a bit to the texture of the song.  The final track is 'Rue De Moorslede'.  It's more of an outro and has the odd sound of some crazy circus.  It's quite effective all together.

So Camouflage is a group I didn't expect much from initially, but in the end, I quite enjoy the band and love this record.  My final words:  AN UNDER-RATED 80'S CLASSIC!!!!

CAMOUFLAGE - METHODS OF SILENCE

01. One Fine Day

02. Love Is A Shield

03. Anyone

04. Your Skinhead Is The Dream

05. On Islands

06. Feeling Down

07. Sooner Than We Think

08. A Picture Of Life

09. Les Rues

10. Rue De Moorslede