Music icons from the ’80s continue to return in strange and unexpected ways. We’ve recently heard new music from Soft Cell, A Flock of Seagulls, and Propaganda. Now, synthpop icons When In Rome join the fray with a new song called “Human Nature.”
“Human Nature” is a dark, enigmatic track built around a hammering drumbeat and a bold, brassy synth riff. Deep, echoey vocals rise from the mix, casting an eerie pall over the song. At one point, it introduces a compelling spoken-word passage backed by Tina Turner-style wailing. While many legacy bands coast on past glories, “Human Nature” sounds surprisingly modern. It’s a good listen.
The music site Jammerzine reports that “Human Nature” was written during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and reflects the uncertainty, isolation, and polarization of the time. Vocalist Clive Farrington tells the website:
“‘Human Nature’ explores why people can be unkind to one another over political, religious, or personal differences. The song suggests that this behavior is an inherent part of the human experience.”
In 2023, When In Rome released another song called “2 Fix Us” that I was unaware of until today. And there’s more to come. The band is working on a new full-length called Illumination that’s supposed to arrive at the end of the summer.
Who is WHEN IN ROME?
When In Rome is best known for their 1988 single “The Promise,” which contains one of the most recognizable piano openers of all time. “The Promise” is a bona fide ’80s classic that charted in the UK and the States, and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Dance charts. When In Rome never scored another Top 40 hit, so they could reliably be called one-hit wonders, though follow-up single “Heaven Knows” just barely cracked the charts and has nearly 5 million streams on Spotify today.
Like many great bands of the ’80s, When In Rome’s history is confusing and fraught with infighting. English musicians Michael Floreale, Clive Farrington, and Andrew Mann comprised the classic lineup. Shortly after the release of their debut album, the group split over creative differences and they’ve been fighting over “The Promise” royalties ever since. “The Promise” famously soundtracks a sweet scene near the end of the 2004 movie Napoleon Dynamite, and they had a legal skirmish over that, too.
Today, there are actually two versions of When In Rome that both perform on the ’80s music circuit. Floreale revived the band in 2006 as When In Rome II and trademarked the original name in 2010. Farrington and Mann reunited in 2009 as When In Rome UK but are officially known as Farrington-Mann Original Members of When In Rome UK to comply with the trademark dispute. That duo is responsible for the new song “Human Nature.”
You can find “Human Nature” on Spotify and other streaming sites.
