Aggressive and a bit nasty.

Not expressions you would usually associate with Wirral's own electro wizards OMD?

Well you haven't heard their new single then.

Have a listen here.

Of course The Punishment of Luxury also has the band's trademark chilling melody lines and plaintive synth soundscape.

This is unmistakably OMD - but it's OMD with a snarl.

The drums, bass and sequencers are full-on, totally in your face and downright dirty.

And it is catchy.

So, so catchy.

I was addicted from the first play - I'm on my 400th now and I still can't get enough of it.

And the video. Oh my!

Twirling strippers with dollar bills being folded into their knickers, body-builders pumping biceps, close-ups of trout-pout lips so stuffed with injected silicone they burst, girls popping pills.

What is going on? 

But it's all done in the best possible taste - and completely wonderful.

The band are in Mexico City right now and ahead of a gig tonight in front of 4,000 fans founder member Andy McCluskey gave us a call from his hotel room.

"It's the title track of the new album and addresses the problem that most people in the western world are materially better off than their predecessors ever were and yet we are unhappier," he said.

"We're all caught up in the propaganda that you have to have the newest and biggest telly, drive the latest model car.

"You have to look like this, dress like that. Go here, go there.

"But all that's not making people happy, nobody's really happy.

"And that is the punishment of luxury."

Have a scan of the words...

"The Punishment of Luxury

Is in the air for all to see

And it's ugly now

And it's getting worse every day

So close your eyes

And shut your mouth

You make me wanna

Scream and shout."

Andy added: "The album has turned out exactly as we wanted it.

"It's more aggressively electro, more analogue than anything we've done for quite a while but it still has the sonic palette of OMD.

"We took our time making this one and the feedback we're getting is that people think it's a quality record.

"I think it pushes things forward - there's plenty of fresh ideas in there."

This autumn OMD embark on the biggest UK tour they've done in 30 years and will be appearing at Liverpool's Empire Theatre on October 29.

"We love playing the Empire so we contacted them to see when they had a free night - and that was pretty much the only one so we built the rest of the tour around our Empire date," said Andy.

"We're very excited to be playing back in Liverpool - it's our hometown gig even though we're Wirral boys.

"And we cannot wait."

The Punishment of Luxury album will be released on September 1.

Wirral Globe: OMD Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey.jpg

Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey

OMD tour dates:

10/23 – Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street
10/24 – Belfast, IE @ Mandella Hall
10/29 – Liverpool, UK @ Empire
10/30 – Bristol, UK @ Colston Hall
11/01 – Southend, UK @ Cliffs Pavilion
11/02 – Ipswich, UK @ Regent
11/03 – Cambridge, UK @ Corn Exchange
11/05 – Leicester, UK @ De Montfort Hall
11/06 – Nottingham, UK @ Royal Concert Hall
11/07 – Sheffield, UK @ City Hall
11/09 – Reading, UK @ Hexagon
11/10 – Southampton, UK @ Guildhall
11/11 – Guildford, UK @ G Live
11/13 – London, UK @ Roundhouse
11/15 – Bexhill, UK @ De La Warr Pavilion
11/17 – Manchester, UK @ Academy
11/18 – York, UK @ Barbican
11/19 – Glasgow, UK @ Royal Concert Hall
11/21 – Birmingham, UK @ Symphony Hall
11/22 – Gateshead, UK @ Sage 1