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Album of the Day: Crush - O.M.D.

Album: Crush Artist: O.M.D. Year Released: 1985 How obtained: Purchased at Licorice Pizza Summary: Another O.M.D. record that has resided in the space in my mind where it likely belongs: the 80’s. Nothing wrong with the album, but there is a reason that I haven’t listened to it in roughly 25 years.  I just listen to it and think “Ah, yes. Synthesizers were big in the 80’s, weren’t they?”  The lyrics that seemed so intellectual and insightful in my youth now inspire a curmudgeonly bout of eye rolling for me.  For example, I thought any song that mentioned Elvis, James Joyce, Man Ray and martini cocktails was the living end, the bee’s knees, the cat’s pajamas.  Now, it seems like some young guys writing pretentious song lyrics in an attempt to lay art school girls. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) As I listen to the songs on this album, there are three clear subjects: breaking up with someone the songwriter can’t believe he dated, dating/using a woman who would do anything for him that he is just biding time with and speculating on the lives of women he knows wondering if they are happy with their present circumstances and/or realize that he is secretly in love with them. That sums it up. No longer writing lyrics of a non-romantic nature like they did with “Tesla Girls”, “Electricity” or “Enola Gay”, this album is all failed romance, unbalanced romance and unrequited romance.  Perhaps the album is tarnished because the idea of unrequited love doesn’t hold the same appeal that it did in my youth. Eventually, the novelty will wear off and it won’t seem like a terribly romantic notion to pine away for someone that has no interest in the protagonist of the song.