 Orchestral Manœvers in the Dark The second single (preceding the superior "Tesla Girls") off OMD's 1984 LP Junk Culture is another underrated non-blast from the past, a song far too subtle and low-key to have made much of a chart impact, much less to ensure any "Ha, I love '80s music!" nostalgia. It's slight, but rather sublime, prefiguring Lemon Jelly by well-nigh 20 years. Smiley Fairlight synth, sensitive vocals, and a mood that is opposite to the cokey hyperactivity of, say, Duran Duran, or the gravity of New Order. It's nice to be reminded that not everyone in the 80s was a vacuous, image-obsessed Wall Street type … there were plenty of book-reading introverts back then, too. The 12" single offers the extended version of "Talking Loud and Clear" and its more annoying b-side, "Julia's Song," orginally included on OMD's first album, here tarted up for the very image-obsessed 80s dancefloors that the a-side skirts away from. It sounds like a failed Pet Shop Boys b-side, which isn't such a bad thing, but it ain't what I want from OMD. Not essential by any means, and certainly pointless to bother reviewing nowadays, but I'm becoming increasingly fascinated by OMD 12" singles, so I figured I'd add my two cents to the cultural non-dialogue on this topic while it was on the ol' turntable.
Review by Hong |