A Review of OMD's Dazzle Ships (1983)

 

The album begins with the fanfare of Radio Prague. The brass blares, then there's silence, then it returns. Accompanied with static and the voice of a radio announcer, it makes for a nervous opening to Dazzle Ships. And you can tell that the album will sound more unsettling than any of OMD's previous work.

OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) were one of the first bands to bring synthpop into the forefront of the UK charts. Hits such as Enola Gay and its synth hook remain recognisable to this day, yet despite this popularity, there always remained a rather dark undertone to their music. Yes, the music was catchy, but at times it sounds rather bleak, such as on their second album Organisation. OMD wanted to be both like ABBA and Stockhausen, and this becomes clear on their fourth, rather divisive album, Dazzle Ships.

Released in 1983, the album takes a much more experimental route compared to their hit third album, Architecture and Morality, though OMD weren't exactly the conventional pop band anyways. Songs such as the subdued "Seeland" on Architecture make it clear that they weren't all about three minute hits to be played on Top of the Pops, so for them to release an album like Dazzle Ships isn't that difficult to comprehend, even if it's quite experimental.

You've got the pop songs, such as Genetic Engineering and Radio Waves, which are boosted by great vocal performances, yet they differ from polished synthpop - Genetic Engineering features mantra-like phrases from a Speak and Spell, whilst Radio Waves begins with out-of-order beeping and subdued vocals before the drum machine kicks the song into life. 

Yet the album also features unconventional songs, mostly consisting of samples such as Time Zones, consisting of various speaking clocks, and ABC Auto Industry. These songs offer an alternate angle to the album, reflecting potential anxiety over the ongoing Cold War which comes up in lyrics, as well as communication in general, best expressed in songs such as The Romance of the Telescope, a moving song about a relationship during uncertain times. 

The best song though is arguably the closer, Of All the Things We've Made. Coming in after the chaotic Time Zones, the stunning synths draw the album to a close after about half an hour, with the chaos that permeates the album finally gone and feeling like a light at the end of a tunnel you never thought you'd get out of.

I quite frankly can't understand why critics would have hated this album when it came out. One thing I admire this album for is its willingness to experiment, to sound like nothing the band had ever done before, and in a way it sounds like I'd imagine a long lost postcard from the Cold War during the 1980s to sound like. I wish that OMD had expanded on this sound, but they ultimately didn't need to - even if the critical opinion on the album discouraged them from getting more experimental, the album itself is brilliant and wouldn't need to be replicated. I recommend every song on the album - they're all highlights.