Once boasting bright, chiming guitars and a tremulous-voiced lead singer, The Crush sounded more like a flashy British band than anything coming from the States. Their cinematic take on Brit-pop earned them comparisons to David Bowie, the Auteurs, and the Smiths. Since then The Crush have mutated in something uglier, with all the gruesome appeal of a freakshow. The music is still Beatles-influenced, sweet and simple, but the lyrics have departed from the usual romantic staple to explore such topics as incest, child porn, and bloodlust.