Atlanta, Georgia trio Omni, guitarist Frankie Broyles, singer/bassist Philip Frobos, and drummer Chris Yonker, release their fourth album `Souvenir` this month. The trio named the album Souvenir “as it’s a collection of audio objects, a stash of musical miniatures. Think of it as a family photo album, a binder of rare playing cards, a shoebox holding precious gems” they say.
This latest release opens with `Exacto` another way of saying `exactly` and it`s a delightfully stop-start offering. According to the band the “Lyrics and melodies were written in the back of a van in Sacramento, thinking of being left on the shelf, imagining the odd things people do for attention from people they love and strangers alike.” It has that edgy vibe akin to when Talking Heads first appeared but much more exposed and raw, with some wonderfully odd lyrics such as “Exacto, de facto, concise, quite right.” Singer/bassist Philip Frobos trades lines with Izzy Glaudini of Automatic, with whom Omni toured with last Autumn on `Plastic Pyramind` and it`s an enticing earworm of a number, that I have to say I ended up playing repeatedly.
`Common Mistakes` has a sense of urgency and nigh on angst as this one hundred and ten second ditty races for it`s life. We have a global reflection on `INTL Waters` which might point to a lifestyle of leisure and possible tax avoidance or villainy in this at times dreamy variable composition.
`Double Negative` literally is a positive statement in which two negative elements are used to produce the positive force, usually for some particular rhetorical effect, for example there is not nothing to worry about! Here it gets a namecheck but only as part of a pretty surreal nigh on stream of consciousness over an angular dreamy backing. A romantic walk in the park with a potential suiter and their bulldog turns sour as the narrator is attacked but maybe it`s the romanticism that blinds the storyteller on `PG` as they relate it so matter of factly. The aural accompaniment is suitably jagged.
`Granite Kiss` is probably one of the most instantly assessable numbers here and is a kind of love story which concludes with the hope that “we can decay together.” The love is related as being “astronomical” on this cosmic composition. There`s an anxious tone to `Verdict` where maybe a judgement is expected creating this sense of restlessness. When questions are asked it appears that Izzy Glaudini is there to calm the situation with her charming vocals and biting one liners.
`F1` doesn`t seem to be anything to do with the international Formula One racing competition but more like a reflection on a liaison over dinner that doesn`t seem to happen. It sounds like Izzy Glaudini adds her appealing vocals to this erratic submission which ends with the sound of a downpour. There`s a quite hypnotic texture to `To Be Rude` another fitful piece with chopping riffs over a steady rhythmic drumbeat.
The album closes out with `Compliment` which is a fairly amusing tale of somebody who is adverse to criticism and regards a lot of what is said as admiring commentary regardless. Another track that has an unbalanced but alluring beat.
I have to admit that `Souvenir` was my introduction to the charms of Omni which in itself means everywhere or everything indeed omnipresent and it`s an interesting listen, quite quirky and lively with some pretty intelligent lyrical content that makes you stop and reflect.
They live up to the articles and publicity i`ve read citing them as a band full of sharp, driving songs, sporting chopping riffs, staccato beats, and wiry melodies.
I would refer to them as a band similar to Wire, Television, Talking Heads, Devo, Gang of Four and the Au Pairs and would file them under uneasy but enjoyable listening.
Rating 8.5/10
