Los Angeles – In the wake of More Than Any Other Day’s enormous splash, critics could not help themselves but reference groups like Television or The Talking Heads when describing the wiry post-punk heard throughout Ought’s debut release. This opinion is backed up with some decent arguments; the sing/speaking bears a passing resemblance to David Byrne’s vocalized strut, and the guitars occasionally broke into gorgeous twinkling passages that would not be completely out of place on Marque Moon. Despite the occasional similarity to those punk forbearers and other trendier post-punk bands that do ape The Talking Heads or Television, the Montreal, Quebec-based quartet mostly follow in the footsteps of their DIY Constellation Records label mates and other more recent bands.
More Than Any Other Day broke into the music world’s consciousness on the strength of its first single, a song which offered breakneck passages, vaguely positive and very-upbeat stream-of-consciousness lyricism, and a passion that has not really been in-vogue since At the Drive-In disbanded in 2001. No surprise just judging from its title, the band’s sophomore follow-up Sun Coming Down, is decidedly less-enthusiastic. Where lead singer Tim Darcy shouted “Today / More than any other day / I am excited / To feel the milk of human kindness” on the debut, on the follow-up he wallows in self-pity with lines like “I imagined a perfect room / Never been so far away”, “I have given up love / You have given up love”, and “I don’t know why do I become when I / Hang my head and cry out”.
The latter line is pulled from the album’s most melodically structured track, “Passionate Turn”. Rooted in themes of sorrow and solitude and traversing a handful of fairly disparate passages that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, the song stands as the band’s greatest shot at keeping the fickle attention of the buzzy blogosphere. The band smartly follows up this plodding ballad with the album’s most energetic moments care of “The Combo”. Just because the band is in a dourer mood than their debut does not mean their infectious energy has dissipated: “The Combo” and “Celebration” actively channel the guitar-driven post-hardcore of legendary record labels like Dischord and DeSoto.
The first two tracks released from Sun Coming Down are epic-length manifestos which represent monumental songwriting achievements even if they will not garner a ton of plays on indie/punk/college radio station. The first, “Men for Miles”, opens with a clean guitar riff that sounds pulled straight from one of the aforementioned DeSoto Records greatest hits, Dismemberment Plan’s Change. The breezy opening riff twists and contorts around Darcy’s stream-of-consciousness vocal gymnastics. Ought would rather coerce the listener into submission than give them a spoonful of sugar; the opening track’s hypnotic refrain of “There were men for miles / There were men for miles / And that just brings a tear to your eye” will have you mumbling the nonsensical lines ad nauseum.
Meanwhile, “Beautiful Blue Sky”, the album’s nearly eight-minute centerpiece, is the longest in Ought’s discography and perhaps their greatest accomplishment as a band – and a track that truly helps explain their presence on a largely post-rock/experimental record label.
Relatively simple from a structural standpoint, the song feels a great deal shorter than its nearly eight-minute running length would suggest. Darcy gives us a run-through of society’s most banal niceties: “How’s the family / How’s your health been / Fancy seeing you here / Beautiful weather today” before conceding to himself: “I am no longer afraid to die / Because that is all that I have left”. If one was really dedicated to proving the direct lineage between The Talking Heads and Ought, this song could easily be considered the former’s “Once In A Lifetime”; a verbose indictment of our contemporary values and lifestyles.
As a firmly DIY band, it is no surprise to learn Ought is busy supporting Sun Coming Down with a lengthy tour. The band has dates across the United States and Canada throughout September and October. Visit the band’s press page for more information on shows and tickets.
Band photo by Brett Davis
Matt Matasci
Latest posts by Matt Matasci (see all)
- The Shelters Perfects Rock and Roll at Bardot - June 30, 2016
- Featured Artist: The Shelters - June 8, 2016
- Andrew Bird Charms Los Angeles with Fiona Apple - May 18, 2016
