An album release from OHCHILL has a unique way of bending genres and blending in indie rock with an underground alternative 90s soundscape, all the while bringing in elements of vast and open undertones that at times can send you a drift and fuzz tone garage Rock that explodes with character and intensity.
The Burning City is an album that has a way of almost defying what an alternative rock album is by taking these different textures and songwriting approaches and putting them all into one record, but this also makes it somewhat fantastical and full of surprises which is completely refreshing.
The record boasts the energy of a live performance in a way and that energy is completely infectious.
My favorite aspect about this whole record is the guitar work because it's just outstanding and full of life and this vivacious and excitable approach along with an intense sonic presence that has a way of feeling like a sucker punch to the gut at times.
Now, when I say a 90s underground alternative rock feel, that comes a lot from the guitar work as well because you get these sorts of bendy catchy riffs that still have as much edginess as they have color, and you got that a lot during the 90s.
By the time you get halfway through this record, you begin to expect the unexpected and that in itself is something that I adore because the record never gets boring and on top of that, this is one of those albums that you should be listening to the whole way through.
Only listening to a few songs doesn't let you soak in everything the record actually has to offer and that is something that I've missed for some time because we live in such a single-based society that not many bands or artists release albums anymore.
Listening to this record gives me little hints of nostalgia here and there and you can feel some of these classic influences throughout the record in pieces.
The songs are driving and have character to them which is something that you end up latching on to right from the get-go.
All the elements have such a unique way of complimenting each other.
OHCHILL is a two-piece band that consists of a drummer and a guitarist who both sing on the record, and you'd never guess it listening to it.
This is because it's got such a high octane and full-bodied feel a lot of the time and again, I can't express enough how the songs change throughout the record and you don't know if you're going to get this rock-banger kind of sound or if you're going to get that dreamy and cinematic type of sound but either way it's going to be good.
The reason I brought up the fact that they are two-piece band is simply because when you listen to the record the energy of it feels like a group of people recording songs live on the floor and feeding off of each other the entire time and, maybe these two did the drums in the guitars in a live setting and that's part of why that energy is there but I'm not sure about that.
The vocals have a way of adding such a lush layer to the songs and really give most songs such a perfect balance.
This album in captures certain feels and sounds that have sort of been missing in rock music for a bit and the record brought me joy and I think it will for anyone who grew up in a certain time. And loves bands from the early to mid 90s and even the early 2000s for that matter.
This is the type of band that you would find out about by reading about them in a magazine or by hearing a track on an underground radio station and then you go and hunt them down.
Just that whole aesthetic is so pleasing to me, and I love that they had this sort of heart that gives off that feeling through their music and tonality.
Again, I will say this, listen to the full record not just a few tracks.
It's more than worth your time especially if you love great alternative rock with expansive undertones and a certain kind of vastness that has what feels like backstories in a way.
I love this record.