Author- Madeline Thomas
(All photos courtesy of the bands’ respective Facebook profiles)
Listening to Ought makes me feel like I’m swimming in the ocean. Their 2014 release More Than Any Day was my go-to art-punk album; the songs ignited emotions in me that probably got me through AP Chemistry. So, thanks guys. The same vein of anxious, wiry yet somehow comforting sounds runs through the heart of their latest album Room Inside the World.
What drew me, and probably many other listeners, to Ought is singer Tom Darcy’s humble, honest voice. It’s like a blend of Paul Banks, Matthew Flegel, and Ian Curtis. Or like he’s singing with his mouth open really wide. Either way, I rock with it. What kept me coming back to listen over and over again is the new wave influence of their music; this is especially highlighted on Room Inside the World. “These Three Things” is arguably the catchiest track, something I don’t usually find in a post-punk album. Darcy’s vocals are more singsongy than is typical for the band, but it works (really well, it’s been stuck in my head for weeks). The sparkles and shimmers of this track make it my favorite of the album.
Later in “Desire”, the oceanic sound persists, but it’s deeper and further away. This is the kind of song you google the lyrics to. Keep your tab open, because the next track “Brief Shield” is a vulnerable dive into the feelings guys only talk about in journal entries (hint hint it’s toxic and fragile masculinity). With a wide array of emotions on display in this album, and that reliable half moan half murmur of Darcy’s voice, any setlist which showcases some of Ought’s newer work is going to satisfy me.
In going to post-rock shows, and most rock or punk hybrid genre concerts, but specifically post-rock, I find myself to be one of the few women in the audience. Which is fine, really. I don’t mind being surrounded by age-ambiguous dudes wearing the intro-to-alt staple outfit: cuffed jeans, forgettable shoes, and a graphic t-shirt underneath a flannel or trucker jacket. To all you underage internet music nerds- please come to the show. Stand with me in solidarity while the elder folk clutch a rainier and head-bob from the bar section of Chop Suey.
Flasher is bopping around with Ought for the duration of their North American tour, coming all the way from D.C. to grace audiences with their punk-gaze power. This triad is an opener well worth showing up for. Their roots in the DIY scene tug at my heartstrings- I get a little teary eyed watching bands rise in popularity. If you like PRIESTS, C.H.E.W., or Rotten Blossom (all bandcamp babes), you need to listen to this band. Fun fact – the bassist of PRIESTS plays in Flasher. From my understanding, D.C. punk is like a big family, and everybody is hanging out, doing stuff, writing tunes with everybody else. Show up on time, NOT punk time to hear the contemporary take on punk Flasher has to offer.
Ought and Flasher are playing at Chop Suey on Friday, March 23rd. Tickets are available here.
Ought is on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Instagram.
Flasher is on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Instagram.
MADELINE THOMAS | Is the pun too much? Or just enough? | KXSU Music Reporter