Live
Omni + Soft Walls
The Hope & Ruin, Brighton
November 25 2019
Words/Pictures: Steve Willcox
American alt-indies Omni are in town! Touring the UK with new album ‘Networker’ tonight they pull into Brighton for a sell-out show.
Local support comes from Soft Walls, the Cold Pumas frontman and head honcho of the now defunct Faux Discx record label, Dan Reeves. This lo-fi bedroom pop five-piece soon gets stuck in with a touch of ‘Misperception’, where Henry Holmes' 70s styled synth keys sound as if they have come straight through the ether from the ‘Captain Scarlett’ TV series. It is enough for this crowd who are nodding their heads to its infectious beat. ‘Punky’ has guitarist Joe Tindall blistering his fingers with its rapid riff style and gets the floor dancing, while ‘As Thin as a Thread’ is synth heavy alongside a thundering bass.
‘Big Nod’ slows things down with its down-trodden guitar melody that drummer Scott Reeve slowly pulls along with his steady beat. Closing their set with ‘Coffee’ from their new album ‘Not as Bad as it Seems’ starts with Dan’s guitar riff and lo-tone vocals with fuzzy keyboards that has the crowd swaying to its rhythm and lyrics such as: “Staring back at your dog / You can really get to know it / Open up your heart and throw your arms around it."
Frontman Philip Frobos thanks the audience with an “Alright y’all“ and a wry smile. Launching the set with ‘Southbound Station’, its catchy jangly guitars soon getting the fans going. The absorbing ‘Afterlife’ has Chris Yonker (also in Hello Ocha) delivering some fast-paced drum hits, but it is the melody of the guitars that really shines through here.
The punchy ‘Skeleton Key’ (taken from the new album ‘Networker’) connects with the crowd with its subject matter inspired by friends of Frobos' online dating experiences: “If you don't like what you see / The presentation of me / The pretty face on the screen /Oh scroll on by and don't be lingering." ‘Present Tense’ brings out the skills of Frankie Broyles's guitar-work with his Fender ‘Jaguar’ providing the urgent riffs throughout. ‘Equestrian’ has an almost Beach Boys feel to it as the high vocals are juxtaposed against fast moving beats that gets the room dancing.
The spacious ‘Courtesy Call’, from their 2017 second album, 'Multi-task, delivers on all fronts with its dead-pan lyrics and catchy stop-start riffs, which is followed by an extended version of ‘Wire’ becomes heavier during its ending that satisfies those with harder tastes. Ending their set with 2016’s ‘Wednesday’s Wedding’ and its danceable beats gets this floor moving one last time - and even the sound desk guy is starting to throw some shapes. New fans were undoubtedly made here tonight, and old ones re-affirmed.
No comments:
Post a Comment