Singer/bassist Phillip Frobos, guitarist Frankie Broyles and now full time drummer Chris Yonker return for their second album to be released on the Sub Pop label. The jerky, angular, spikey post punk sound they deal in recalls a hybrid of Pavement, Wire, Television, whom are not known for their discharging of embracing warmth. The more time spent digging into Souvenir, and their first activity since the Covid pandemic reveals there are pockets of emotions being aired (even if it is in the third person) among the wry humour, and the not always easy to fathom absurdist imagery. It does, however, encourage closer listening and exert intrigue. This is helped by Frobos’ surprising warm glow – on the edge of talking – vocal tones. Where the band hit the jackpot though is bringing on board Automatic singer Izzy Glaudini to provide duet duties on the earworm grower ‘Plastic Pyramid’ – ‘’are you deflated baby? Not going to lie I feel pretty small.”
There are many admiring guitar parts across the album’s eleven tracks as Broyle plucks melodic lines from his spiky precise playing. While Frobos’ bass lines flits between blending in and taking a more centre stage especially on another highlight ‘Common Mistake.’ Yet, it is debutant Yonker’s excellent drumming which holds the key here for being able to weld it altogether and push the songs forwards. This, in turn, galvanises satisfying grooves for the occasional participation of head nodding.
There is honourable attention paid to the details for how the entire band’s individual playing knits together. The precise shift in tempo from initial choppy guitar strums to piano/keys textures on ‘INTL Waters’ to the unexpected latter switch to a nifty tempo exemplifies Omni’s coolness. This feat, and the compactness on each song, is evident when all the eleven tracks are under the four minutes’ mark. Not one note feels wasted.
It may have been a long wait, but Omni have harvested an album which weaves an admiring allurement. They may have taken out some of the harsher edges of the angular post punk acts of past decades – boosted by a top notch modern crisp production – but Souvenir is a very fine return and is worth the wait.