Souvenir. Omni

Yesterday, we had the resurrected postpunk band The Jack Rubies on this blog. Today the fourth album of Atlanta, Georgia band Omni. This is the kind of album that is full of musical prickly pears, where you can seriously hurt your ears with. But just like U.K. band Field Music, Omni knows how to soften the pricklies with golden melodies. Coincidentally, Field Music announced its new album on the day I started writing this review.

Omni has not been on the blog before, so let me introduce the trio: Guitarist Frankie Broyles, singer/bassist Philip Frobos, and drummer Chris Yonker are responsible for what you can hear on Souvenir. What I noticed straight away, is how clear the album sounds. All instrumental parts are in their separate place with the vocals of Philip Frobos clearly mixed up front. It is that mix of prickly rock and the clarity of the music that put me on the Field Music trail.

With its music on Souvenir Omni stepped into a tradition of 1980 post punk bands like Gang of Four and has found a spot in a long list of new bands active in the late 2010s and early 2020s. In the Netherlands we have a whole host of bands excelling in this music, Global Charming and Tramhaus up front. It shows how popular this music is under young(er) musicians. Although the alternative rock scene is certainly a niche in 2024, like it was in 1980, the scene is vibrant and alive. Souvenir attests to this conclusion.

Promo photo: Gem Hale

What I, as the average-at-best guitarist I am, admire in this music and this certainly goes for Omni, is the atypical guitar notes, rhythms and accents that make up this music. I simply would not even know where to start, let alone sing the melodies over this, at first listen, anarchic music. It leaves me in awe of what I'm hearing.

Omni deserves this awe in abundance. Music that at first listen has nothing to do with pop music, at later sessions does give its pop elements free reign. The listener certainly has to work harder to discern them but they are hidden in between all the prickly pears. Give the songs a closer listen and even some familiar small parts come forward, recognisable as snippets from songs that came before Souvenir and found its way into Omni's songs.

Summing up, Souvenir for the average pop fan will be several steps too far. For the more adventurous pop lover there is so much to love. My advise? Put in the effort.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Souvenir here:

https://omniatl.bandcamp.com/album/souvenir