Atlanta post-punks Omni serve up their third LP, Networker; it presents new ideas and tones to the choppy, distant and sparse sounds that emanate from a post-punk scene that draws inspiration from bands like Television.
There is a lot of silence on the album — both in terms of quiet, reserved moments and space between notes and strokes. During the quiet moments, intimate vocals are hunched and sneaky, while the precisely timed breaths between jagged spikes in guitar tone create the feeling of stillness wherever they occur.
"Skeleton Key" immediately commands attention with the opening hook. The track adds some subtle, twangy keyboards to the instrumentation, making the hook twinkle every time it reprises. The laidback swing on "Blunt Force" is anything but blunt; dissonant chords blend synth and guitar inflections as a plucky bass pushes the song forward. The latter part of the short, minute-and-a-half long track is invaded by guitars that explore their fretboards in spasms.
Networker is like a clock; it never hesitates or loses its pace, and it's constantly ticking. Yet the record feels unhinged, wily and obscure — as if the clock is hanging so askew, it might just fall off the wall. Omni compress this wild energy and wield it with immaculate control.
(Sub Pop)There is a lot of silence on the album — both in terms of quiet, reserved moments and space between notes and strokes. During the quiet moments, intimate vocals are hunched and sneaky, while the precisely timed breaths between jagged spikes in guitar tone create the feeling of stillness wherever they occur.
"Skeleton Key" immediately commands attention with the opening hook. The track adds some subtle, twangy keyboards to the instrumentation, making the hook twinkle every time it reprises. The laidback swing on "Blunt Force" is anything but blunt; dissonant chords blend synth and guitar inflections as a plucky bass pushes the song forward. The latter part of the short, minute-and-a-half long track is invaded by guitars that explore their fretboards in spasms.
Networker is like a clock; it never hesitates or loses its pace, and it's constantly ticking. Yet the record feels unhinged, wily and obscure — as if the clock is hanging so askew, it might just fall off the wall. Omni compress this wild energy and wield it with immaculate control.