![]() The lyrics on Souvenir are also by turns funny, absurd, and even cryptic. In crafting his vocals, he was inspired by the early college radio rock of formative favorites like REM, the Cure, and Big Audio Dynamite–the kind of bands whose melodies could have been top 40 hits in an alternative universe. ![]() You might notice that Frobos’ singing is a bit more emotional and even nostalgic this time around. Sampson pushed the band to a higher degree of power, with Frobos’s vocals more upfront in his pulsing mix and the rest of the music leaping out of the speakers. In addition, the trio worked with Atlanta-based engineer Kristofer Sampson for the first time. For one, this is their first album with Yonker as their full-time drummer, and his forceful playing adds exclamation points to every pointed moment on Souvenir. The precision and clarity of Souvenir comes from some new Omni developments. Its razor-fine notes and syncopated beats perfectly match pointillist Frobos lyrics such as “Exacto, de facto, concise, quite right”–a line that could well be an Omni mantra. Or take opener “Exacto,” a slicing web of intertwined guitar and bass. (Glaudini sings on two other Souvenir tracks, the first guest vocalist the band has collaborated with). Filled with twists and turns, it’s a journey unto itself, charged by clanging chords, spinning rhythm, and Frobos trading lines with Izzy Glaudini of Automatic, with whom Omni toured with last fall. Take “Plastic Pyramid,” the first song Omni wrote after coming out of lockdown. Think of it as a family photo album, a binder of rare playing cards, a shoebox holding precious gems. That’s why Omni called the album Souvenir: it’s a collection of audio objects, a stash of musical miniatures. Why does Souvenir sound so sharp? Because each track is a compact unit that stands on its own, reflecting the time and place in which it was created. Guitarist Frankie Broyles, singer/bassist Philip Frobos, and drummer Chris Yonker converted their creative fuel into sharp, driving songs that land immediately, sporting chopping riffs, staccato beats, and wiry melodies. Inactive during the majority of the pandemic–the longest downtime in their history–they approached this recording with lots of pent-up energy. And Souvenir, their fourth album and second for Sub Pop, packs their biggest punch yet. The music of Atlanta trio Omni has always swung fast and hit hard.
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