Album Review: Otherkin - 'Ok'
Following the buzz of their 2016 EP ‘The New Vice’, OK is the highly anticipated debut album from Dublin fourpiece, Otherkin. Formed in 2014 and birthing their sound in dive bars and house parties, the band have steadily built momentum and fast gained popularity from their wild live shows and energetic festival performances.
OK’s opening track ‘Treat Me So Bad’ swells with grunge riffs, instantly demonstrating how this band have taken everything great about indie rock and re-moulded their influences to create an infectious and refreshing sound. Tracks ‘Come On, Hello’, ‘89’ and ‘Razorhead’, ooze with rock n’ roll swagger, whilst ‘Yeah, I know’ and ‘Bad Advice’ boast catchy, sing-along choruses accompanied by a drumbeat that will be sure to get any listener dancing on the spot.
It would be fair suggest that Otherkin are not a band to play it safe when it comes to sound. ‘Feel It’ is a fun track with a pop injection, whilst being heavily soaked in vocalist Luke Reilly’s gritty vocals. The contrasting sounds embrace the raw and raucous aspects of the bands musical inspirations, whilst ‘REACT’ is simply a fun, bouncy track which I can imagine would be fantastic in a live setting.
My personal favourite has to be ‘Enabler’, one of the heavier tracks on the album. The same grunge-punk vibe that can be felt at the core of this record is probably most evident on this track, with Reilly’s rough but charming vocals soaring over energetic guitar riffs.
The extremely popular ‘Ay Ay’ is however, the stand out song on OK. It’s filled to the brim with 90’s brit-rock riffs and an addictive chorus that will get stuck in your head for days after. Essentially, Ay Ay encapsulates perfectly who Otherkin are and where they’re heading as a band. This song is definitely made for festivals and summer BBQ’s! With a sound reminiscent of the last twenty years' worth of British bands, Otherkin have put together a solid debut that’s packed with appeal – It’s easy to see why there is so much hype around these guys, and OK does a superb job of demonstrating exactly what this band are about.
Catch Otherkin on tour across the UK and Europe this autumn and pick up your copy of OK, out September 29th, 2017.
30th September - Think Tank, Newcastle, UK *
1st October - King Tuts, Glasgow, UK *
2nd October - Brudenell Social, Leeds, UK *
4th October - The Plug, Sheffield, UK *
5th October - Sugarmill, Stoke-On-Trent, UK *
6th October - Buyers Club, Liverpool, UK *
9th October - Mama Roux’s, Birmingham, UK *
* Supporting INHEAVEN
22nd October - Deaf Institute, Manchester, UK
23rd October - Crofters Rights, Bristol, UK
24th October - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, UK
25th October - Face Bar, Reading, UK
26th October - Camden Assembly, London, UK
28th October - Forum Basement, Tunbridge Wells, UK
29th October - Hope & Ruin, Brighton, UK
Review by Lauren Kelly Brown