When first branding a new band, a little repetition can go a long way. And throughout the past half century there’s plenty proof of now-iconic acts who made the most out of a name by extending it to both album and song titles; think about Bad Company, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, or more recently, Run the Jewels and Wilco.
Well, last weekend the world was treated to yet another artist-album-song triple threat, this one coming straight out of Austin. After a three-year recording break filled with professional and familial obligations, Oh No Oh My frontman Greg Barkley recently rediscovered solace from those stresses through songwriting. Following several hushed solo home studio sessions, and a full decade since Oh No Oh My performed their last live show essentially at the height of international fame, Barkley re-enlisted ONOM drummer Joel Calvin and keyboardist Tim Regan plus Shivery Shakes bassist Wil Glosup to turn these stripped-down tunes into a reality.
As a result, we’ve just been introduced to Solid Lines. The indie elements that earned Oh No Oh My so much acclaim still shines throughout Solid Lines, albeit underneath a coat of passionate electro-pop paint. Solid Lines’ eponymous debut induces nostalgia for care-free youth alongside reflections over the choices Barkley’s made that’ve led him to a life full of love. In line with Barkley’s “full steam ahead” approach to this new batch, the nine tracks on Solid Lines are best enjoyed front to back, but if you want to jump straight to one of Solid Lines‘ midpoints and find out what the group is all about, set aside five minutes and settle into the vocal unity and six-string-and-synth-driven serenity of “Solid Lines”.
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