With the quick count of a steel drum, The Official Body takes off, putting you in the passenger seat of wild, 31-minute ride through the nooks and crannies of the minds of SHOPPING. Falling somewhere between angular pop, post-punk and danceable alternative, their third album is a staggering accomplishment that does not let its guard down for a single moment.
The trio sticks to their guns and delivers this potent blend of genre bending anthems. Some of these tracks come with a slightly beachy, island-ready tone (“My Dad’s a Dancer”), while others are totally sinister (“Discover”) and downright nasty (the way they change gears from slow burn to propulsive onslaught in “Control Yourself” is still making my head spin). When necessary, they will fill in any open space, whether it’s with these chicken scratch guitars or wonky bass rumblings.
The Official Body refuses to settle, rattling off ten tracks with an average time of about three minutes per, in the most effortless way possible. If there’s a moment you can’t get enough of, don’t cling to it for too long because they’ll be on to the next idea before you can formulate an opinion. And that seems to be a part of the plan. The trio has seamlessly enlisted idea after idea, and there’s not a single moment where you’re going to question the direction they’re taking – it’s like a race between bandmates all trying to keep up with each other. They channel that hype into a teammate oriented approach and produce an even-keeled and fully caffeinated brand of progressive pop that they can confidently call their own.
“The Hype,” “Asking for a Friend,” “Control Yourself,” “New Values” and “Overtime” all slowly became highlights to this set of ears. The Official Body seemingly passes so quickly that it takes a handful of listening sessions before these conclusions really sink in. But at 31 minutes time, paired with the pace these guys deliver their craft, you’re bound to discover something you didn’t notice previously with every new spin. Get a head start now – you’ve got some catching up to do.
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