One of the defining features of Omni’s sound is Frankie Broyles’ guitar playing and it has rarely sounded better than on the album’s opening track, ‘Exacto’, during which he channels a concise Tom Verlaine swapping riffs with Andy Gill, while the interplay with his bandmates reaches its zenith. Its lyric, “exacto, de facto, concise, quite right’ could be the manifesto for the record’s 11-tracks.
Among the surprises offered up are three tracks featuring additional vocals from Izzy Glaudini of Automatic, the first guest vocalist with whom they have collaborated. This works especially well on ‘Plastic Pyramid’. With its heavily ironic tone, beginning with Frobos asking, “are you hydrated, baby?” before launching into tales of online shopping, “the sphinx, the Nile, I ordered it all” Throw in some whooshing synths and it brings to mind the spirit of The B-52s. There is an unpredictability to her sometimes answering, sometimes harmonising vocals that give ‘Verdict’ and ‘F1’ an urgent dynamic.
‘Souvenir’ offers up numerous highlights. ‘International Waters’ introduces piano, slightly jazzy vibe while constantly swapping tempo with their signature impatience while ‘Double Negative’ recalls a mash up of Polvo’s guitar tunings and The Knack’s ‘My Sharona’. ‘PG’ takes in a romantic walk and a mugging together with especially twitchy and sharp guitars, ending with bits of electronics to mirror lyrics about being down in the mud. Shard-like guitar and scampering basslines mark out ‘Granite’, an astronomical love affair with the hope “we can decay together”.
‘To Be Rude’ utilises a choppy riff reminiscent of The Jam’s ‘Start’ and therefore also the George Harrison composed, fiscally conservative and grumpy Beatles tune, ‘Taxman’, before piling on a range of guitar diversions that are a rare moment that fails to gel. ‘Souvenir’ closes with the, by their standards, epic near 4-minute, ‘Compliment’, all curves, shimmies and shifting tempos.
After an inspiring 30-minute gallop, the advice would be to get yourself a ‘Souvenir’ and one for a special friend as an Omni present.
Omni: Souvenir – Out 16th February 2024 (Sub Pop)