OHMME (FINOM) - Fantasize Your Ghost LP (Spectral Blue Vinyl)

Label: Joyful Noise Recordings

Ohmme are a Chicago duo, comprised of Macie Stewart and Sima Cunningham, who have carefully nurtured a reputation as a thoughtful, experimental rock band that aren’t afraid of dipping their toes in strange new waters to see what inspiration they can draw from the experience (they’ve collaborated with Jeff Tweedy, Vic Mensa, Chance The Rapper and others).

What Fantasize Your Ghost offers is a change for the pair to push their boundaries even further – and they take the opportunity with both hands. There’s beautiful, elegant pop music here, and there’s some fiery, discordant capital-R Rock music here too. This is a strong record, and it shows that Ohmme have safely navigated the pitfalls of the dreaded second album syndrome. Here, they sound mature, focused, well-drilled, and none more so than on album highlight “Spell It Out”, which masterfully increases a looming sense of tension that never quite pays off. “Spell It Out” shows a band in complete control of their sound, and it’s a pleasure to hear their music shimmer and sparkle, bringing light to an otherwise gloomy world.